Injecting stem cells involves administering them into a patient’s vein, similar to a blood transfusion. These cells travel to the bone marrow, integrate, and produce new, healthy blood cells.

Benefits of Injecting Stem Cells

Generating healthy cells to replace those damaged by disease is a crucial advantage of stem cell therapy. Scientists can direct stem cells to become specific cells used in regenerative medicine to repair tissues affected by illness.

Injection Sites for Stem Cells

Doctors routinely use stem cells from bone marrow or blood in transplants to treat patients with cancer and other liver and immune system disorders.

Timeframe for Stem Cell Effectiveness

Receiving all stem cells takes 1 to 5 hours. Post-injection, patients enter a recovery phase where the new blood cells begin to generate, marking the start of the healing process.

Injected Stem Cells: Comprehensive Transplant Procedure

Types of Stem Cells:

• Autologous Transplants: Using the patient’s cells collected before chemotherapy or radiation therapy to avoid damage.
• Allogeneic Transplants: Using donor cells, requiring the recipient to take immunosuppressants before transplantation.

Bloodstream Extraction:

Stem cells can also be extracted from adult blood during outpatient procedures. Before extraction, donors receive medications that stimulate the release of more stem cells into the bloodstream. Blood is drawn, passed through a machine that separates the stem cells, and returned to the donor. Typically, medical professionals spend six sessions of 2-4 hours each to collect sufficient stem cells, which they can freeze for future use.

Bone Marrow Extraction:

During a bone marrow transplant, donors receive anesthesia before marrow extraction from the hip bone with a syringe, a process lasting about an hour.

Transplantation to the Recipient:

They inject the harvested stem cells into the recipient’s vein over 1-2 hours. These cells then migrate to the recipient’s bones, where they multiply and produce blood cells.

Conclusion

Injecting stem cells represents a significant advancement in medical science, particularly regenerative medicine. This innovative therapy offers the potential to generate healthy cells that replace those damaged by disease, thereby facilitating recovery and improving patient outcomes. Using autologous and allogeneic stem cells provides flexibility in treatment options, enhancing the effectiveness of stem cell transplants for various conditions, including cancer and immune system disorders. As research continues to advance, the applications and benefits of stem cell therapy are expected to expand, offering new hope and improved health solutions for many patients worldwide.

For more detailed information on stem cells, visit our article Stem Cells and Their Application.

Accredited Source: https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Stem-Cell