Antioxidant intervention: a new method for improving hematopoietic reconstitution capacity of peripheral blood stem cells

In peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (BM HSCs) are collected as they are released from the hypoxic bone marrow, then infused into peripheral blood with higher oxygen concentration after mobilization. In some cases, in vitro amplification culture under normal oxygen may be required, and homing into the hypoxic bone marrow is further carried out after intravenous re-infusion, thereby resulting in constant changes in the reactive oxygen species (ROS). The high-level ROS can damage the hematopoietic reconstitution capacity of HSCs. Thus, the application of antioxidant intervention in the in vivo mobilization of BM HSC and the in vitro culture process of peripheral blood stem cells may be effective against the negative effects of ROS on BM HSC. Antioxidant intervention may also better protect the hematopoietic reconstitution capacity of HSCs, as well as improve the success rate of transplantation.