Many people ask me what the doctors are looking for in the blood tests from Kent’s siblings in order to be a perfect match. I will do my best to explain what I know but first you need to know what stem cells are. Stem cells are immature body cells that act like “starter dough” because they can make identical copies of themselves. This keeps a constant supply of “starter” cells ready to mature within the various tissue layers as needed by the body. Stem cells mature within these layers, replacing aging or damaged cells in their respective body tissues. Once they mature, stem cells lose the ability to duplicate themselves.
Blood stem cells, known as hematopoietic stem cells, reside primarily in marrow, the spongy interior of bones. These “starter” cells resupply three types of blood cells: red blood cells; platelets, also called the blood-clotting cells; and the white blood cells of the immune system.
When the body needs to replace red blood cells, platelets for blood clotting, or immune cells, stem cells located in the bone marrow mature in a process called hematopoiesis. In patients with blood cancers such as myeloma, leukemia, or lymphoma, the chemotherapy and radiation that kill malignant cells also kill healthy marrow and its resident blood stem cells. Whether the cancer begins in the marrow itself or in lymphoid or other organs, anticancer treatment can deplete much of the body’s reserve of blood-forming stem cells. Even patients with noncancerous blood diseases can develop a shortage of blood stem cells, as occurs in life-threatening anemias or immune disorders. In all these cases, a blood stem cell transplant can restore normal hematopoiesis.
Hematopoietic or blood stem cell transplants are also called bone marrow transplants or peripheral blood stem cell transplants, depending upon the location of stem cell collection.
That’s enough for today class…we’ll learn more tomorrow.
Kent’s second day of chemo went fine and he was up again at 5:30 a.m. this morning riding his bike. I am trying to keep up with him but my exercise of choice is the stationary bike and my ab lounge!! He is hard to keep up with, but come on, he’s on steroids.
