| Abstract: | Vertical transmission from mother to child occurs in 15–39% of women infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Stem cell transplantation has recently been suggested as a potential therapy for patients with HIV infection. We have examined the possible advantages of human cord blood (HUCB) stem cells over bone marrow (BM) stem cells in the treatment of HIV-infected newborns. HUCB myeloid progenitors were found to be statistically more resistant to interferon-α (IFN-α), cytarabine (ARA-C), and eilatin than BM myeloid progenitor cells grown with IL-3 (P < 0.05). HUCB treated with IFN-α, ARA-C, and eilatin demonstrated a significantly higher capacity for self-renewal manifested by delta assay following 7 days in liquid culture. We, therefore, suggest that HUCB purged by anti-HIV drugs may be a source for autologous transplantation in HIV-infected newborns. Am. J. Hematol. 56:161–167, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc. |
