24th July 2024

Overview of HSCT

HSCT involves the harvest of multipotent haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) from a donor and infusion into a recipient. The aims are:

• To allow for haematopoietic reconstitution after myeloablative doses of chemo(radio)therapy
• To replace congenital or acquired abnormal bone marrow or immune function

HSC can be harvested from bone marrow, peripheral blood or umbilical cord blood.

Bone marrow samples are usually obtained from a donor’s posterior iliac crest under general anaesthetic.

Peripheral blood stem cells are harvested through apheresis following 4-5 days of daily injections with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor to ‘mobilise’ the stem cells.

Indications for HSCT include AML, ALL, CML, CLL, MDSs, myelofibrosis, various NHLs and HL. HSCT is also a clinical option or developmental in some solid tumour malignancies.