Stem Cell Treatment
Concept of Stem Cell Therapy:
Cells that are damaged by disease are replaced by healthy functioning cells. Currently, stem cell therapy is widely used for bone marrow transplant. It can also be used in other diseases such as: Parkinson’s disease, cancer, spinal cord injury, heart diseases, diabetes and eye diseases.
Following types of stem cell therapy are being used:
- Adult stem cell transplant from bone marrow
- Adult stem cell transplant from peripheral blood
- Transplant from umbilical cord blood
- Transplant cells from cloning
Three types of bone marrow transplants:
Autologous Bone Marrow Transplant:
In patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy, bone marrow stem cells are preserved by cryopreservation before radiation or chemotherapy is administered. Patients bone marrow is degenerated by high dose radiation or chemotherapy. After the treatment patient’s own preserved stem cells are replaced.
Allogenic Bone Marrow Transplant:
Stem cells are received from donor. Various tests are performed to match the donor with recipient. Blood relatives are suitable donor in allogenic stem cell transplant.
Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant:
Stem cells are received from newborn baby’s umbilical cord immediately after birth and are preserved. They are used when needed for transplant. It is another type of allogenic transplant. Umbilical cord stem cells are very immature cells so recovery after treatment takes longer time.
Indications of Bone Marrow Transplant:
- Before chemotherapy or radiation therapy
- Cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma
- Diseases affecting bone marrow cells production like congenital neutropenia, aplastic anemia, sickle cell disease, thalassemia
