Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation

This volume is a compendium of cutting-edge molecular methods for the successful transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells. The availability of genetic profiles for committed and uncommitted stem cells combined with the determination of molecular steps involved in hematopoietic stem cell activation and self-renewal hold tremendous promise for future success in the clinic. Currently, stem cells can be quantified and sorted successfully, but transduction, labeling, and in vivo tracking of stem cells are difficult techniques with traditionally low efficiency levels. The contributors to this volume describe promising tools for stem cell transplant research models, such as in vivo bioluminescence imaging. Topics included in this volume are molecular profiling of hematopoietic stell cells, methods for imaging cell fates in hematopoiesis, PCR-SSP typing of HLA Class I and Class II alleles, sequence-based HLA typing, and typing minor HLA antigens. Also discussed in this volume are the roles of natural killer cells and killer inhibitor receptor polymorphisms, polymorphisms within epithelial receptors, molecular methods used for the detection of autologous graft contamination in lymphoid disorders, and the application of proteomics to posttransplantation follow-up. With the recent trend moving from gene expression to the protein expression profiles, the application of proteomics to the posttransplant follow-up of patients is becoming routine. As a result, this volume will become an invaluable source for biochemists, molecular biologists, and clinicians.