Category Archives: Stem Cell Transplant

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center performs around 215 stem cell and bone marrow transplants each year, providing care leading up to the transplant, through all aspects of the procedure, and indefinitely after the transplant to monitor for complications. To address some common questions about the procedure, we spoke with Madan Jagasia, M.D., director of the Outpatient Transplant Program and section chief for Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant at Vanderbilt-Ingram. What is a stem cell? (click to enlarge) Stem cells or more specifically, in this case, hematopoietic stem cells are cells that can give rise to all the different types of mature blood cells the red blood cells that carry oxygen, the platelets involved in blood clotting, and a host of white blood cells, which are part of the bodys immune system and provide defense against infectious agents. Stem cells are self-renewing (i.e., they can produce more of themselves) and reside primarily in the bone marrow but also circulate in the blood. For a stem cell transplant, the stem cells can come from a related or unrelated donor, from umbilical cord blood, or from the patient him/herself. No, these are adult stem cells, from the blood or bone marrow. Even when the source … Continue reading →

What is a stem cell transplant? A stem cell transplant may be used so that you can have intensive high-dose chemotherapy (and sometimes radiotherapy) to kill cancerous cells. The chemotherapy is higher than conventional chemotherapy and also kills the stem cells in the bone marrow that would normally make blood cells. Therefore, following the chemotherapy, you are given back (transplanted) stem cells which can then make normal blood cells again. A stem cell transplant is sometimes called a bone marrow transplant. However, stem cells can be obtained from blood as well as from the bone marrow. So, the term stem cell transplant is now used. I've been concerned about lymphoma for two years. Blood cells are made in the bone marrow, by stem cells. Bone marrow is the soft sponge-like material in the centre of bones. Large flat bones such as the breastbone (sternum) and pelvis contain the most bone marrow. To make blood cells constantly you need a healthy bone marrow. You also need nutrients from your diet, including iron and some vitamins. Stem cells are immature (primitive) cells. There are two main types in the bone marrow - myeloid and lymphoid stem cells. These derive from even more … Continue reading →

Stem cell transplant replaces a persons blood-forming (hematopoietic) stem cells. It is used when stem cells or the bone marrow has been damaged by chemotherapy drugs, radiation therapy or disease (such as cancer). The new stem cells make healthy blood cells. Stem cells are young, immature cells. Stem cells mature (through a process called differentiation) to become different types of specialized cells. They can copy (replicate) themselves to replace or rebuild tissues in the body. Some stem cells mature into blood cells. Blood-forming stem cells develop into different types of blood cells in the bone marrow. When blood cells are mature, they move from the bone marrow into the bloodstream. Stem cell transplants use blood-forming stem cells from the bone marrow and blood circulating in the body (peripheral blood) in adults. They may also use blood-forming stem cells from the umbilical cord (the cord that supplies a developing fetus with blood and nutrients). Sometimes a stem cell transplant may be described by the source of the stem cells. Stem cell transplant is also called: There are 3 main types of stem cell transplants. They are described based on who donates the stem cells. Both children and the family have questions … Continue reading →

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the transplantation of multipotent hematopoietic stem cells, usually derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood. It may be autologous (the patient's own stem cells are used) or allogeneic (the stem cells come from a donor). It is a medical procedure in the field of hematology, most often performed for patients with certain cancers of the blood or bone marrow, such as multiple myeloma or leukemia. In these cases, the recipient's immune system is usually destroyed with radiation or chemotherapy before the transplantation. Infection and graft-versus-host disease are major complications of allogeneic HSCT. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains a dangerous procedure with many possible complications; it is reserved for patients with life-threatening diseases. As survival following the procedure has increased, its use has expanded beyond cancer, such as autoimmune diseases.[1][2] Indications for stem cell transplantation are as follows: Many recipients of HSCTs are multiple myeloma[3] or leukemia patients[4] who would not benefit from prolonged treatment with, or are already resistant to, chemotherapy. Candidates for HSCTs include pediatric cases where the patient has an inborn defect such as severe combined immunodeficiency or congenital neutropenia with defective stem cells, and also children or adults … Continue reading →

Doctors in Italy announced they have used patients' own stem cells to grow trachea tissue that led to seemingly successful transplanted windpipes in two patients diagnosed with trachea cancer. Doctors regenerated tissue from the patients' nose and bone marrow stem cells to create tracheas biologically identical to the patients' original organs. Both patients underwent the transplant in early July and were released from the hospital just weeks after the surgery, according to the Associated Press. "They are back to the home, able to speak, able to socialize with everybody," Giovannini told the Associated Press. "Having this quality of life is wonderful." According to Dr. Mark Iannettoni, head of the department of cardiothoracic surgery at University of Iowa, a trachea is a fragile organ because it is mostly cartilage, which has a poor blood supply. "Once damaged, it is difficult to get it to heal correctly," said Iannettoni. Trachea cancer is resistant to chemotherapy and radiation and attempts to replace the trachea with mechanical devices have not been effective. However, Dr. Eric Lambright, surgical director of lung transplant at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said that using a patient's own stem cells not only could help to rebuild the fragile tissue, but … Continue reading →

An experimental treatment that uses a patient's own stem cells may offer new hope for people with multiple sclerosis. In a small clinical trial, patients experienced long-term disease remission after undergoing a transplant of their own hematopoietic stem cells. This type of cell is responsible for the formation of blood in the body and are typically derived from bone marrow. The patients also took high-dose immunosuppressive drugs. The paper, published Monday in JAMA Neurology, reports on the third year of a five-year study. A total of 24 patients with active relapsing-remitting MS were enrolled in the trial. With this type of MS, patients have points when their disease is active followed by periods when they do not experience any symptoms. Play Video Dr. Jon LaPook goes inside the trial and approval process for an experimental treatment using stem cells designed to make Multiple Sclerosis pati... The researchers found that nearly 79 percent of the patients who underwent the procedure sustained full neurologic function for the three years following the treatment and symptoms of their disease did not progress. Additionally, patients in that time period did not develop any new lesions related to their disease. More than 90 percent of patients … Continue reading →

Stem cell transplantis used to facilitate high-dose chemotherapy. Stem cell therapy does not fight cancer. It helps the body recover after the high-dose chemotherapy which is used to treat cancers including multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and relapsed testicular cancer. Standard chemotherapy Before high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation are used, medical oncologists administer multiple cycles of standard chemotherapy over several months. The standard chemotherapy is used to either reduce residual cancer cells or to determine if the patient will benefit from high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. Evaluation The first step in the high-dose chemotherapy/stem cell transplant process is a thorough evaluation to determine the patient's likelihood of benefiting from the treatment. Medical records The patient's medical records are reviewed. Previous chemotherapy results, scans and other factors are considered to determine if the patient is likely to benefit from high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. At this time the doctor will order other tests to establish whether the patient is physically able to go through the high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplant process. MUGA scan or echocardiogram These tests measure how well the patient's heart pumps blood. A MUGA (MUltiple Gated Acquisition) scan uses a radioactive substance injected … Continue reading →

A stem cell transplant poses many risks of complications, some potentially fatal. The risk can depend on many factors, including the type of disease or condition, the type of transplant, and the age and health of the person. Although some people experience few problems with a transplant, others may develop complications that may require treatment or hospitalization. Some complications could even be life-threatening. Complications that can arise with a stem cell transplant include: Your doctor can explain your risk of complications from a stem cell transplant. Together you can weigh the risks and benefits to decide whether a stem cell transplant is right for you. If you receive a transplant that uses stem cells from a donor (allogeneic stem cell transplant), you may be at risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). This disease happens when the donor stem cells that make up your new immune system see your body's tissues and organs as something foreign and attack them. GVHD may happen at any time after your transplant. However, it's more common after your marrow has started to make healthy cells. Many people who have an allogeneic stem cell transplant get GVHD at some point. The risk of GVHD is a bit … Continue reading →

Introduction A bone marrow transplant, alsoknown as a haemopoietic stem cell transplant, replaces damaged bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells. Bone marrow is aspongytissue found in the hollow centres of some bones. It contains specialist stem cells, which produce the body's blood cells. Stem cells in bone marrow produce three important types of blood cells: Bone marrow transplants are often needed to treat conditions thatdamage bone marrow. If bone marrow is damaged, it is no longer able to produce normal blood cells. The new stem cells take over blood cellproduction. Conditions that bone marrow transplants are used to treat include: Read more about why a bone marrow transplantis needed. A bone marrow transplant involves taking healthy stem cells from the bone marrow of one person and transferring them to the bone marrow of another person. In some cases, it may be possible to take the bone marrow from your own body. This is known as an autologous transplantation. Before it is returned, the bone marrow is cleared of any damaged or diseased cells. A bone marrowtransplant has five stages. These are: Having a bone marrow transplant can be an intensive and challenging experience. Many people take up to … Continue reading →

About stem cell transplants Stem cell transplant is a treatment to try to cure some types of cancer, such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma. You have very high doses of chemotherapy, sometimes with whole body radiotherapy. This has a good chance of killing cancer cells but also kills the stem cells in the bone marrow. We need stem cells in order to make red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Doctors can collect stem cells from your blood or a donor's. After high dose treatment you have the stem cells into your vein through a drip. You have injections of growth factors before, and sometimes after, the stem cell transplant. Growth factors are natural proteins that make the bone marrow produce blood cells. You have them as small injections under the skin for between 5 and 10 days. Sometimes you may have low doses of a chemotherapy drug too. The chemotherapy and growth factor injections help your bone marrow to make lots of stem cells. These stem cells then spill out of the bone marrow into the bloodstream, where they can be collected. Collecting the stem cells takes 3 or 4 hours. You lie down on a couch. Your … Continue reading →