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Glossary of Terms for Bone Marrow/Stem Cell and Cord Blood Transplantation

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Adult Stem Cells

Allogeneic Transplantation

Apheresis

Autologous Transplantation

Blast Cells

Blood Stem Cells

Bone Marrow

Chemotherapy

Conditioning

Cord Blood

Cord Blood Bank

Cryopreservation

DNA Based HLA Typing

Donor Workup

Engraftment

Filgrastim

Graft Versus Host Disease

Hematopoietic Stem Cells

HLA Typing

Human Leukocyte Antigens

Leukemia

Marrow Donation

National Marrow Registry

Non-Embryonic Stem Cells

Peripheral Blood Stem Cells (PBSC)

Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) Donation

Pre-Transplant Conditioning

Radiation Therapy

Stem Cells

Stem Cell Transplant / Adult Stem Cell Transplant

Transplantation

Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell

Adult Stem Cells. Also called non-embryonic stem cells - any kind of stem cell that has been taken from an adult source. Adult stem cell sources include bone marrow cells, umbilical cord blood cells and peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC). Adult/non-embryonic stem cells are completely without controversy because they are taken from post-birth individual donors who are unharmed by the harvesting process. No embryos or unborn are involved in their collection or transplantation. Meanwhile, adult stem cells offer a gift of life to patients with leukemia, other cancers, anemia and a host of other serious illnesses.

Allogeneic Transplantation. In an allogeneic transplant, the patient gets bone marrow/stem cell or cord blood cells from a donor. The donor's tissue type (HLA type) must closely match the patient's. The donor can be either related or unrelated. Related donors are usually a brother or sister, but only 25% of all patients usually find a match in their family, or find a donor from their community. This means 75%, an overwhelming majority, will need to find an unrelated donor. BoneMarrowTest.com can help with finding an unrelated bone marrow/stem cell or cord blood donor.

Autologous Transplantation. In an autologous transplant, the patient's own blood stem cells are collected from the bone marrow or peripheral blood and frozen. The patient then receives high-doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to destroy the cancerous cells. The extracted stem cells are also treated to destroy the cancer cells, and then re-infused into the patient.

Apheresis. A simple, painless process where blood is drawn from a patient's or donor's arm and circulated through a filter which removes stem cells from the blood. The rest of the blood is returned back to the patient or donor. Apheresis produces no side effects or discomfort for the blood stem cell donor. This is the procedure used for a Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) Transplant.

Blast Cells. Immature white blood cells. Healthy bone marrow makes stem cells that grow into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. A leukemia patient's bone marrow makes too many blast cells (immature white blood cells). Leukemic blast cells remain immature and do not function like mature white blood cells, which are supposed to destroy infection by bacteria and fungi. This results in anemia and vulnerability to infection.

Blood Stem Cells. Blood stem cells are one of several types of stem cells. Healthy blood stem cells replace the supply of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the body that are depleted by diseases such as leukemia. Often, the only hope for a cure is a blood stem cell transplant.

Blood Stem Cell Transplant. Replacing a patient's diseased blood cells with healthy new blood stem cells from a donor; also known as a Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) Transplant. However, these blood cells must match the patient's own cells as closely as possible, which is why HLA typing is crucial to the process.

Bone Marrow. A soft, spongy tissue that fills the cavities inside most human bones. Bone marrow contains adult stem cells which generate all our red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. It is the most common source for stem cell transplantation.

Bone Marrow Transplant. A simple procedure where bone marrow is drawn from a donor's pelvic (hip) bone and injected into the bloodstream of a patient who needs to replenish a healthy supply of adult stem cells.However, the donated bone marrow cells must match the patient's own cells as closely as possible, which is why HLA typing is crucial to the process.

Chemotherapy.Treatment of cancer or other diseases by the use of drugs that selectively destroy rapidly growing cells. Extremely high doses unfortunately also kill the patient's own stem cells in the bone marrow and peripheral blood stream. This is why chemotherapy should be done in conjunction with a bone marrow or stem cell transplant, to prevent the patient from suffering grave effects from the loss of their stem cells.

Conditioning. The chemotherapy and/or radiation given to patients before a bone marrow/stem cell, cord blood or peripheral blood stem cell transplant. The purpose is to kill diseased cells so the new cells can grow normally.

Cord Blood. Blood remaining in the umbilical cord immediately following the birth of a baby. It contains a rich concentration of stem cells which can save the life of a leukemia or other patient requiring a stem cell transplant. Umbilical cord blood stem cells are considered adult stem cells because they come from the mother's tissue.The baby is in no way harmed or affected by collection of umbilical cord blood and no embryos are involved. Umbilical cord blood is an alternative source of stem cells if bone marrow stem cells or bone marrow donors are not available.

Cord Blood Bank. [Links to new page umbilical-cord-blood-banking.com]An organization that helps to collect and store umbilical cord blood for transplantation. Cord blood banks recruit expectant mothers who donate their baby's umbilical cord blood for stem cell transplants. The blood in the umbilical cord contains large numbers of stem cells. The cord blood banks collect, process, test and store the donated umbilical cord blood. Blood from each cord is frozen (cryopreserved) as an individual cord blood unit that is available to transplant.

Cryopreservation. Storage of biological materials at temperatures of -196¡C (-321¡F) until needed for transplant.

Donor Workup. The process that a closely matched potential donor goes through to make sure he or she is healthy and ready to donate marrow or blood stem cells. Workup includes a detailed information session at the Donor Center, a complete physical examination and donation of blood samples for testing and research.

