Welcome | MainPage | Forum | Chatroom | Newsletter | Pain PoliticsNew Page - Come on In |O.C.P.M. Poll Page |Gamesroom | About Us | Links 



sign
MAIN
ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
CONDITIONS
PAIN POLITICS
DOCTOR
PATIENTS QUOTES





OUR CHRONIC PAIN MISSION

MAY 2001
NEWSLETTER No9

IN OUR 9TH NEWSLETTER WE FOCUS ON
STEM CELL RESEARCH

crest

WE FEEL THIS RESEARCH HOLDS THE KEY
FOR THE FUTURE OF MANY
CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS









Peripheral Blood Stem Cells


This short article hopes to answer
some of the questions posed about
Peripheral Blood Stem Cells - PBSC's: -
What are they? How are they got?
And what are they used for?


crest


WHAT ARE STEM CELLS

Stem Cells are the building blocks of the Bone Marrow.
It is understood that the stem cell under the influence
of various growth factors, differentiates and provides all the
types of blood cells needed.


WHY USE THE TERM PBSC?

The term refers to the fact that under the influence of an
administered artificial growth factor called G-CSF,
(Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor), the stem
cells are stimulated to grow and leave the bone marrow
as they have increased in number to such a degree that there
is not enough room for all of them within the
bone marrow.


HOW ARE THEY GOT?

Because stem cells are circulating in the blood, they can be obtained
by a process called 'Apherisis'. This occurs when the patient's blood
is filtered through a machine similar to dialysis machine, where the
blood passes through the machine from the patient, the cells
are separated off and the rest of the blood (red cells,
platelets and plasma), is returned to the patient, leaving
only a small volume of fluid with the stem cells in it.


WHAT ARE THEY USED FOR?


THERE ARE NOW A NUMBER OF USES FOR PBSCs

1.
They are now used instead of Bone Marrow for Autografts
(where patients are given high doses of Chemotherapy, with their own
Bone Marrow infused afterwards)


2.
In people with malignacies like Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia, Acute Myeloid
Leukaemia, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia, Acute Lymphocytic
Leukaemia and Lymphomas.



3.
They can be used to support people through intensive Chemotherapy,
enabling it to be given on schedule, where Neutropenia would have
previously prevented it.

4.
They can be used in illnesses like Breast and Testicular cancer,
to enable high dose Chemotherapy to be given, which would have
previously caused irreversible bone marrow damage, with the
ensuing side effects.

5.
Some centres are now obtaining PBSCs from donors instead of
bone marrow for Bone Marrow Transplants. Some countries have gone
over totally to this form of BMTs, while others are conducting trials,
comparing both methods in terms of patient outcomes e.g.
time to engraftment, and the effects on donors in terms of
comfort, well-being and the need for hospitalization.






FOR MORE INFORMATION ON
STEM CELL RESEARCH
GO TO THE FOLLOWING LINKS

America
spinning-button
Stem Cell
Secrets
America
spinning-button
The Stem
Cell Report


Applied Genetics
News
spinning-button
Engraftable Neural
Stem Cells
Applied Genetics
News
spinning-button
License to
Neural Stem Cells


Applied Genetics
News
spinning-button
Liver Cells
from Stem Cells
Applied Genetics
News
spinning-button
Stem Cells
Reverse Diabetes


Applied
Genetics News
spinning-button
Stem-Cell
Differentiation
Chron. of Higher Ed
spinning-button
Debate Over
Stem-Cell Research


Lancet
spinning-button
Stem-Cell
Transplantation
Science News
spinning-button
NIH OKs
Work On
Stem Cells


Science News
spinning-button
Stem Cells
Repair Rat Spinal
Cord Damage
Science News
spinning-button
Stem Cells
Track Down
Brain Cancer


Stem
spinning-button
Cells
Which Came First
spinning-button
Stem Cell or
the Egg?


NIH Stem Cell

spinning-button
Guidelines
National Bioethics
spinning-button
Advisory Commission


Do No Harm
spinning-button
Stem Cell
Research
Cord Blood
spinning-button
Registry


Bio-Ethics
spinning-button
And Stem Cell
Research
Stem Cell
spinning-button
Information


Cell Therapy
spinning-button
Clinic
Stem Cell
spinning-button
Discussion
Group


Stem Cell
(Bone Marrow)
spinning-button
Transfusion




O.C.P.M. IS PROUD TO PRESENT
AN ARTIST IN HIS OWN RIGHT

AUTHOR JIM BRISTOW

HIS WRITINGS SEEM TO GRASP
THE VERY REALITIES
OF ALL CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS


paintruth open


NEWSLETTER

TO SIGN UP FOR THE OCPM NEWSLETTER TYPE YOUR EMAIL BELOW
THEN PRESS JOIN

Subscribe to OurMission
Powered by groups.yahoo.com

menu


HONcode
We subscribe to the HONcode principles of the Health On the Net Foundation
Foundation

ANY AND ALL CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME
PLEASE EMAIL US AT:
[email protected]
[O.C.P.M. All rights reserved]

From the Owners and Operators Of
Our Chronic Pain Mission ®. Copyright © 2000

The Critical
cmaward_s
Mass Award
sign
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Disclaimer
Advertising Policy
Ask The Doctor