Hematopoietic stem cells, the wonderful seeds of life, have the potential to generate all three major cell types in the blood system – red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. They are in a state of slumber during normal periods, but in the face of emergencies such as severe infections or massive blood loss, these stem cells quickly wake up and begin to differentiate to maintain blood**.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, a core method for many hematologic malignancies, plays an irreplaceable role in the field of hematology. Despite the emergence of new technologies and drugs, they have not been able to shake the status of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. During the transplant process, donors often receive a subcutaneous injection of stimulating factors, which help direct stem cells from the bone marrow into the blood circulation. For the donor, these stem cells may just be spare cells stored in the bone marrow; However, for those patients who need them in dire need, they represent new life and hope.
Donating hematopoietic stem cells is actually an act of selflessness, where donors donate their own cells, which are able to recover quickly after donation. Typically, donors are able to return to normal levels of hematopoietic stem cells in as little as one week to two weeks.
The modern hematopoietic stem cell donation process has abandoned the method of extracting cells directly from the bone marrow, and instead mobilizes stem cells from the bone marrow into the bloodstream by subcutaneous injection of stimulating factors. Then, just like donating blood, whole blood is collected through a vein in the donor's arm and hematopoietic stem cells are extracted using a blood cell separator. This method of collecting peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cells is simple, safe, and has minimal impact on the donor's body.
In China, due to the implementation of the one-child policy, hematopoietic stem cell donors often rely on caring donors provided by charities such as the China Bone Marrow Bank. These donors are diverse and include university students, working adults, and even children as young as 7 years old. According to the track record of the Chinese Bone Marrow Bank, these donors are in good health and have excellent performance in their fields. Some donor parents reported that their children's academic performance had improved significantly after donation.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is capable of a wide range of diseases, including but not limited to:
1.Hematological malignancies: such as chronic myeloid leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndrome, etc.
2.Hematologic non-malignant tumors: such as aplastic anemia, Fanconi anemia, thalassemia, sickle cell anemia, myelofibrosis, severe paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia, etc.
3.Other solid tumors: such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, neuroblastoma, small cell lung cancer, etc.
4.Immune system diseases: such as severe combined immunodeficiency, severe autoimmune diseases, etc.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation provides a second chance at life for patients with these diseases, and is a promising means, which is not only a breakthrough in medicine, but also a bridge to bring new life possibilities to patients.