Mutations in Donors' Stem Cells May Cause Problems for Cancer Patients (IMAGE)
Caption
A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests that bone marrow -- or blood stem cells -- from healthy donors can harbor extremely rare mutations that can cause health problems for the cancer patients who receive them. Such stem cell transplants are important for treating blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia. In the healthy bone marrow pictured, mature red blood cells are shown as small brownish-pink discs; red blood cells that are still developing are in deep blue; and developing white blood cells are in lighter blue.
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Sima Bhatt
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