Health Info #2

Types of Transplants

AUTOLOGOUS- Your own stem cells are collected and saved. High dose chemotheropy is given to treat the disease, then the stem cells are given back. Autologous stem celss can be collected from the blood or the bone marrow.

ALLOGENEIC- Stem cells are taken from another person whose white blood cells closely match yours.
Most often the donor is a close relative such as a full brother or sister because their white blood cells are most likely to match yours. This type of allegeneic transplant is known as a MATCHED RELATED donor transplant (MRD)
If there is no MRD, an unrelated donor might be located through the National Marrow Donor pool. This is known as a MATCHED UNRELATED donro (MUD) transplant. A MUD transplant is more complicated and has more riskes than an MRD transplant.
Matched unrelated stem cells may also be located through cord blood registries. After a mother gives birth, the blood is drained from the placenta and umbilical cord and saved for future use. This blood is rich in stem cells.

SYNGENEIC- A stem cell transplant where the donor is the idential twin of the person recieving the transplant.