Paediatric Haematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation
Stem cell transplantation in children and adults
Stem cell transplantation involves transferring blood-forming stem cells from a donor to a recipient. This may involve the same person (autologous) or different persons (allogeneic). A particular focus is on haploidentical stem cell transplantation, where parents can act as donors for their children, a higher proportion of siblings or, in special cases, more distant relatives.
In principle, our centre offers all types of stem cell transplantation: autologous, allogeneic and haploidentical.
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Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an important and effective treatment method for a wide range of diseases:
- Oncological
- Haematological
- Immunological
- Metabolic
These cannot be cured without a transplant.
Some forms of blood disorders can only be successfully treated with HSCT because the blood stem cells are diseased and need to be replaced.
In contrast, transplantation is only used for many types of leukaemia when treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy has been insufficient or the disease has relapsed.
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Haematological disorders in which the red blood cells are altered, such as sickle cell disease and thalassaemia, can also only be cured by stem cell transplantation. All other available supportive measures can, at best, only delay complications and organ damage caused by these diseases, but they cannot cure them.
Patients in Regensburg with these blood disorders undergo transplantation at the latest when the disease has progressed to such an extent that life-threatening organ damage can be expected. The possibility of haploidentical stem cell transplantation, where the donor and recipient match only 50% of the characteristics, means that a donor can be offered to almost all patients, thus enabling transplantation or significantly reducing the waiting time for a transplant due to the immediate availability of the donor.
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In the case of a group of metabolic diseases and severe immune deficiencies that are genetic in origin and therefore usually occur in infancy or early childhood, only an immediate stem cell transplant can prevent the disease from progressing or replace the diseased immune system. These conditions are also diagnosed at Regensburg University Hospital and can therefore be treated promptly.
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- Patients usually remain in hospital for around 6 to 8 weeks following a stem cell transplantation.
- The new stem cells are infused into the bloodstream after intensive preparatory radio/chemotherapy, which destroys the diseased bone marrow.
- It usually takes 2 to 4 weeks for the stem cells to start functioning and for new blood to be formed.
- Patients are highly susceptible to infection during this period and are not permitted to leave their rooms.
- The new immune system must also be regulated by medication during the first few months, as otherwise the foreign cells could attack the recipient's own body structures.
- This can be discontinued once the bone marrow has resumed its full function and adapted to the new environment.
