Autologous Bone-marrow Treatment of Lethally-irradiated Rhesus Monkeys

Summary

Nineteen rhesus monkeys have been irradiated at doses of 800–890 rads of x-rays and each transfused with nucleated cells obtained from its own marrow cavity. Seven treated in this way and not routinely treated with antibiotic died, though one had a largely re-populated marrow. The remaining twelve were treated routinely with penicillin and tetracycline in addition to the bone-marrow transfusion. Five of this group have survived for at least a year from the time of irradiation and are still alive and healthy. One other lived for 49 days and had complete marrow recovery, but lost weight continuously to death. Our experiments suggest that the number of cells injected does not materially alter the chances of survival, provided they are sufficient to assist in earlier re-population of the marrow. One monkey was given homologous lymphoid cells as well as autologous marrow cells and appeared at autopsy to have more severe damage to spleen, lymph nodes and marrow and to be more heavily infected than another monkey irradiated in parallel and given bone-marrow alone. A third in the group, irradiated, treated with autologous marrow and autologous lymphoid cells, was similar to the second (control) animal, but lived longer and had somewhat better re-population of lymphoid tissue.

Marrow alone was not sufficient to protect against 800 rads.