Stem Cell Transplants : Findings
A recent study published in Science Translational Medicine examined long-term outcomes in patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT), focusing on how transplanted stem cells evolve and mutate over time.
Key Findings of the Study:
- The research involved 16 pairs of donors and recipients where both exhibited surprisingly low mutation rates, average 2% in donors and 2.6% in recipients annually.
- This finding suggests a stable clonal expansion of stem cells over decades.
- While all donors exhibited some level of clonal hematopoiesis, the absence of widespread clonal expansion indicates a robust regenerative capacity of the bone marrow.
- Implications:
- Crucial for improving long-term transplant outcomes.
- Potential risk of developing blood cancers or chronic diseases in recipients due to the presence of clonal hematopoiesis
