Oncology and Cancer Science

A stem cell is a cell with the unique ability to develop into specialized cell types in the body. In the future they may be used to replace cells and tissues that have been damaged or lost due to disease.

In stem cell transplants, stem cells replace cells damaged by chemotherapy or disease or serve as a way for the donor's immune system to fight some types of cancer and blood-related diseases, such as leukemia, lymphoma, neuroblastoma and multiple myeloma. These transplants use adult stem cells or umbilical cord blood. Stem cells are not only widely used for regenerative medicine, but are also considered as a useful tool for cancer treatment. For a long time, stem cells have been utilized to renew the immune system for radiation or chemo- therapy treated patients.