Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Spotlight Correspondence
  • Published:

Autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation of stem cells harvested in imatinib-induced complete cytogenetic remission: an example of in vivo purging in CML

Leukemia volume 17, pages 2525–2526 (2003)Cite this article

TO THE EDITOR

Inhibition of the BCR-ABL protein kinase with imatinib (Glivec, Gleevec) has been shown to be a novel therapeutic option in Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), with remarkable response rates in chronic phase.1 In accelerated phase and blast crisis, however, imatinib results only in a limited increase of overall survival and cytogenetic response rates.2 In imatinib-treated patients who reach a complete cytogenetic remission (CCR), mobilization and collection of CD34+ cells may represent an additional therapeutic option, as in vivo purging may be achieved when therapy with imatinib is continued during stem cell collection. These stem cells could be used for autologous blood stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with relapse of leukemia. In fact, Hui et al3 recently showed successful peripheral blood stem cell mobilization in patients who reached CCR under imatinib. Here, we describe the case of a 59-year-old female blast crisis patient who was successfully treated by ASCT of stem cells collected in CCR.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

References

  1. O'Brien SG, Guilhot F, Larson RA, Gathmann I, Baccarani M, Cervantes F et al. Imatinib compared with interferon and low-dose cytarabine for newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia. N Engl J Med 2003; 348: 994–1004.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Sawyers CL, Hochhaus A, Feldman E, Goldman JM, Miller CB, Ottmann OG et al. Imatinib induces hematologic and cytogenetic responses in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia in myeloid blast crisis: results of a phase II study. Blood 2002; 99: 3530–3539.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hui CH, Goh KY, White D, Branford S, Grigg A, Seymour JF et al. Successful peripheral blood stem cell mobilisation with filgrastim in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia achieving complete cytogenetic response with imatinib, without increasing disease burden as measured by quantitative real-time PCR. Leukemia 2003; 17: 821–828.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medizinische Klinik mit Schwerpunkt Hämatologie und Onkologie, Campus Virchow, Charité, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    P le Coutre, K A Kreuzer, G Massenkeil, G Baskaynak, I Genvresse, J Lupberger, M Mapara, B Dörken & R Arnold

  2. Institut für Medizinische Genetik, Campus Virchow, Charité, Humboldt Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    P Zschieschang

Authors
  1. P le Coutre
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K A Kreuzer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G Massenkeil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. G Baskaynak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. P Zschieschang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. I Genvresse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. J Lupberger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. M Mapara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. B Dörken
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. R Arnold
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P le Coutre.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

le Coutre, P., Kreuzer, K., Massenkeil, G. et al. Autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation of stem cells harvested in imatinib-induced complete cytogenetic remission: an example of in vivo purging in CML. Leukemia 17, 2525–2526 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403170

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.leu.2403170

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links