What is the difference between Adult and Umbilical stem cells

Adult Stem Cell Transplant: Bone Marrow Stem Cells

Perhaps the best-known stem cell therapy to date is the bone marrow transplant, which is used to treat leukemia and other types of cancer, as well as various blood disorders.

Why is this a stem cell therapy?

Leukemia is a cancer of white blood cells, or leukocytes. Like other blood cells, leukocytes are made in the bone marrow through a process that begins with multipotent adult stem cells. Mature leukocytes are released into the bloodstream, where they work to fight off infections in our bodies.

Leukemia results when leukocytes begin to grow and function abnormally, becoming cancerous. These abnormal cells cannot fight off infection, and they interfere with the functions of other organs.

Successful treatment for leukemia depends on getting rid of all the abnormal leukocytes in the patient, allowing healthy ones to grow in their place. One way to do this is through chemotherapy, which uses potent drugs to target and kill the abnormal cells. When chemotherapy alone can't eliminate them all, physicians sometimes turn to bone marrow transplants.

In a bone marrow transplant, the patients's bone marrow stem cells are replaced with those from a healthy, matching donor. To do this, all of the patient's existing bone marrow and abnormal leukocytes are first killed using a combination of chemotherapy and radiation. Next, a sample of donor bone marrow containing healthy stem cells is introduced into the patient's bloodstream.

If the transplant is successful, the stem cells will migrate into the patient's bone marrow and begin producing new, healthy leukocytes to replace the abnormal cells.

Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplant

Newborn infants no longer need their umbilical cords, so they have traditionally been discarded as a by-product of the birth process. In recent years, however, the multipotent-stem-cell-rich blood found in the umbilical cord has proven useful in treating the same types of health problems as those treated using bone marrow stem cells and PBSCs.

Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants are less prone to rejection than either bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells. This is probably because the cells have not yet developed the features that can be recognized and attacked by the recipient's immune system. Also, because umbilical cord blood lacks well-developed immune cells, there is less chance that the transplanted cells will attack the recipient's body, a problem called graft versus host disease.

Both the versatility and availability of umbilical cord blood stem cells makes them a potent resource for transplant therapies.

Jody's Treatment

On March 10, 2010 Jody and I met with Dr. Brunvand concerning Jody's Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT). Dr. Brunvand is a BMT specialist, who practices with the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center here in Denver (see Jody's Disease). His observation, based on the aggressive progress of her disease, was that we need to do a BMT in six to nine months. He further recommended we begin a low dosage chemo therapy treatment as soon as possible to buy us time. His team would continue to pursue their search for an adult bone marrow donor, but they would ideally like to find a suitable umbilical cord donation.

Dr. Brunvand recommended we begin a regimented treatment using a drug called VIDAZA. VIDAZA is prescribed to help reduce the need for transfusions. It may also help her bone marrow make healthy white blood cells and platelets. VIDAZA is given either as a shot or intravenously for five to seven days and then wait twenty-one days and begin again. Usually this is given for four cycles and the blood marrow is re-evaluated. VIDAZA is a chemo-therapy drug, the only one of its kind FDA approved for treatment of MDS. The dosage does not cause hair loss, but can make her ill with side-effects. VIDAZA can be prescribed for as long as she continues to benefit from it and side effects don't require her to stop treatment. He asked us to get in touch with Dr. Faragher to discuss this option.

Our original appointment with Dr. Farragher was April 1, 2010. His staff called us and moved the appointment up to Monday, March 22. We discussed the VIDAZA treatment with him as well as other options. He recommended we consider a less aggressive treatment using two drugs REVLIMID and PREDNISONE. These two-drugs in combination treats her disease the same as VIDAZA but less aggressively. With VIDAZA it would have taken three to four months to measure her results. With the "two-drug" regiment we should begin to see improvement in four to six weeks. Both treatments should accomplish the same results, (1) buy us more time to find a suitable donor, (2) decrease her need for transfusion, (3) slow the progress of the disease. Either treatment should lower her "iron" ( as a result of fewer transfusion) and lower her high kidney lab values. Both drugs have strong side-effects, number one being a lower immunity to infections.

After consultations with Dr. Faragher we decided to begin with the "two-drug" therapy. Jody began taking the drugs March 25, 2010. She, so far, has not shown any strong reaction to the drug other than some initial insomnia.

This post should bring everyone up to date. As we move forward in Jody's treatment I will make post to keep everyone current. We hope to avoid a lot of awkward questions and having to repeat things that are uncomfortable for us as well as you.

Thank you for reading my post, I hope I wasn't too technical... If you have not all ready read Jody's Disease I would recommend that you do, it may fill in the gaps.

We love you all!

How to Donate

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - Donate

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) relies on the support of individuals, corporations and foundations to fund LLS's research initiatives, patient services and education programs. We are extremely grateful to our many generous donors and sponsors who made it possible for us to invest more than $600 million in research specifically targeting leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma since its first funding in 1954.

Your contribution to honor or commemorate the life of a friend or loved one helps to advance LLS's mission and major programs. By making a contribution in honor of or in memory of someone who has touched your life, you can help provide additional resources to accelerate cures and fund additional research, patient services, public and professional education and community services.

Your gift will help us find cures for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. There are so many ways to help, including:

• Online donations, monthly giving, our online eGreetings card program and PayPal, all easy and convenient ways to help support the fight against blood cancers.
  
• Corporate Matching Gift - Have your employer match your donation to LLS.
  
• Special Giving Opportunities - Your major gift to LLS will help advance cures for blood cancers and improve the quality of lives of patients and their families.
  
