Bone Marrow Transplants

Bone Marrow Transplant

The transplantation of bone marrow is a process involving the exchange of the diseased or inadequately functioning bone marrow of a patient with healthy and actively working marrow. In certain diseases such as leukemias or aplastic anemia, transplantation of bone marrow is a standard method of restoring the formation of new blood cells. There are a number of conditions for which bone marrow transplantation is needed. These conditions include lymphomas (Hodgkin's, non—Hodgkin's), plasma cell disorders (amyloidosis, myeloma), leukemias (acute myelogenous, acute lymphoblastic, chronic myelogenous, chronic lymphocytic), acquired bone marrow disorders (severe aplastic anemia, myelo—dysplastic syndrome, myeloproliferative disorders), and congenital disorders (sickle cell anemia, thalas—semia, immunodeficiencies).

Regarding stem cell transplantation, which may be from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or cord blood, the patient's own stem cells can be used in what are called autologous transplants, or a matched donor, who could be either related or unrelated to the patient, can donate blood in what are called allogeneic transplants. In diseases such as leukemias, the transplantation of blood—forming (hematopoietic) stem cells is carried out to reestablish the body's own blood and immune cell production. Hematopoietic stem cells have the ability to differentiate into any of the three cell types: white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Whenever bone marrow is taken from the donor, it is immediately filtered, treated, and transplanted or is frozen or stored for future use. This procedure is performed by transfusing the donor's marrow into the patient by means of a vein; the transplanted bone marrow is naturally transmitted to the bone cavities. After reaching the bone cavities, the new marrow starts to proliferate and replace the old marrow.

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