autologous stem cell infusion

Autologous stem cell infusion is a cell therapy procedure used as a rescue treatment following high-dose, myeloablative chemotherapy (conditioning) for high-risk or relapsed pediatric and adult solid tumors and central nervous system (CNS) malignancies. Developed as a standard of care guideline at the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, the process involves harvesting the patient's own hematopoietic stem cells (usually from peripheral blood) prior to intensive treatment. After the administration of alkylator-intense conditioning regimens—such as busulfan, melphalan, and thiotepa for solid tumors, or carboplatin and thiotepa for CNS tumors—the stored stem cells are re-infused intravenously. These cells home to the bone marrow and differentiate to restore the patient's blood-forming system, which would otherwise be permanently damaged by the chemotherapy.

Other names

autologous stem cell infusion-Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota-Ewing sarcoma-Wilms tumor-hepatoblastoma-rhabdomyosarcoma-soft tissue sarcoma-malignant brain neoplasm-retinoblastoma-central nervous system lymphoma-medulloblastoma-supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor-atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor-germ cell tumor-neuroblastoma-ganglioneuroblastoma-clear cell sarcoma of kidney-rhabdoid tumor of kidneyautologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantASCTautologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation