Prof. Dr med. Dimitrios Tsakiris
Head of Diagnostic Hematology,
University Hospital Basel,
Switzerland
Prof. Dimitrios Tsakiris studied medicine and graduated from Aristoteles University Thessaloniki, Greece. He expanded medical expertise as a research fellow on platelets at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. In 2009 he became head of hemostasis at the university hospital Basel, Switzerland. Since 2014 he is head of department for diagnostic hematology and hemostasis.
Prof. Tsakiris is an expert of diagnostics and treatment of platelet diseases. He is also holding specialist title in diagnostic hematology and internal medicine.
Stem cell transplantation is the only treatment with curative options for haematologic malignancies. Stem cells are harvested from healthy donors or patients. A precise stem cell enumeration is needed before harvesting. The best lab method for this is by counting CD34+ cells, using FACS analysis, which is costly and time-consuming. The XN-20 technology offers the possibility to identify stem cells by using the HPC-module (haematopoietic progenitor cells), which provides a count in 4 minutes. The method takes advantage of the lipid-composition of the stem cell membrane and the properties of a specific fluorochrome. Preliminary published data in controlled settings show a marked correlation with results from the FACS analysis. Extended real-world experience from different labs shows an inherent variability with considerable differences between labs and between disease types. Despite this, ROC-curve analysis allows the definition of local cut-off values, which can be reliably used for the decision of whether or not to harvest. HPC analysis can thus help to plan stem cell apheresis in a more efficient way.