Archive for stem cell transplant
When even experts can’t figure you out: CNS-restricted HLH
At first it seemed like motion sickness when 5-year-old Emily threw up after spinning around outside, or during car rides. No one thought much of it. But gradually, she also developed headaches and stomachaches. Her walking and balance started to falter. She became lethargic, and complained about something in her eye. Her face took on ... Read More
Double stem cell transplant and other tools are helping children survive neuroblastoma
When Emily Coughlin complained of a sore knee in May 2009, doctors initially suspected Lyme disease. After antibiotics failed to relieve the pain, Emily was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer that begins in nerve cells outside the brain, just shy of her fourth birthday. Though neuroblastomia is rare — about 700 new cases occur annually in the ... Read More
Supercharged marrow transplant: Zebrafish reveal drugs that aid engraftment
Bone marrow transplantation, a.k.a. stem cell transplantation, can offer a cure for certain cancers, blood disorders, immune deficiencies and even metabolic disorders. But it’s a highly toxic procedure, especially when a closely matched marrow donor can’t be found. Using stem cells from umbilical cord blood banked after childbirth could open up many more matching possibilities, ... Read More