top of page
Search

What are Stem Cell Transplants?

Oct 7
3 min read

Author: Mariam Khan


Abstract

A stem cell transplant is the process of inserting healthy blood cells back into the body after bone marrow has been destroyed from disease, radiation, or chemotherapy treatment. Stem cells differ from where they are retrieved, for example there are bone marrow transplants (BMT), umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplants, and peripheral blood stem cell (PBSCT) transplants.


Types of Stem Cell Transplants

There are two main types of stem cell transplants, which are autologous transplants and allogeneic transplants. Autologous transplants (ASCT) involve the use of the body’s preexisting healthy stem cells which are then collected and preserved before receiving high-dose radiation or chemotherapy treatment(s). Autologous transplants are also known as autologous bone marrow transplants and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant. It is often for people who have had autologous transplants done on them to have had high doses of radiation and chemotherapy treatments. ASCT allows for restoration of bone marrow by replacing the damaged cells, and they can be used to treat over 75 blood cancers and conditions like Leukemia, multiple myeloma, and sickle cell disease. Allogeneic transplants incorporate the use of healthy stem cells that are donated by another person, typically a family member or an unrelated matching donor. Allogeneic stem cell transplants are also known as allogeneic bone marrow transplants. The blood stem cells that are used in allogeneic stem cell transplants can be another donor’s blood, cells from the bone marrow in a donor’s hip bone, or cells taken directly after birth from the umbilical cord which provided nutrients and oxygen to the baby during pregnancy. Before any allogeneic stem cell transplant, the patient receives high doses of radiation, chemotherapy, or both to rid the body of inefficient cells and prepares it for donor cells.


Effects of Stem Cell Transplants

Stem Cell and Bone Marrow transplants often come with significant side effects and all possible patients should be aware of them. Some of these side effects can occur shortly after a transplant or develop months or sometimes years later. Problems that occur soon after transplants are often fatigue, hair loss, lack of appetite, diarrhea, low blood cell and platelet counts, mouth and throat pain, or nausea and vomiting. These effects stem from the process of having bone marrow wiped out by the conditioning treatment which is given right before the transplant that kills cancer and makes room for the new blood stem cells.  Conditioning treatments also come with their own side effects. A major side effect that impacts a population at large is the possibility of infertility in women and men. Infertility is not directly caused by the transplant itself but by the high dosages of radiation and chemotherapy that comes with it. The treatments often impact normal and abnormal cells and frequently damage reproductive organs. There can be measures taken if the patient wishes to have children by consulting a fertility specialist that can discuss methods and treatments to protect fertility before going forward with stem cell transplants. 


Conclusion

Stem cell transplants are an important treatment that help restore the body’s ability to produce healthy blood cells after radiation and chemotherapy treatments, as well as various diseases that leave the body weak. The two main and common types of stem cell transplants are autologous and allogeneic transplants. They either use the patient’s preexisting healthy stem cells or retrieve them from a matching donor. Although stem cell transplants are effective for treatment in blood cancers and diseases, they come with serious side effects that can impact a person’s life onward. Whether they are short-term or long-term side effects, it is crucial to understand the benefits and the risks that come with these transplants as it is important for the patient and their families to consider when hearing about their options. 



Works Cited

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2026). Autologous stem cell transplant - Mayo Clinic. Mayoclinic.Org. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/autologous-stem-cell-transplant/about/pac-20607697

 
 
 

Comments

Contact Form

Email us at bca.evergreen@gmail.com or dm us @bca_evergreen on instagram!

Thanks for submitting!

Powered and secured by Wix

bottom of page