USE OF AUTOTRANSPLANTS IN CHRONIC MYELOID-LEUKEMIA

Patients with newly diagnosed CML have Ph-negative stem cells in their marrow and peripheral blood. A minority can be restored to durable Ph-negative haemopoiesis by treatment with interferon-alpha but in general autografting with marrow collected after IFN treatment has not proved feasible. Some patients autografted with blood-derived stem cells collected in chronic phase have achieved durable Ph-negative haemopoiesis and selected patients autografted with 10-day incubated marrow cells have also achieved complete remission. An alternative approach involves collection and isolation of Ph-negative stem cells that may then be used for autografting. Different lines of evidence suggest that induction of remission for all patients with CML should be an attainable goal.