Stemdiagnostics prevention and early diagnosis monitoring haematopoietic stem sell transplantation

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The StemDiagnostics Project

Aims Methods and Outcomes

Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplantation
Since being pioneered in the 1950s, Bone Marrow Transplantations (BMTs) have been used to treat conditions that affect blood and bone marrow, for example, cancer of white blood cells (leukaemia) or sickle cell anaemia (an inherited condition which causes damage to the red blood cells). The bone marrow is important because it has been found to produce stem cells (known as heamatopoietic stem cells) that are able to form new blood cells replacing those of the patient. These stem cells have also been found in other sources (peripheral blood and cord blood) and the procedure that was called Bone Marrow Transplantation is now known as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Own Blood and Donor Blood Stem Cells
There are two types of HSCT procedures. In around 60% of cases in Europe, blood or marrow is removed from the individual undergoing transplantation. This “self-donating” is called an autologous transplantation. The bone marrow is cleared of any diseased cells by using cancer-killing drugs (chemotherapy) and radiation (radiotherapy) before being returned. The other type of transplant procedure is called allogeneic transplantation where a healthy donor (often a family member) with a closely matching blood-type donates their hematopoietic stem cells for transplantation.

Complications
A successful transplant patient can face life-threatening complications in the days and weeks following the procedure. The most significant complication is a condition where the donor cells create a reaction against the host body – this is called Graft versus Hosts Disease (GvHD) and is occurs most frequently in alogeneic transplantations.

The StemDiagnostic Project
Scientists, clinicians and technologists from across Europe are working in the StemDiagnostic Project to improve the lives of those patients who receive hematopoietic stem cell transplantation by finding ways to tackle Graft versus Host Disease. This exciting and ambitious project brings together a range of specialist medical scientists and research led businesses to try and uncover a number of the most challenging issues: how to predict who is at the highest risk of suffering from GvHD following transplantation; once the transplantation has been carried out, how doctors can get the earliest warning that GvHD is occurring; how to track the disease through a course of treatment; and, links related information between GvHD and the autoimmune diseases Rheumatoid Arthritis. This website provides information about the project.

StemDiagnostics

Introduction

WHO

WHAT

WHY

Companies looking at new ways of discovering new diagnostics and new testing methods for Graft versus Hosts Disease (GvHD) and rheumatoid arthritis

Past and current patients undergoing allogeneic blood and marrow stem cell transplant (HSCT), dealing with GvHD or rheumatoid arthritis.

Leading medical scientific researchers across Europe seeking to improve the outcome of allo-HSCT and GvHD.

Working together to find new ways to assess individuals’ risk of acquiring GvHD before allogeneic HSCT is carried out

Working to be able to diagnose GVHD (acute and chronic) in allogeneic HSCT patients sooner than is currently possible

Seeing whether the markers that have been identified in GvHD are relevant to other diseases particularly rheumatoid arthritis the autoimmune desease.

Seeing whether the work can lead to the identification of new treatments for GvHD (acute and chronic) and rheumatoid arthritis.

Working with businesses to turn the scientific discoveries into standard laboratory / clinical tests.

To give patients undergoing HSCT more information about the likelihood of contracting GvHD.

To give patients who have undergone HSCT better chances of survival of GvHD by diagnosing it and treating it earlier.

To find these markers and any possible treatment indicators and verify their use.

To work with companies who supply laboratories and clinicians with testing techniques to move the markers from the research lab to where it is needed.