A Strategy for Processing of Peripheral Blood Stem Cells Utilizing the Small Volume Collection Chamber and Cryopreservation without a Rate Controller Using Pentastarch

Standardization of protocols for processing peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) will be important for multiinstitutional studies. For this reason, a strategy was developed utilizing the small volume collection chamber (SVCC) in the Fenwal CS-3000 PLUS Blood Cell Separator and cryopreservation without a rate controller in medium containing pentastarch. Use of the SVCC allows for a small extracorporeal volume, extraction of a minimal number of platelets, and a high efficiency of mononuclear cell (MNC) removal. Advantages of the pentastarch cryopreservation technique include reduction in technician time compared to controlled rate cryopreservation and use of lower concentrations of DMSO. Clinical studies using the SVCC and pentastarch technique demonstrate that these goals have been accomplished. Furthermore, patients transplanted with cells that were processed by this technique engrafted faster and were discharged sooner than patients receiving autologous bone marrow transplants.