Cellular Kinetics

 

Cell Maturation



Erythrocytic Developmental "Hiccups"

Developmental Kinetics

  • Under normal circumstance, the total circulating cell number remains static due to various stimulators and inhibitors
  • Macrophages, adipocytes (fat cells), fibroblasts and a blood supply all help to foster the correct microenvironment within the bone marrow (BM)
  • Growth factors are hormones which stimulate te appropriate growth of stem cells and these play important roles within the BM (see Figure below for the points of action of some of these factors)



  • Figure 1.

  • These factors have been cloned for treatment of disease and complementing transplantation procedures:
    • rhuEpo (recombinant, human erythropoietin)
      End stage renal failure to compensate for anaemia
      Anaemia of chronic disease (infection, chronic inflammation, malignancy)
      Premature babies ?
      Expensive, does not seem to be immunogenic
    • G-CSF/GM-CSF
      Bone marrow transplantation
      Aplastic anaemia patients
      Stimulates stem cells quickly
    • M-CSF
      For tumour-type disorders
  • Looking at anti-CSF's for the treatment of chronic granulocytic leukaemias
  • Mild side-effects compared to anti-leukaemic drugs
  • Expensive

Neutrophil Kinetics

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cell Cycle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New look for June 2003