Spinal Cord Transplant

What is a Spinal Cord Transplant?

Spinal cord or bone marrow transplantation is a procedure used under certain conditions in patients suffering mainly from blood diseases, such as leukemia, certain types of spinal cord cancers, lymphomas, aplastic anemia, thalassemia, sickle cell disease, and certain congenital metabolic or immunodeficiency diseases. Although the expression “bone marrow transplant” is used, it would actually be more correct to speak of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation, which is found precisely in the bone marrow but also, to a lesser extent, in peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood. Like other types of transplantation, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation also involves a procedure based not only on stabilizing the patient’s health, but above all on finding a compatible sample taken from a donor (who may be the patient himself) and its infusion into the recipient.

When is a bone marrow transplant used and what is the success rate of a spinal cord transplant?

Stem cell transplants are recommended if:

• The transplant recipient is in good health, despite associated pathologies (this is why stem cell transplants are often performed when the tumor is in remission);
• The stem cells come from a brother or sister with the same tissue type, which reduces the probability of rejection or graft-versus-host disease;
• The associated disease does not respond to other forms of treatment or there is a risk of recurrence if the transplant is not performed;
• The benefits of a bone marrow transplant are considered to outweigh the risks;

Spinal Cord Transplant Price

The prices of a spinal cord transplant vary depending on whether it is an autologous or allogeneic transplant. Click on the online quote request button on our website to find out the exact prices of the spinal cord transplant.

What are the types of spinal cord transplants?

Allograft

Allogeneic transplantation is performed when HSCs are harvested from a family member or a compatible unrelated donor. Sometimes, when circumstances allow, some patients may resort to syngeneic transplantation, among others when the donor and recipient are mono-volume twins, more commonly known as monozygotic twins. As you can guess, the compatibility between the donor and the recipient is much higher in the case of autografting and syngeneic grafting, since monozygotic twins share the same genetic heritage, but the first option has its limitations, while the third is quite rare. Indeed, the percentage of patients needing a bone marrow transplant and having a real twin is very low. The recipient is suffering from a disease, such as leukemia or blood cancer, which requires chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, as we know, these therapies tend to affect not only cancer cells, but also healthy cells, including stem cells produced by the bone marrow.

Autograft

Spinal cord or bone marrow transplantation, that is to say, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, can be done in several ways, one of which is autografting, that is to say that the cells are harvested from the recipient himself, that is to say that the donor and recipient coincide.

How does the spinal cord transplant process work?

First of all, let us recall that a transplant is the replacement of diseased or non-functional bone marrow with healthy stem cells capable of regenerating all blood cells. Before the transplant, however, the patient must undergo high-dose chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy (conditioning treatment) to destroy the diseased cells present and make room for the new cells to be transplanted. If the stem cells come from a donor, the recipient must, before transplantation, take drugs to suppress the immune system (immunosuppressants) and avoid rejection. At this stage, the stem cells can be infused into the patient, in a procedure similar to a blood transfusion. It takes about 2 to 3 weeks for the new cells to take root and begin to repopulate the bone marrow destroyed by chemotherapy/radiotherapy and produce new blood cells.

Post-operative care for a spinal cord transplant

After a spinal cord transplant, certain medications are administered to prevent complications and a hospitalization of approximately 1 to 2 months is planned. In most patients who receive a bone marrow transplant, it takes about a year to recover.

Result of a spinal cord transplant

The choice of transplantation should be carefully considered between the doctor, the patient and their family members, leaving them with the final decision. Bone marrow transplantation is now a reality. The probability of recovery is high, but some serious risks should not be underestimated. However, not everyone can undergo it because of the absence, in 70% of cases, of an identical donor and because, sometimes, the state of health, due to several risk factors present, does not allow it. The adoption of new techniques based on the use of cells contained in the umbilical cord of newborns is of great importance, as it opens up new avenues for this healing method, on which we hope to be able to rely soon with complete confidence.

What is the success rate of a spinal cord transplant?

Overall, after evaluating all the known data in the world, it can be said that on average, the risks of a bone marrow transplant (performed for thalassemia problems, a hereditary disease causing anemia) are high and can be summarized as follows:

• 67% success rate (cure);
• 13% failure rate (one can live with problems related to the transplant and become thalassemic again);
• 20% mortality rate;

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