Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT)

Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) is used successfully to treat a number of cancers, blood diseases and immune disorders that were once considered incurable. Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC provides state-of-the-art care for children undergoing stem cell transplant therapy. Children’s is also committed to clinical investigation with programs for innovative therapies against malignant and non-malignant diseases. The nursing staff, with training in BMT, oncology and pediatric intensive care, is complemented by pharmacists, social workers, child life specialists, nutritionists and physical therapists, all specializing in the care and treatment of children and adolescents.

To provide our patients with access to the most recent innovations in transplantation, we collaborate in many multi-center trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium and the Children’s Oncology Group (COG). For patients with sickle cell disease and other non-malignant conditions, we are doing pioneering clinical research in a form of transplantation called non-myeloablative, meaning the recipient’s bone marrow is not completely destroyed. We work in close collaboration with the Stem Cell Program at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) .

The Blood and Marrow Transplantation (BMT) program has expanded considerably since its inception in 1991. It is accredited by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) for unrelated donor transplants in children. Transplants performed here utilize bone marrow, peripheral blood, and cord blood as stem cell sources. For patients requiring transplantation who do not have related donors, we have many years of experience with unrelated bone marrow and cord blood transplantation. We routinely perform transplants for patients with a wide variety of malignant (acute and chronic leukemias, brain tumors) and non-malignant (aplastic anemia, sickle cell disease, immune deficiencies) diseases. Types of transplants performed at Children’s include:

• Autologous Transplant: Self Donor
• Syngeneic Transplant: Identical Twin Donor
• Allogeneic Transplant: Related Donor
• Allogeneic Transplant: Unrelated Donor
• Allogeneic Transplant: "Mismatched" Donor
• Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant