Definition:
Peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) are blood-forming cells that circulate in the blood. These are immature cells that gradually mature into the three types of blood cells: red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC) and platelets.
Most of the blood forming cells of the body, called "hematopoietic stem cells," can actually be found in the bone marrow. However, a small proportion of stem cells -- the PBSCs -- circulate in blood.
Peripheral blood stem cells are important because they can be collected and used for transplants instead of bone marrow as treatment for many cancers and blood disorders.
