Australian researchers at the Murdoc Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) have researched a way to turn personalized stem cells into hematopoietic stem cells. This opens up a future of safer bone marrow transplants.

Hematopoietic stem cells are immature cells that can develop into all types of blood cells, including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The function of a hematopoietic stem cell is to regenerate the cells that build up the blood forming system.  

Using these stem cells for bone marrow transplants is so important because they are used to treat bone marrow and blood diseases like leukemia: a cancer of the body’s blood forming tissue. 

However, this is not a completely safe option. Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD), when transplanted donor cells recognize a recipient’s tissue as foreign and attacks it, can happen to patients which can lead to inflammation and even death. 

So far, the research team at MCRI has been testing this method by using human cells found in hair, nails, and skin, and turning them into hematopoietic stem cells similar to one found in a human embryo. Then they freeze the cells and transfer them into immune-deficient mice, which shows similar results to umbilical cord stem cell transplants. 

This scientific breakthrough could solve the issue of donor shortages and decrease in transplant complications.