Bone marrow is the oily, spongy tissue located in the middle of your bones. Bone marrow contains the hematopoietic stem cells, commonly referred to as HSCs. Such HSCs are non-specialized cells capable of both dividing and differentiating to form different types of blood cells; otherwise, they may remain stem cells. Bone marrow is the body that has the purpose of producing platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells. Go through this section to know more about bone marrow transplant.

In some cases, the function of the bone marrow may be compromised by illnesses such as leukaemia, aplastic anaemia, and lymphoma. In cases, a bone marrow transplant is done to replace and restore the function of the damaged or diseased marrow.

What is bone marrow transplant?

A bone marrow transplant is a cure for some types of cancer, also called a stem cell transplant. For example, if you have leukaemia, multiple myeloma, or some kinds of lymphoma, you might get one. Doctors also take stem cell transplants to treat other blood diseases.

In the past, a transplant of stem cells was more commonly referred to as a bone marrow transplant as the stem cells are collected from the marrow. Stem cells are generally obtained from the blood today, instead of the bone marrow. They're now often called stem cell transplants for this reason.

Reasons why bone marrow transplant is done

• Bone marrow is an integral part of your body because your immune system needs to function correctly. If your bone marrow becomes ill and there are not enough white blood cells, red blood cells, or platelets, then the immune system of your body is weak, and you become vulnerable to infections, disorders, and diseases.
• This can cause a lot of body damage and can potentially lead to fatal infections. This is why bone marrow transplantation is performed when the bone marrow does not function optimally.
• The cause of loss or damage to the bone marrow varies from person to person, and signs of bone marrow disease can sometimes be hard to figure out. If your bone marrow demonstrates an inability to produce stem cells, your bone marrow transplant surgeon may suggest a bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow failure happens when you have bone marrow disease.
• Bone marrow transplant helps people with cancer-related diseases.
• With a bone marrow transplant, the bone marrow can be revived after it has been destroyed, as new stem cells boost the stem cell production process.

Diseases and conditions

Here are some of the most common issues which cause a bone marrow transplant to be required. If you have any of these given below, you need to meet with a specialist in bone marrow transplantation to consider the suitability for bone marrow transplantation.

• Immune deficiencies
• Congenital neutropenia
• POEMS syndrome
• Aplastic anaemia
• Neuroblastoma
• Sickle cell anaemia
• Plasma cell disease
• Thalassemia
• Inborn metabolism errors
• Bone marrow cancers like leukaemia, myeloma or lymphoma

Conclusion

The bone marrow surgery cost in India is high, so one should always be careful after the transplant as there is a high possibility of rejection. It is important to stick by what doctors say and take care of the body after the surgery.