What is stem cell transplantation? Is there more than one kind?
Stem cells, which are in your bone marrow and blood, allow new marrow to grow in a patient in need of transplantation. Patients whose marrow is diseased require new stem cells from a healthy donor to enable their own body to grow new marrow. Stem cells collected from a donor are infused into a patient’s veins through an IV, just like a blood transfusion. Infusion of stem cells collected from a donor’s bone marrow is referred to as a bone marrow transplant. Infusion of stem cells collected from a donor’s blood is referred to as a peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, or PBSC. Within two to three weeks, the transplanted stem cells can begin to grow normal cells within the patient. The match for the transplantation has to be nearly perfect. Some patients can find a match within their own family, but for the most part, an unrelated donor is needed.
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