Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant Donor, Procedure, Benefits …

What is peripheral blood stem cell transplantation?>

Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation is a new technique in which stem cells are obtained from a patient's blood and used in bone marrow transplantation.

Stem cells are small, round cells with a squat nucleus and scant surrounding cytoplasm. Although unremarkable in appearance, stem cells can perform what have been called "acts of biological resurrection."

Whereas other types of cells in the body have a limited lifespan and die after dividing their endowed number of times, a stem cell can reproduce forever. The stem cell is immortal (in cellular terms). A stem cell can forgo immortality and turn into an ordinary blood cell, a red blood cell (an erythrocyte), a white blood cell (a leukocyte), or a large cell (a megakaryocyte) that fragments into the platelets needed for blood to clot.

A relatively small number of stem cells can miraculously repopulate the whole bone marrow, provide an endless supply of stem cells, reconstitute the entire repertory of blood cells, and restore the immune system.

Under normal circumstances, stem cells are rarely seen in the blood stream. To recruit enough stem cells into the blood, stem cells are lured out of the bone marrow by a special regimen of drugs and coaxed into entering the peripheral blood (the blood stream).

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Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant Donor, Procedure, Benefits ...