Service for collection of hematological stem cells

What are hematological stem cells?

Hematological father/mother cells or stem cells are the first cells from which the entire blood system develops, which includes white cells, red cells and thrombocytes responsible for clotting as well as the immune system responsible for fighting infections.

Our Services

• Collection of autologous stem cells
• Intended for patients with lymphoma or multiple myeloma, from healthy donors for an allogeneic transplant from family members or from fully or partially matched foreign donors (abortion transplants). In most cases, CSF-G and/or Mosobil (plerixafor) injections are given before the collection.

Collection of lymphocytes

For immunological treatments in patients suffering from melanoma and for the treatment of engineered T cells - CAR-T cells - in patients with lymphoma and acute leukemia. In some cases, the collected lymphocytes are transgenic abroad.

Therapeutic apheresis

For the treatment of graft-versus-storage disease, which develops due to overactivity of the new immune system (from the donor) against the organs of the donated patient's body. The goal of the treatment is to weaken the new immune system, to stop the disease.

The treatment is given mainly in chronic but also acute disease, the first line of treatment is the administration of steroids, but the second line in most places in the world is ECP (extracorporeal photopheresis.

Lymphocytes are taken from the patient, activated with the help of a special device that works on the basis of centrifugation, the drug psolaran (which increases the effect of radiation) is added, the cells are irradiated with UVA radiation and returned to the patient, the same day, through an intravenous infusion. It does immunomodulation, which means it increases the number of regulatory T cells, and cures the graft-versus-host disease, in a higher percentage in the skin and mucous membranes and in a small percentage in the digestive system and liver.

Therapeutic apheresis also treats patients with lymphoma of the skin. Patients are referred to the unit from Sheba and other hospitals that do not have the special device with the psolaran.

There are very few side effects to ECP and the process is painless.

The collection, apheresis, of progenitor cells, lymphocytes and T cells is carried out on an outpatient basis (without hospitalization) in modern rooms, on comfortable armchairs in a calm and relaxed atmosphere. After the collection of stem cells or lymphocytes, the transplants are treated in the transplant preparation laboratory headed by Dr. Nira Blum. The collection unit and the transplant preparation laboratory have been certified by the Ministry of Health and the European Transplantation Association.

The unit also conducts clinical studies on progenitor cell mobilization with the help of new derivatives of G-CSF, clinical studies on engineered lymphocyte cells to increase the graft response against the tumor, elimination of subpopulations from the graft and CAR-T cells in other hematological diseases.

Back to the department for bone marrow transplants and cellular therapy