Growing bone marrow cells in lab.

Bone marrow transplants are essential in treating many forms of cancers, including leukemia and breast cancer. Currently, though, such transplants are hampered by the lack of ways to supply large amounts of needed bone marrow cells quickly.

"Bone marrow cells are responsible for providing the red and white blood cells necessary for transporting oxygen and fighting disease. When performing radiation treatment or chemotherapy to treat cancer or leukemia, these bone marrow cells are killed and need to be replaced by transplants if the patient is to survive," notes Charles A. Sardonini, CytoMed, Inc., Cambridge, Mass. "Recent developments for providing bone marrow transplants involve removing the cells from the patient prior to radiation treatment or chemotherapy and growing them in the laboratory."

Scientists have developed a method for growing bone marrow cells that involves expanding them in bioreactors, rather than traditional culture flasks. Bioreactors are large pots, cylinders, or columns that can produce extensive amounts of biological...