Bone Marrow-Derived Cells As Treatment Vehicles In The Central Nervous System

Substantial research has focused on the potential for bone marrow derived cells (BMDCs) to function as vehicles to transport pharmaceuticals into the diseased central nervous system (CNS). By employing bone marrow chimeric models, investigators have determined that BMDCs retain their hematopoietic identity within the CNS with a majority of cells acquiring macrophage phenotypes. Although the use of irradiation in creating bone marrow chimeras is believed to be necessary for the engraftment of BMDCs within the CNS, further investigations into alternative conditioning regimens will improve the clinical potential for this treatment modality.