Successful infusion of 40 cryopreserved autologous bone-marrows. In vitro studies of the freezing procedure.

Cryopreservation of human bone marrow may be helpful to use supralethal chemoradiotherapy in order to cure malignant diseases. We report here a cryopreservation procedure from large volumes of human bone marrow which can be applied in routinal use. Whole bone marrow in 10% Dimethylsulfoxide (ME2SO) was frozen at an 1 degree C/min. controlled rate and was stored into liquid nitrogen. After thawing and before infusion, both ME2SO and free hemoglobin were removed. The in vitro recovery of nucleated cells and the myeloid stem cell assay (CFC) were performed as quality control. About 60% of the marrow cells and 40% of the total CFC number were recovered at the end of the procedure. Using this technique, 40 patients (25 children with malignant lymphoma and 15 adults with lymphoma and solid tumors) were transplanted with autologous cryopreserved bone marrow after receiving intensive chemotherapy. Three of them received both chemotherapy and a total body irradiation. Engraftment was achieved in all patients. Rise in leucocyte count (greater than 1.10(9)/l) occurred within an average of 17 days. In conclusion, in autologous bone marrow transplantation, this method of cryopreservation is effective to obtain rapid hematological reconstitution in patients treated for malignant diseases by intensive cytoreductive regimens.