A stem cell transplant is a treatment for certain types of cancer. For example, in case a person might suffer from leukemia, multiple myeloma or certain types of lymphoma. It also treats certain blood diseases using stem cell transplants. At that time, patients who needed a stem cell transplant received a bone marrow transplant because the stem cells were taken from the bone marrow, but today stem cells are usually taken from the blood rather than in the bone marrow. This is why we now more commonly talk about stem cell transplants. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay Stem cell transplants are used to replace bone marrow that has been destroyed by cancer or destroyed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy used to treat cancer and cancers, such as certain leukemias, multiple myeloma and certain lymphomas. Stem cell transplant can be an important part of treatment. High doses of chemotherapy sometimes work better than standard doses at killing cancer cells. But when high doses are used, it can also kill any stem cells and stop the bone marrow from producing the blood cells it needs to live in. The transplanted stem cells replace the body's own stem cells after the bone marrow and its stem cells have been destroyed by treatment. The transplant allows doctors to use much higher doses of chemotherapy to try to kill all the cancer cells. The body's blood cells are initially young or are immature cells called hematopoietic stem cells. Although they are called stem cells, they are not the same as embryonic stem cells studied in cloning and other types of research. Stem cells live primarily in the bone marrow, in the spongy centers of some bones, and this is where they divide to produce new blood cells. Once mature, blood cells leave the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream. A small number of stem cells also enter the bloodstream and are called peripheral blood stem cells. Stem cell transplants are used to restore stem cells when bone marrow has been destroyed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy. History The first human bone marrow transfusion was given to a patient with aplastic anemia in 1939. This patient was receiving daily blood transfusions and attempting to increase her white blood cell and platelet counts. It was made by intravenous injection of bone marrow. After World War II and the use of the atomic bomb, researchers attempted to find ways to restore bone marrow function in cases of aplasia caused by radiation exposure. In the 1950s, it was proven in a mouse model that bone marrow suppression secondary to radiation could be overcome. by syngeneic marrow transplant. In 1956, Barnes and colleagues published their experiment on two groups of mice with acute leukemia and both groups were irradiated as anti-leukemia treatment and both were rescued from bone marrow aplasia by bone marrow transplantation. The first group received syngeneic marrow (from mice of the same strain), but most of the mice died from a relapse of leukemia. The second group received a marrowallogeneic from a different strain and none of the mice in this group experienced a relapse of the disease. Another major breakthrough occurred with the first transplant performed from an HLA-matched unrelated donor. Transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells from an unrelated donor has significantly increased the chances of finding a compatible donor. For example, it increased from 25% to 75% for white patients. International collaboration is essential for the creation of transplant centers around the world and a global donor registry. In 1972, the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry (IBMTR) was established to document HSCT outcome data and at that time transplants were performed at 12 centers performing a total of approximately 50 procedures per year. In 1974, the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) was established for European collaboration in the field of HSCT. The first independent donorTransplantation inspired the creation of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) in 1986, and in 1988 the founding of Bone Marrow Donors Worldwide (BMDW), this organization brings together more than 23 million registered donors in 73 countries and 600,000 units of cord blood from cord blood banks. in 32 countries Discussion Stem cells constitute the 3 main types of blood cells. Red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, and we need all of these types of blood cells to keep us alive. For these blood cells to do their job, they must contain enough of each blood type. Red blood cells (RBCs) carry oxygen from the lungs to all cells in the body and carry carbon dioxide from the cells back to the lungs to be exhaled. A blood test called hematocrit shows the amount of blood made up of red blood cells. The normal range is around 35-50% for adults. People whose hematocrit is below this level have anemia (low level of red blood cells). This can make them look pale and feel tired, short of breath and weak. White blood cells (WBC) help fight infections caused by fungi, viruses and bacteria. There are different types of white blood cells, with neutrophils being the most important type in fighting bacterial infections. The absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is a measure of neutrophils in the blood. When the ANC falls below 1,000 per cubic millimeter (1,000/mm3), it means the patient may have neutropenia and have a higher risk of infection. The danger is greatest when levels are below 500/mm3. Next, lymphocytes are another type of white blood cell. There are different types of lymphocytes, such as T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, and natural killer cells. Some lymphocytes make antibodies to help fight infections, and the body depends on lymphocytes to recognize its own cells and reject cells foreign to the body. These include, for example, invading germs or cells transplanted by someone else. Platelets are pieces of cells that seal damaged blood vessels and help blood clot, both important in stopping bleeding. A normal platelet count is between 150,000/mm3 and 450,000/mm3. A person whose platelet count drops below normal has thrombocytopenia and may bleed longer, bruise more easily, and have bleeding gums or nosebleeds. Spontaneous bleeding (bleeding without a known injury) may occur when a person's platelet count.