DNA Based HLA Typing. Determining a person's HLA type by testing the DNA. The test is very accurate and efficient and the kit can be ordered conveniently online.

Engraftment. The process by which newly transplanted stem cells migrate to and nest in the appropriate site of the recipient's body and start producing normal quantities of normal mature cells.

Filgrastim. A protein that helps bone marrow make more white blood cells. Filgrastim is also known as GCSF (granulocyte-colony stimulating factor) or by the trade name Neupogen®. It is given to donors who have agreed to donate peripheral blood stem cells. This moves blood stem cells from the bone marrow into the blood stream so that they can be collected by apheresis. It also helps patients increase their white blood cell count after the transplant.

Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD). A potential complication of transplants associated with the use of blood or tissue from a different person (allogeneic). In GVHD, the transplanted cells reject the recipient's tissue as foreign and attack the tissue. GVHD in stem cell transplants appears to be less severe with umbilical cord blood, which appears to be more tolerant of the new body's environment. To reduce the risk of GVHD or tissue rejection, HLA testing is required. Order HLA testing online here.

Hematopoietic Stem Cells. The "Master" (blood forming) stem cells that are capable of recreating themselves and creating all of the other types of blood cells. They number 1 in 10,000 cells in bone marrow, and 1 in 1,000 cells in umbilical cord blood.

HLA Typing. A person's own specific HLA A, B, C and DR proteins. Patients are matched with stem cell donors or cord blood units by testing and comparing their HLA tissue types. Siblings are the first place to look for a match, since a brother or sister may have inherited the same HLA type. But even with siblings, there is only a 25% chance for a match, leaving 75% of all patients seeking a life-saving match from an unrelated donor.

Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA). Proteins on white blood cells that make each person's tissue unique. The HLA A, B, C and DR proteins are important in matching patients and donors for a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant. This matching process is known as HLA typing. The more closely matched the recipient and donor's HLAs are, the more likely the transplanted tissue will be compatible with and tolerated by the recipient. Order HLA testing online here.

Leukemia. A group of cancers that causes excessive growth of immature white blood cells called "blast cells." These blasts do not perform any of the beneficial functions of a healthy, mature white blood cell, such as fighting off disease and infection. Plus, they multiply faster than the healthy cells and overcrowd them. This often leads to anemia, impaired blood clotting, and bruising easily in the Leukemia patient. A bone marrow/stem cell or cord blood transplant is often the best way for a leukemia patient to recover from this illness.

Marrow Donation (Bone Marrow Donation). A surgical procedure by which a person donates a portion of their bone marrow to a patient who has a disease which requires a bone marrow transplant.

National Bone Marrow Registry / National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). A confidential national database of potential volunteer bone marrow stem cell donors established and maintained by the National Marrow Donor Program.

Non-embryonic stem cells. Synonymous with adult stem cells, i.e. stem cells donated by fully grown adults who are unharmed in the process. No embryos or unborn are involved in their collection or transplantation.

Peripheral Blood Stem Cells (PBSC). Blood derived from a patient's blood stream, as opposed to blood in the bone marrow where it is made. Blood stem cell production is stimulated in the donor by administration of the drug Filgrastim and then harvested painlessly from the donor through a medical procedure called apheresis.

Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSC) Donation. Hematopoietic stem cells are collected from a donor's circulating blood through an apheresis procedure after accelerating production from the bone marrow with Filgrastim. These adult stem cells are then transplanted into the recipient patient. However, these blood stem cells must match the patient's own cells as closely as possible, which is why HLA typing is crucial to the process.Order testing online here.

Pre-transplant Conditioning. A regimen of chemotherapy (with or without radiation therapy) that destroys a patient's diseased bone marrow stem cells. The bone marrow cells are then restored by transplanting new adult stem cells via bone marrow/stem cell or cord blood transplant.

Radiation therapy. Radiation is used to kill rapidly growing cancer cells or other malignancies. Unfortunately, high doses of radiation, especially in combination with chemotherapy, also kill the body's adult stem cells in the bone marrow and peripheral blood stream. This is why a bone marrow/stem cell or cord blood stem cells transplant is performed, to replenish the patient with new, healthy cells.

Stem Cells. Certain cells in the body that can grow into other kinds of cells. There are two kinds of stem cells - embryonic stem cells and non-embryonic (adult) stem cells. Bone Marrow Test.com does not deal in any way with embryonic stem cells taken from the unborn. Our focus is on testing adult stem cell donors for patients suffering from leukemia and other diseases whose lives can be saved via adult stem cell donation.Adult stem cells include bone marrow stem cells, umbilical cord blood stem cells, and peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC).

Stem Cell Transplant. The process of infusing healthy blood stem cells into persons who have undergone high-dose chemotherapy for one of many forms of leukemia, immunodeficiency, lymphoma, anemias, metabolic disorders and many other diseases. Healthy stem cells are collected from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood. Once the donor's healthy stem cells are infused into the patient's blood stream, the cells move from the blood vessels to the center of the bones, where they begin making new blood cells.

Transplantation. The process of transferring tissues or cells from a healthy person to an ill person to treat their disease. The tissue or cells transplanted may come from the same patient (autologous) or from another person (allogeneic).

Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells. Stem cells from the blood of the umbilical cord or placenta after the birth of a baby. These cells have the potential to produce all the components of blood in the same manner as stem cells derived from bone marrow. Umbilical cord blood cells are not embryonic. No harm occurs to the child or mother during the collection process; meanwhile the cord blood can help save others' lives.