Review Article Chemokine Receptor Antagonist- Plerixafor, a Novel Strategy for Blood Stem

On December 15, 2008, the US Food and Drug Administration approved plerixafor (Mozobil; Genzyme Corp.), a new small-molecule inhibitor of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor, for use in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) to the peripheral blood for collection and subsequent autologous transplantation in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and multiple myeloma (MM). The use of mobilized peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) has largely replaced the use of bone marrow as a source of stem cells for both allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplantation. G-CSF with or without chemotherapy is the most commonly used regimen for stem cell mobilization. This article reviews the clinical efficacy and tolerability of subcutaneous plerixafor for stem-cell mobilization in patients with lymphoma or MM, as well as summarizing its pharmacological properties. Key words: Chemokine receptor antagonist, Plerixafor, blood stem cell mobilizatio