• Bequests, Gift Annuities & Trusts - See how your estate plan can benefit you and your family while making a valuable future gift to fighting blood cancers
  
• Combined Federal Campaign - Support LLS through a gift via your employer's participation in the Combined Federal Campaign
  
• eStore - Purchase gifts, apparel and services, with up to 20 percent of the purchase price going to LLS's mission.
  
  
• Donate by Mail - Fill out the form on this page and mail to:
  The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
  Donor Services
  P.O. Box 4072
  Pittsfield, MA 01202
  

I've Dreamed Of You

Jody and I were married on May 10, 2008. For our wedding song we chose "I've Dreamed of you" by Barbara Streisand, because of the strong association we had with the words... I have included a link to the song and a copy of the words below...

We send our love to everyone we know and wish you the same love and happiness Jody and I have being with each other. We cherish each minute.

I've dreamed of you
Always feeling you
Were there
And all my life
I have searched for you
Everywhere
I caught your smile
In the morning sun
I heard your whisper
On the breeze of night
I prayed one day
That your arms would hold me tight

And just when I
Thought love had passed me by
We met
That first look
In your eyes
I can't forget
You melted me
With your tender touch
I felt all fear and sorrow
Slip away
Now here we stand
Hand in hand
This blessed day

I promise you
As I give to you
My heart
That nothing in this world
Shall keep us apart
Come happily ever after be
The man I'll love
Until the very end
I've dreamed of you
My great love
And my best friend

For God must know
How I love you so
He's blessed us here today
As man and wife
Come dream with me
As I've dreamed of you
All my life

Come dream with me
As I've dreamed of you
All my life

Click here to play our wedding song...

Jody's Disease

Jody has had for several years a disorder called Essential Thrombocytosis "ET" (it can also be known as essential thrombocythemia depending on platelet counts). "ET" is a rare chronic blood disorder characterized by (in her case) the overproduction of platelets (Platelets are small irregularly-shaped cells, which are derived from fragmentation of red blood cells. The average life span is between 8 and 12 days. Platelets play a fundamental role and are a natural source of growth factors. They circulate in the blood of mammals and are involved in the formation of blood clots) in the bone marrow. In some cases the disorder may be progressive and may on rare occasions evolve into acute myeloid leukemia or myelofibrosis. "ET" is one of four myeloproliferative disorders. "ET" is diagnosed at a rate of about 2 to 3 per 100,000 individuals annually. The disease usually affects individuals at an average age of 50-60 years old. It often goes undiagnosed as individuals die of other complications or diseases.

• The cells that circulate in the bloodstream (made mostly of water) are generally divided into three types: white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Abnormally high or low counts of any of the three cells may indicate the presence of many forms of disease, and hence blood counts are amongst the most commonly performed blood tests in medicine, as they can provide an overview of a patients general health status. This test is known as a "CBC" (Complete Blood Count).

Jody was first diagnosed back in New Jersey in 1998 with an abnormally high platelet count. She had her first bone marrow biopsy there to see what was going on in her bone marrow and nothing was found to be wrong. Her doctor started her on a treatment that consisted of taking a few pills a day of Hydroxyurea and Anagrelide to manage her "high platelets". When she moved to Denver in 2006 she began working with a hematologist (Dr James Faragher) at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center, who continued to adjust her pill regiment with monthly CBC's. He told her she had Essential Thrombocytosis (ET). This was the first time she knew what disease she had contracted.



Jody's mother, Maxine had Polycythemia vera or polycythemia ruba vera a blood disorder in which the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells. Her father, Joseph has Spherocytosis, which is another disease of the blood characterized by the production of red blood cells that are sphere-shaped, rather than bi-concave disk shaped. Her mother required monitoring with occasional blood letting due to her disease, and her father needed the same monitoring with blood transfusions (typically every 3-4 moths) to control his disease. He just turned 94 years old and is still with us here in Denver. Her mother passed in 2001 due to Hepatitis C at 88 years old. There is no medical support that shows her parent's blood diseases can be passed along genetically to their offspring.

Jody needed her first blood transfusion the week we got married in May of 2008. Prior to that her pill regiment was controlling her blood counts. In April of that same year she had her second bone marrow biopsy, which came back negative for any disease.

Her monthly CBC tests went from monthly to bi-monthly as her disease went from high platelets to low platelets and anemia. She began to need blood transfusions every 3-4 weeks. These more frequent transfusions caused her iron (ferritin) levels to move up. Too much iron in your blood can cause liver or kidney failure as it hardens your internal organs. This excessive iron level caused her to begin taking a iron reducing drug. This drugs side effect can cause high kidney lab values (high creatine). High kidney lab values indicate the kidneys are not functioning properly removing toxic waste from her blood stream. This in itself can cause life threatening problems.

In November of 2009, Jody and I went to see a bone marrow transplant doctor to explore the possibility of a bone marrow stem cell transplant. This was our first meeting with Dr. Mark Bunvand. He explained to us the tremendous risk and side effects of a transplant. He told us he would not consider a transplant until there was some indication Jody's disease was progressing.

On February 11 Jody underwent her third bone marrow biopsy, and on the 17th Dr Faragher diagnosed her with "Post Esential Thrombocythemia Myelofibrosis".

• chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis (KRAH-nik IH-dee-oh-PA-thik MY-eh-loh-fy-BROH-sis) is a disorder of the bone marrow. It is currently classified as a myeloproliferative disease in which the proliferation of an abnormal type of bone marrow stem cell results in fibrosis, or the replacement of the marrow with collagenous connective tissue fibers.

Honeymoon in Hawaii

Sunset at Poipou!