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Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:10 am
by patientx
Dignan,

Could you, or maybe someone else, briefly explain the difference between autologous hematopoietic stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells?

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 6:40 pm
by chachacha
patientx wrote:Dignan, Could you, or maybe someone else, briefly explain the difference between autologous hematopoietic stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells?
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant refers to when the patient is the stem cell donor for the transplant. So, if the stem cells are taken from my own body and then put back during transplantation, that would be autologous. An allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant refers to when the stem cells are harvested from a donor.

I know that doesn't exactly answer the entire question, but hopefully it helps a little.

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 8:31 pm
by ariehs
I'm not completely clear on all the proper language, but I will say this - Dr. Slavin works with mesenchymal stem cells taken from the patient's own bone marrow and then cultured.

Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 8:59 pm
by dignan
patientx, I'm no expert, so I'll defer to Wikipedia:
Hematopoietic stem cells are found in the bone marrow and give rise to all the blood cell types.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are of stromal origin and may differentiate into a variety of tissues. MSCs have been isolated from placenta, adipose tissue, lung, bone marrow and blood, Wharton's jelly from the umbilical cord, and teeth (perivascular niche of dental pulp and periodontal ligament). MSCs are attractive for clinical therapy due to their ability to differentiate, provide trophic support, and modulate innate immune response.

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 10:47 am
by patientx
Thanks, all. I got the autologous part, but I don't understand what hematopoietic or mesenchymal stem cells are. Dignan's post helped clear it up some, but now I guess I need to look up what "stromal" means. :(

Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 8:16 pm
by Algis
stroma / noun - tissue which supports an organ, as opposed to the parenchyma or functioning tissues in the organ.

Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 11:36 am
by mhawks1990
I am so sorry. I hope I didn't offend anyone, I think you guys are great and I learn something everyday on here. I used the wrong wording. I did have success for a while but I had a huge attitude of faith, positive thinking etc. That makes everything better no matter what the treatment is. So I would say to stay positive and dont ever give up. Stem cells are something I will be getting every 4 months because it gives me such a boost. It goes where it needs to go to repair. The Rebif slows the progression of MS. So I am attacking it that way. Yes there were some things that disappointed me but I had to stop and think last week that I can not right all the wrongs in the world. I get wrapped up in wanting to save everybody and get all out of order. I just hate to see people hurting.

Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2010 3:41 am
by chachacha
mhawks1990 wrote:Stem cells are something I will be getting every 4 months because it gives me such a boost.
Are you traveling to another country every four months or having this done in the states? (assuming you are in the u.s. sorry if this is not the case.) I've never read about anyone doing stems so quickly. How many treatments have you had?