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Re:Stem cells shown safe, beneficial for chronic stroke pati... by robbiep on Friday June 03, 2016 @11:16PM (#11834757)
Couple questions:

- you're using bone marrow stem cells and using the same confusing acronym as mesenchymal stem cells. As someone who has been out of active research for several years, what is the difference? And are there other acronyms that are accepted?

- BM stem cells through bone marrow harvest used to be the order of the day for repopulating immune systems following irradiation of marrow for some leukemias. Nowadays the state of the art is that those stem cells can be harvested by fractioning whole blood, so you only have the hassle of a blood donation, rather than the serious and not to be sneezed at act of penetrating cortex to harvest marrow. Is there any reason you can't get this from whole blood?

Thanks

Re:Stem cells shown safe, beneficial for chronic stroke pati... by markkat on Saturday June 04, 2016 @12:33AM (#11834914)
People often use 'marrow stromal cells' or 'mesenchymal stem cells' interchangeably as scientific terms (but of course, there is debate) that refer to adherent colony-forming multipotent cells. We use 'bone marrow stem cells' as a non-scientific term that includes MSCs as well as hematopoietic stem cells and endothelial stem cells.

>Is there any reason you can't get this from whole blood?

The blood harvest process uses a machine, takes a few hours, and requires the prior administration of a protein that stimulates stem cell proliferation and release into the blood. It is preferable for some procedures, but for those reasons, not for ours.

Re:Stem cells shown safe, beneficial for chronic stroke pati... by danieltillett on Saturday June 04, 2016 @06:05PM (#11838337)
Doesn't bone marrow harvest require a general and tapping into the ilium? I would rather sit attached to a machine for a few hours.
Re:Stem cells shown safe, beneficial for chronic stroke pati... by markkat on Saturday June 04, 2016 @10:11PM (#11839295)
No, just a local. I described the experience here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11832220

It's not bad at all.