BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION ALLOWS LONG-LASTING AND STABLE REMISSIONS

Bone marrow transplantation is one of the main stages in the treatment of malignant hematopoietic system tumors, malignant solid formations, as well as several non-malignant diseases, such as autoimmune diseases of the nervous system and immunodeficiencies.

“Our transplant material consists of hematopoietic stem cells,” says Vasily Shuvaev, Head of the Hematology Department at the A.Tsyb Medical Radiological Research Centre, –  branch of the Federal State Budgetary Institution of the “National Medical Research Radiological Centre” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. “These are the precursors of all types of blood cells, allowing them to fully restore the hematopoietic and immune systems.”

For certain diseases, bone marrow transplantation enables long-lasting and stable remissions where traditional treatments are ineffective. Essentially, it closely resembles a blood transfusion.

Daniil Manaenkov, a doctor in the Bone Marrow Transplant Department at the A. Tsyb MRRC, describes the types of transplantation and their indications:

“There are two main types of transplantation. In autologous transplantation, the donor is the patient themselves. Indications include:

– Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (when standard therapy is ineffective);

– Multiple myeloma (a disease characterized by the excessive multiplication of plasma cells and elevated levels of specific immunoglobulins, mainly affecting the bone marrow, bones, and impacting the patient’s immunity);

– Malignant solid tumors (such as Ewing sarcoma, testicular germ cell tumors, and medulloblastomas—tumors of the central nervous system);

– A number of non-malignant diseases, such as autoimmune conditions, particularly multiple sclerosis. In this condition, a person’s own lymphocytes perceive the myelin sheaths of nerve fibers as foreign. Despite the development of many medications over the past decade, immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapy is not always effective.

In allogeneic transplantation, the donor is another person. This can be either a related or unrelated donor (in which case a donor is selected from a special registry). Indications for allogeneic transplantation include:

– Acute leukemias;

– Aplastic anemia (when the bone marrow stops producing a sufficient number of blood cells) when immunosuppressive therapy is ineffective;

– Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (in cases of progression after autologous transplantation).”

The National Medical Research Radiological Centre of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation offers all types of bone marrow transplantation. Appointments can be made by calling: 8 800 250-87-00, 8 495 150-11-22.