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In this presentation, Dr. David Greene Arizona discusses the amazing potential of stem cell transplants. Learn about how this therapy can potentially help treat a variety of conditions and diseases.
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Dr. David Greene Arizona Stem Cell Transplants
Stem Cell Transplants • Stem cell transplants treat some types of life-threatening cancer or blood diseases caused by abnormal blood cells. HSCT can cure or limit disease by replacing stem cells that make blood cells. Blood cells come from stem cells in your bone marrow. Stem cell transplants can involve stem cells taken from bone marrow or from blood.
What is a stem cell transplant? • Healthcare providers use stem cell transplants to treat people who have life-threatening cancer or blood diseases caused by abnormal blood cells. A stem cell transplant helps your body replace those blood cells with healthy or normal blood cells. If you receive a stem cell transplant, your provider may use your own healthy stem cells or donor stem cells.
What are stem cells used for? • Healthcare providers use stem cells to replace unhealthy blood cells that cause conditions such as several types of leukemia, lymphoma and testicular cancer. They also use transplanted stem cells to treat several types of anemia. Some people who have multiple sclerosis may benefit by receiving healthy stem cells. Researchers are investigating ways to treat other autoimmune diseases with stem cell transplants.
How does stem cell transplantation work? • To understand how stem cell transplants work, it may help to know more about stem cells and their role in your body: • Stem cells are young or immature blood cells that your bone marrow produces. Your bone marrow is the soft spongy center of your bone. • These stem cells develop into all types of blood cells including white blood cells that protect your body from infection, red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your body and platelets, which help your blood clot. Stem cells are constantly producing new blood cells to replace damaged, aging or worn-out blood cells. • Some cancers and blood diseases happen when your stem cells can’t produce enough healthy blood cells.
Where do stem cells used in HSCT come from? • Healthcare providers obtain stem cells from several sources: • People may be able to use their own healthy stem cells to replace unhealthy stem cells. This is an autologous stem cell transplant. • Donor stem cells: Some people are able to use donated stem cells that match their stem cells. This is an allogenic stem cell transplant. If someone has an identical twin, that twin can donate stem cells. This is a syngeneic stem cell transplant.
What is transplant conditioning? • Transplant conditioning is intensive chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy that kills cancer cells in your bone marrow. Conditioning also kills existing blood cells.
What else happens before a stem cell transplant? • If you’re receiving your own stem cells, your provider may give you medication to boost your stem cell production. They’ll do follow-up blood tests to check on stem cell production.
What happens after a stem cell transplant? • Your new stem cells will need time to produce new blood cells. If you received donor stem cells, your transplanted stem cells will replace unhealthy stem cells and begin to build a new immune system. This process is engraftment. • Either way, you may need to stay in or close to the hospital for several months so your healthcare providers can support your recovery and monitor your progress. Here’s what you can expect after your stem cell transplant: • Pre-treatment chemotherapy affects your immune system’s ability to protect you from infections. To reduce that risk, you’ll be alone in a carefully cleaned room with very limited physical contact with other people.
