Interlaboratory Comparisons in the Field of Cellular Therapy
Program Code: 094569
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM (ET)

MODERATOR
Zbigniew Szczepiorkowski, MD, PhD, FCAP, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

SPEAKERS
Zbigniew Szczepiorkowski, MD, PhD, FCAP, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Hermann Eichler, MD, Professor of Medicine, Saarland University Hospital
Derwood Pamphilon, MD, NHS Blood & Transplant

DESCRIPTION
This program will focus on multisite studies performed under auspices of BEST Collaborative, academic and manufacturer members interested in addressing various topics related to transfusion medicine and cellular therapy. There are four teams: conventional components, transfusion safety, cellular therapy and clinical trials. The rapidly growing field of cellular therapy has been challenged with comparisons between different laboratories. The first challenges were uncovered with measurement of CD34 expression on hematopoietic progenitor cells. Significant discrepancies were identified, and several approaches were proposed to standardize this test. This audioconference will present results of several studies performed by the members of the cellular therapy team of the BEST Collaborative. These studies encompass HPC, Cord Blood, HPC, Apheresis, and TC, Dendritic Cells and consist of results based on the intralaboratory testing, interlaboratory testing and other sources of information such as broad surveys of the cellular therapy field.