Stem Cell Transplant for Lupus
Topic Overview
Stem cell transplantation is the replacement of damaged
bone marrow cells with healthy cells, or stem cells. It is generally done after
powerful drugs have been used to wipe out the damaged immune system
(immunoablation).
Stem cells are immature cells that are produced
in the bone marrow. They can divide to produce more stem cells or mature into
red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Stem cell transplantation has serious
risks. After a person's stem cells have been collected from the bloodstream,
they are returned to the bloodstream along with a stem cell growth factor. If
successful, the stem cells help the bone marrow return to a healthy state.
But during the two weeks that the
immune system requires to become strong again, the
body is extremely vulnerable to life-threatening infection.
Small studies of stem cell transplantation for people with severe lupus have shown that it may help some people but it also has serious side effects.1 This procedure is considered a high-risk, expensive,
and experimental treatment for lupus.
References
Citations
- Hahn BH (2012). Systemic lupus erythematosus. In DL Longo et al., eds., Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 18th ed., vol. 2, pp. 2724–2735. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
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| Primary Medical Reviewer | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine |
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| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Nancy Ann Shadick, MD, MPH - Internal Medicine, Rheumatology |
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| Last Revised | May 10, 2012 |
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Last Revised:
May 10, 2012
Hahn BH (2012). Systemic lupus erythematosus. In DL Longo et al., eds., Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 18th ed., vol. 2, pp. 2724–2735. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical.
