Stem cell transplantation
Synonym(s)
SCT; SZT
DefinitionThis section has been translated automatically.
Transfer of blood stem cells from a donor to a recipient. In autologous SZT, donor and recipient are one and the same person; in allogeneic transplantation, they are two different people.
General definitionThis section has been translated automatically.
- A distinction is made between:
- autologous stem cell transplantation
- allogenic stem cell transplantation.
- Autologous stem cell transplantation: In this procedure, the stem cells are taken from the patient himself and reinfused at a later time. The actual transplantation of the stem cells is preceded by a high-dose, usually myeloablative chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, the so-called conditioning phase. The subsequent stem cell transplantation replaces the bone marrow destroyed by the myeloablative conditioning therapy and shortens the therapy-related aplasia phase.
- Allogeneic stem cell transplantation: In this procedure, the patient is given the stem cells of another, healthy stem cell donor. As with autologous stem cell transplantation, a myeloablative conditioning treatment is also performed. This has 2 objectives: the eradication of malignant cells and the immunosuppression of the recipient to avoid rejection of the transplant.
Complication(s)This section has been translated automatically.
Acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease(GvHD) is one of the most serious complications of allogeneic stem cell transplantation and can be fatal in advanced stages. Acute Graft-versus-Host D isease is the consequence of the activation of donor T cells by recipient antigens and affects the skin, intestine and liver. It occurs within the first 100 days. Symptoms occurring later are called chronic GvHD.