Stem Cell Transplant

To cut down on the time it takes for the new bone marrow to grow, doctors may use peripheral stem cells in transplants. These stem cells are already released into the blood, yet are still able have the capacity to form blood cells. The collection of stem cells is done by passing the patient's or donor's blood through a special machine. Collecting cells in this way is easier and less painful than taking samples of bone marrow. Similar to bone-marrow transplants, stem cells can also come from a healthy donor (called allogeneic stem cells) or from the patients themselves (called autologous stem cells).

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