BBC NEWS | Health | ‘Killer’ marrow transplant hope
in some cases, immune cells called “natural killer” cells were active in the donor bone marrow after transplantation, and could launch an effective attack on the leukaemia cells, and that he could predict in advance, using tests, how effective that would be.
In a small group of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia – which makes up approximately a third of all cases – survival rates improved when this kind of transplant was given with the patient already “in remission” – cleared of the disease by chemotherapy.
However, it significantly increased survival – from 2% to 30%, among those patients whose disease had not responded fully to treatment prior to the transplant.
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