Stem cell transplantation is a procedure in which healthy stem cells are injected into a person, with the purpose of replenishing the stem cells in the bone marrow. Stem cells are immature blood cells that develop into the mature cells found in the circulating blood: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. There are different types of stem cell transplantations, depending on the source of the stem cells. If they are obtained from the person who will later receive the cells, the transplantation is called an autologous transplantation; if they are received from an identical twin, it is a syngeneic transplantation; and if they are received from another person who is not an identical twin, it is called an allogeneic transplantation. The stem cells used for transplantation can be obtained from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, or regular blood. Before stem cells are collected from samples of regular (peripheral) blood, the person donating the blood usually receives medications to increase the movement of stem cells from the bone marrow (where they are most plentiful) to the bloodstream.
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See All 6 AnswersStem cells are immature, blood-forming cells that can develop into any of the three main types of blood cells. Stem cells can be found in the bone marrow, circulating (peripheral) blood and umbilical cord blood.
When leukemia develops, a cell in the bone marrow undergoes a change and multiplies into many cells. The leukemia cells grow and, over time, crowd out normal blood and bone marrow cells.
For patients with leukemia, a stem cell transplant can be used to infuse healthy stem cells into the body to stimulate new bone marrow growth, suppress the disease and reduce the possibility of a relapse.
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Jumo Health answeredAfter a stem cell transplant, it is important to avoid public places because the transplant leaves the immune system weak for a while, which means that it can't fight off germs. Even a germ like the common cold could make the stem cell recipient very ill. Many germs come from other people, so until the immune system is strong again, people will be limited in where they can go and who they can see.
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Jumo Health answered
It can take between three months and one year to recover from a stem cell transplant. During this time, people who have received a stem cell transplant go to the hospital for check-ups to make sure that the new stem cells are working properly.
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Jumo Health answered
After a stem cell transplant, the stem cells go into the bloodstream, and then travel to the bone marrow. Here they start making new blood cells. It can take a few weeks for them to settle in, and people have to stay in the hospital during this time. If people have an allogeneic stem cell transplant, there is a risk that the donor's immune system will attack the recipient's cells. This is called graft versus host (GVH) disease. It can be serious, but there are medicines to treat it.
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Jumo Health answeredSee All 2 Answers
When people are ready for a stem cell transplant, they go into the hospital and meet their transplant team. Before getting new stem cells, they receive strong medicines that help make room for the new cells in the body. If they are having an allogeneic transplant (from a donor), they will get medicines to weaken their own immune system so that it doesn’t attack. If they are having a transplant because they have cancer, they will receive strong chemotherapy medicines to kill as many cancer cells as possible before getting new stem cells. The new cells are given through an intravenous (IV) infusion, a bit like having a blood transfusion. It can take as little as 30 minutes.
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Jumo Health answered
Doctors use a blood test to make sure people are a good match with their stem cell transplant donor by comparing their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) markers to the donor’s. Basically, the closer the donor’s HLA type is to that of the person getting the stem cell transplant, the less likely the immune system is to attack, meaning there’s a better chance the transplant will work.
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Jumo Health answered
It can be difficult to find a donor for a stem cell transplant because not all stem cells are the same. Stem cells have a marker on them called HLA (human leukocyte antigen) that people's immune system uses to decide if stem cells are friend or foe. If people get stem cells with a different HLA marker than theirs, their immune system will think the stem cells are enemy cells and attack them.
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Jumo Health answered
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-threatening condition that can cause symptoms like difficulty breathing and sleeping, body aches, stomachaches, and lung infections. Difficulty breathing and sleeping can make people with CF feel tired all the time. People with CF may feel like they can't do anything without getting tired and out of breath. Lung infections can require a person to stay in the hospital to receive intravenous (IV) antibiotics.
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Riverside Community Hospital answeredSee All 2 AnswersStem cells and their benefits have been investigated in relation to spine surgery in the recent years. There is hope that someday, stem cells will help in a new therapy for spinal cord injury patients.