Guide To Understanding Stem Cells

Stem Cell Donation

Thousands of individuals in the United States are diagnosed with life-threatening diseases, like lymphoma and leukemia, every year. For many of these individuals, stem cell transplants are the only hope for curative treatment. Just like donor organs are needed for organ transplant recipients, stem cells are also needed for recipients. For a long time, donor stem cells could only be obtained by the use of a painful and expensive procedure to draw the bone marrow stem cells directly out of the donor's bone. However, advances in research and technology have made it possible for stem cells to be collected from a donor's blood. This method is referred to as peripheral blood stem cell donation. The risks of peripheral stem cell donation are very minimal in comparison to the risks associated with a traditional bone marrow stem cell collection procedure. A traditional bone marrow stem cell collection procedure requires the use of anesthesia, which has several risks in itself. Recovery from a traditional collection procedure takes several days and can be relatively painful. The risks of peripheral stem cell donation are similar to those of a traditional blood donation.

Learn about the controversy surrounding stem cells next.