Stem cells transplants in cancer treatment

Introduction:
Stem cells are undifferentiated cells which are capable of becoming any type of cell in the
organism. Stem cells can be used for many things, some of the uses are growing organs and
testing out new drugs.1There are different types of stem cells, for example embryonic stem
cells which are obtained from embryos and adult stem cells which are obtained from bone
marrow in humans. Adult stem cells can be genetically reprogrammed creating induced
pluripotent stem cells.2

Types of stem cell transplants:

Autologous is when the patients stem cells are used to treat them.
Allogeneic is when the stem cells come from another person in most cases the stem cells
come from blood relatives.
Syngeneic is when the stem cells come from your identical twin, if you have one.
All the types of stem cell transplant can be used to treat Leukaemia, lymphoma,
neuroblastoma and multiple myeloma.3
How stem cells transplants are used in cancer treatment:
Stem cell transplants can work against some types of cancer directly for example leukaemia
and lymphoma. This is caused by an effect called graft-versus-tumour that happens after an
allogenic transplant. Graft-versus-tumour is caused when white blood cells from the donor
attack the cancer cells in the patient’s body after a high dose treatment. Also, Stem cell
transplants to treat cancer are 80% successful.3

Side effects of stem cell transplants:

During the treatment the patient may experience Fevers, Headaches, Nausea, Mucositis
(makes it difficult for the patient to drink or eat). After the treatment the Patient may
experience hair loss and might gain or lose weight. Also, sometimes after a couple of months
or a year later the patient may develop graft versus host disease (GvHD) -which is usually a
mild disease but occasionally it can be life threatening. GvHD can cause rashes, joint pain and
dry/flaky skin.4

Importance and success rate of stem cell therapy in cancer

Stem cell research in cancer treatment has helped to accumulate extensive knowledge about
the biological processes involved in cancer onset, growth and spread in the body and
therefore led to more effective and targeted treatment and prevention strategies. The three-
year survival data rates show that for Multiple Myeloma 79% were alive three years after
transplant and for Hodgkin Lymphoma about 92% of people who had stem cell transplant
were alive three after treatment.5
References:
1) Sue Hocking, Frank Sochaki, Mark Winterbottom OCR AS/A level Biology A
2nd edition, 2015

2) Hildreth, c, (2023), stem cell therapy basics. [online]Last accessed date: 16

September 2023: https://bioinformant.com/stem-cells-come-from/#types

3) National Cancer institute,(2015), Stem cell transplants in cancer

treatment.[online]Last accessed date: 16 September 2023 :
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/stem-cell-
transplant#3
4) Dana Farber cancer institute,(2018),stem cell transplant side effect.
[online]Last accessed date: 16 September 2023: https://blog.dana-
farber.org/insight/2018/02/side-effects-stem-cell-transplant/
5) Cleveland clinic,(2023),stem cell
transplant.[online]Last accessed date: 16
September 2023: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22567-
stem-cell-transplants