What families are saying
"If Natalie hadn't had all of her transfusions, I don't know that she would have met her baby brother."
Tausha Taylor
Mother of cancer patient
Cell Therapy Procedures
One established cell therapy treatment today is the autologous (one's own cells) or allogenic (a donor's cells) collection and processing of blood cells for use in treating a range of hematological malignancies. The COBE® Spectra Apheresis System is cleared by the FDA, CE marked under European Medical Device Directive and approved for distribution in many countries for collecting peripheral blood stem cells.
Peripheral blood stem cell and mononuclear cell collection
When a patient has high dose chemotherapy, it suppresses the bone marrow's ability to make new blood cells. Peripheral blood stem cells and mononuclear cells get collected from a patient prior to chemotherapy. When the course of chemotherapy is complete, the collected cells are transfused back into the patient, where they migrate to the bone marrow and begin the process of creating new blood cells.
Before a stem cell collection, patients usually get a dose of growth factor drugs. These drugs will generally cause the release of a large number of stem cells into the bloodstream. The prescribing physician monitors the patient's white cell count until it rises to a level sufficient for collection. Once that happens, the patient begins a series of collection procedures. During these procedures, the patient's blood is drawn into a cell separator such as the COBE Spectra Apheresis System. Anticoagulant solution is added to the blood to keep it from clotting during the procedure. The blood/anticoagulant mix cycles through a centrifuge to separate the peripheral blood stem cells and mononuclear cells from the other blood components and plasma. Then, the system pumps the separated cells into a collection bag for storage, while the other blood components and plasma return to the patient. All tubing sets and needles used are sterile, so there is no risk of disease transmission.
Donor granulocyte and lymphocyte collection
Sometimes patients cannot effectively fight off infection. To help these patients fight off infection, donor granulocytes or lymphocytes (depending on the patient's need) are collected from healthy donors for transfusion.
Bone marrow processing (BMP) program
The COBE Spectra System's unique channel design allows processing of bone marrow with low red cell volume to accommodate pediatric bone marrow. Individualized bone marrow data entry provides your operators with automatic calculations of the processing endpoint, for optimal recovery of desired cells. The customizable interface gives you the flexibility to optimize MNC recovery and yields a high number of cells with low cross-cellular contamination.
Find out more about CaridianBCT's therapeutic apheresis and cell collection device, the COBE Spectra Apheresis System.
[ Feedback ]