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Stem Cell Rescue
August 9, 2009 |
Stem cell research is a hot button issue these days. But have you heard of stem
cell rescue?
You may know it by a different name. “The words 'bone marrow transplant' is really
a misnomer; nowadays its called stem cell rescue,” says Pediatric Oncologist, Dr.
Eman Salman with The Children's Hospital.
He says the rescue process begins when the bone marrow fails to produce stem cells, cells that the body relies on to form
blood cells and platelets. Without them, life threatening diseases can develop.
Some so severe that high doses of chemotherapy must be used. “Unfortunately, that
larger dose of chemotherapy also kills your bone marrow so you can’t make blood
any longer, so you need to be rescued,” says Dr. Salman.
That rescue comes in the form of a blood transfusion. The blood is taken from a
donor whose bone marrow genetically matches the patient. While this procedure has
always been called a bone marrow transplant, more doctors are now using the term,
“stem cell rescue.”
“Yes, we’re taking the blood from the bone marrow, but really we’re transferring
stem cells,” says Dr. Salman. From this point, doctors will watch to see if the
stem cells and bone marrow begin working together again. “The stem cells find their way back to the bone marrow and they settle down and over a period of 2 to 4 weeks,
they start growing and making new cells.”
Dr. Salman warns stem cell rescues involve very aggressive therapy. The age and
health of the patient are major factors in determining how certain rescues will
take place.
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