Surprising patterns of stem-cell engraftment identified.

2004 MAR 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A study of the dynamics of post-transplant stem-cell engraftment has yielded surprising results.

"To reveal the early events and dynamics of hematopoietic reconstitution in living animals in real-time," scientists in California "used bioluminescence imaging to monitor engraftment from single luciferase-labeled hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in irradiated recipients."

"Transplanted HSC generated discrete foci in the spleen and bone marrow (BM), at a frequency that correlated with BM compartment size," reported Y.A. Cao and coauthors at Stanford University. "Initially detected foci could expand locally, seed other …