A Journey Through PID - Bone marrow transplant as a treatment for PI conditions

Nurse specialists Nicola Parker and Carol Furness explain that bone marrow transplants (stem cell transplants) are a curative therapy for immune disorders. They detail how bone marrow stem cells differentiate into blood and immune cells. The presentation differentiates between autologous transplants, which use a patient's own cells, and allogeneic transplants, which replace defective marrow with donor cells.

Allogeneic transplants are performed at Starship, and a growing number are for non-cancerous conditions like immune disorders. The most common immune disorders requiring transplants include severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), hyper-IGM syndrome, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.

The first step in the transplant process is to find a matching donor, ideally a sibling, through HLA tissue typing.

IDFNZ member Elizabeth Murchinson also participated, sharing her experience with her son Max Murchison through a Bone marrow transplant for Wiskot Aldrich syndrome. We also thank IDFNZ member Louisa Ashworth for allowing us to share details of her son Luca’s CGD transplant.