This is the process in which selected SCs are administered to the patient for therapeutic purposes. There are several factors to take into consideration before considering SC transplantation.
1. Identification of the type of SCs and the source from which they are going to be obtained from.
2. The collection and purification method of SCs should be determined beforehand.
3. Method of administration
There are three types of SCT: Allogeneic SCT, cells are taken from one person to another. Synergenic SCT, cells are given to an identical twin. Autologous SCT, cells are obtained and transferred into the same patient.
Clinically, it is more favorable to use autologous SCT to avoid any immune attacks and rejection. However, there are certain cases in which the patient’s own cells cannot be used due to genetic mutations such as in Thalassemia or due to Cancer. In these cases, allogenic SCs are used for treatment which can be challenging due to the difficulty of finding a suitable HLA-matching donor.