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What Is Bone Marrow ?
Bone marrow is a soft gelatinous tissue that fills the cavities of the bones where blood is produced.
Red bone marrow contains various types of stem cells that mature into such blood components as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Major blood components produced by bone marrow and their functions.
Red blood cells
(Erythrocytes) |
Carry oxygen to all body tissues
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White blood cells
(Leukocytes) |
Protect the body from pathogenic organisms |
Platelets
(Thrombocytes) |
Prevent hemorrhage |
What Is A Bone Marrow Transplantation ?
A bone marrow transplantation is the
replacement of a patient's diseased bone
marrow stem cells with a donor's healthy
ones.
The patients receive bone marrow through
their veins so that they can regain
blood-forming functions.
Bone marrow transplantation, therefore, is
not a transplant of bone, but bone marrow
stem cells.
It has no relation to the spinal cord.
What diseases will marrow transplantation be effective in treating ?
| Leukemia: |
A malignant disease of the blood-forming tissues causing premature white blood cells to proliferate, and as a result, suppressing production of normal blood cells. |
| Aplastic anemia: |
Hypofunctioning marrow stem cells fail to produce an adequate amount of blood components, causing severe anemia, hemorrhages, infections, etc.. |
| Congenital immunodeficiency: |
A congenital deficiency in immunity making the patient vulnerable to the invasion of disease-causing microorganisms. |
The Percentage of Successful Transplantation Between Relatives Listed by Diseases (5-year Survival Rates Without Relapse)
| Severe aplastic anemia 70〜90% |
Acute leukemia 30〜70% |
| Chronic leukemia 40〜80% |
Congenital immunodeficiency 50〜80% |
* Percentages very depending on patient's age and severeness of disease.
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