A bloody good host
The thymus as the driver of successful hematopoietic cell transplantation in children
Children with hard-to-treat leukemia or immune or metabolic disorders can receive a stem cell transplant from a healthy donor as a last resort. Unfortunately, this is effective in only half of them. Evidence suggests that children whose immune cells recover quickly have a better chance of survival than those whose cells are slow to recover. We are investigating which factors are responsible for the rapid recovery of transplanted immune cells, with particular attention to the surprising role the thymus plays in this process. Fast recovery of the thymus might improve survival rates after a stem cell transplant.
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Lena Olerud