Stem cell transplants and need for donors

A simple swab of your cheek cells is all it takes fo ryou to
become a bone marrow or stem cell donor. See the entry
for info on how to donate.

Stem cell transplants for MPN patients are pretty rare--and they should be for reasons I'll explain as we go. But understanding this process is something we ET patients should have in our bank o' knowledge about our disease.

In a stem cell transplant, the stem cells from a matching donor are infused into your bloodstream. In some cases, your own stem cells (saved from your cord blood as an infant, for instance) can be used. The stem cells then enter your bone marrow from your bloodstream, and the hope is that those stem cells will reverse the fibrosis caused by your MPN. A cure happens in about 50 percent of cases.

Answers to your ET questions!

I got answers to many questions from all of you who read this blog and our Facebook page at the MPN Advocacy & Education International conference on in Novi, Michigan, on Thursday, so let me get to those first, and then watch the blog for other entries for more info to come.

Your questions:

If you are CALR-positive, will ruloxitinib (Jakafi) work for you? Short answer is yes, from Dr. Kristen Pettit, University of Chicago. Don't ask me to explain the genetics, but tests show that this drug works on ET regardless of mutation type.