Stem Cells in Use – University of Utah

Leukemia is a cancer of white blood cells, or leukocytes. Like other blood cells,leukocytes develop from somatic stem cells. Mature leukocytes are released into thebloodstream, where they work to fight off infections in our bodies.

Leukemia results when leukocytes begin to grow and function abnormally, becomingcancerous. These abnormal cells cannot fight off infection, and they interfere withthe functions of other organs.

Successful treatment for leukemia depends on getting rid of all the abnormal leukocytesin the patient, allowing healthy ones to grow in their place. One way to do this is throughchemotherapy, which uses potent drugs to target and kill the abnormal cells. Whenchemotherapy alone can't eliminate them all, physicians sometimes turn to bone marrow transplants.

In a bone marrow transplant, the patient's bone marrow stem cells are replaced with thosefrom a healthy, matching donor. To do this, all of the patient's existing bone marrow andabnormal leukocytes are first killed using a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. Next,a sample of donor bone marrow containing healthy stem cells is introduced into the patient's bloodstream.

If the transplant is successful, the stem cells will migrate into the patient's bone marrowand begin producing new, healthy leukocytes to replace the abnormal cells.

New evidence suggests that bone marrow stem cells may be able to differentiate into celltypes that make up tissues outside of the blood, such as liver and muscle. Scientists areexploring new uses for these stem cells that go beyond diseases of the blood.

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Stem Cells in Use - University of Utah