Associate Professor Danielle Maracaja, MD, and a research team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) are working on a study to make stem cell collection more efficient for patients with blood cancers. The goal is to find better ways to predict how many stem cells can be collected using routine blood tests and clinical information, especially now that new medications are available to help with harvesting. For patients who are preparing for stem cell collection, this research aims to make the process smoother and faster.
Currently, doctors rely on specialized CD34+ cell counts, or number of CD34-positive cells in a blood or stem cell sample, to guide collection, but these results can take time. CD34 is a marker found on the surface of certain stem cells, especially hematopoietic stem cells (the cells that can develop into all types of blood cells). These cells are critical for stem cell transplants, because they help restore bone marrow and blood production after treatments like chemotherapy.
By creating a reliable prediction tool, clinicians can plan collections more accurately and reduce delays. Using information from standard blood tests, doctors hope to estimate stem cell yield without waiting for specialized results.
The study is still underway, but researchers hope to develop an easy-to-use algorithm that improves care and makes the experience easier for patients undergoing autologous stem cell collection.
The study involves collaborative work with Matthew Karafin, MD, MS, from UNC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Transfusion Medicine Service; and Iain Carmichael, PhD, and his team. Carmichael has an appointment at UNC’s Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, as well as at its School of Data Science and Society, and his lab specializes in computational pathology.
The American Society of Hematology accepted the study abstract for online publication in its journal, Blood: Enhancing the Prediction of CD34+ Cells Yield in Autologous Stem Cell Collection Using Complete Blood Count and Clinical Information: A Quality Improvement Initiative Spanning 4.5 Years of Data from a Tertiary Academic Center.
Maracaja joined Duke Pathology’s Hematopathology Division on Sept. 1, 2025. She is a board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologist whose research focuses on the morphologic assessment of hematologic diseases. She has a special interest in translational studies involving novel markers and in the investigation of reactive or neoplastic conditions in bone marrow pathology.
Maracaja is chair of the Society for Hematopathology’s Communication Committee. She is also part of the Hematology and Clinical Microscopy Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP); the Resident Advisory Subcommittee at United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP); and the USCAP Hematopathology Abstract Review Board.