Csontvelátültetés

Csontvelátültetés, also known as bone marrow transplantation, is a medical procedure that replaces damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy bone marrow. Bone marrow is a spongy tissue inside bones that produces blood cells, including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. A bone marrow transplant can be a life-saving treatment for various conditions, including certain types of cancer like leukemia and lymphoma, as well as non-cancerous disorders affecting the blood or immune system.

There are two main types of bone marrow transplants: autologous and allogeneic. In an autologous transplant, the patient's own healthy bone marrow is collected before high-dose chemotherapy or radiation therapy, then infused back into the patient after treatment. This is often used for treating lymphomas and multiple myeloma. In an allogeneic transplant, bone marrow from a matched donor is used. The donor can be a relative or an unrelated individual who has similar tissue type. Allogeneic transplants are used for a wider range of conditions, including aplastic anemia and genetic blood disorders.

The procedure involves several stages. First, the patient receives high-dose chemotherapy and/or radiation to eliminate the diseased bone marrow. Then, the healthy donor bone marrow is infused into the patient's bloodstream, much like a blood transfusion. The transplanted cells travel to the bone marrow and begin to produce new, healthy blood cells. The recovery period can be lengthy and requires careful monitoring for complications such as infection and graft-versus-host disease, where the donor cells attack the patient's body. Despite the risks, bone marrow transplantation offers a chance for cure or significant improvement for many patients with otherwise fatal conditions.