autologous

Autologous refers to material derived from the same individual. In medicine, autologous procedures use tissue, cells, or blood obtained from the patient who will receive them, as opposed to allogeneic sources from a donor. The term comes from the Greek autos, meaning self, and logos, meaning relation.

Applications of autologous use include autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), autologous blood transfusion, and autologous tissue grafts. In ASCT, hematopoietic stem cells are collected from the patient, often after mobilization with growth factors, stored, and later reinfused after a high-dose chemotherapy or radiation regimen. This approach is used for multiple myeloma, certain lymphomas, and some solid tumors. Autologous blood transfusion involves collecting and storing the patient’s own blood before surgery and reinfusing it during or after the procedure to reduce exposure to donor blood.

Autologous tissue grafts encompass procedures such as skin grafts in reconstructive surgery, fat grafting, and autologous chondrocyte implantation for cartilage repair. Other areas include autologous immune cell therapies, such as autologous CAR-T treatments, which use a patient’s own T cells engineered to target cancer.

Advantages of autologous procedures include a markedly lower risk of immune rejection and no risk of donor-derived disease transmission. They also avoid the need for donor matching. Limitations include the fact that suitable material may not be available or sufficient in all patients, logistical and cost considerations, and potential collection-related complications such as pain, infection, or bleeding. Autologous approaches are not universally applicable and are chosen based on specific medical indications and patient factors.