Intravenous Infusion of Bone Marrow in Patients Receiving Radiation and Chemotherapy

Abstract

AFTER a lethal dose of radiation in rodents,1 canines2 or primates,3 the destroyed bone marrow may be repopulated by intravenous infusion of cellular suspensions of marrow taken from healthy isologous, homologous4 and, in some cases, heterologous3 donors. Effective cells for these infusions may be stored by the Polge technic of freezing to -80°C. in glycerol.6 Hosts seeded with donor marrow have some of the immunologic characteristics of the donors, and in some circumstances will take and hold homografts of other organs from them.7 Since cases of radiation disaster may occur, and since bone-marrow deficiency from radiation or chemotherapy does occur . . .