Bone-marrow transplantation

Bone-marrow transplantation replaces or restores blood-forming cells using hematopoietic stem cells collected from a donor or the patient. It is used to treat certain blood cancers, marrow disorders, and immune deficiencies.

Hematopoietic stem cell: A blood-forming cell that can self-renew and produce the mature cells of the blood and immune system. These cells are the active ingredient that repopulates blood formation after transplantation.
Autologous stem-cell transplantation: A transplant using the patient's own previously collected hematopoietic stem cells. It avoids donor incompatibility but does not provide a donor immune attack against cancer.
Acute myeloid leukemia: A rapidly progressing cancer of blood-forming cells that produces abnormal myeloid cells. Allogeneic transplantation is considered for some patients at substantial risk of relapse.
Human leukocyte antigen: Cell-surface proteins that help the immune system distinguish self from nonself. HLA similarity is a central factor in donor selection and transplant risk.
Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome: A potentially severe liver complication caused by injury to small hepatic vessels, often after intensive conditioning. It is a serious early complication that can follow transplantation.
Stem-cell mobilization: The use of medicines to move hematopoietic stem cells from bone marrow into circulating blood for collection. Mobilization makes peripheral blood a common alternative source to marrow harvest.
Allogeneic stem-cell transplantation: A transplant using hematopoietic stem cells from another person. Its donor immune cells can attack residual cancer, alongside risks such as graft-versus-host disease.
Aplastic anemia: A rare disorder in which bone marrow fails to produce enough blood cells. A stem-cell transplant can replace failing marrow in suitable patients.
HLA matching: The comparison of donor and recipient human leukocyte antigen types to assess compatibility. Closer matching generally reduces immune complications in allogeneic transplantation.
Infection after hematopoietic cell transplantation: Infections occurring while immune defenses are weakened during recovery after transplantation. Conditioning and delayed immune recovery leave recipients vulnerable to bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.

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