can stem cell treatments be used for aplastic anemia
Aplastic anemia is a rare disease in which the bone marrow and the hematopoietic stem cells that reside there are damaged. This causes a deficiency of all three blood cell types (pancytopenia): red blood cells (anemia), white blood cells (leukopenia), and platelets (thrombocytopenia). Aplastic refers to inability of the stem cells to generate mature blood cells. It is most prevalent in people in their teens and twenties, but is also common among the elderly. It can be caused by exposure to chemicals, drugs, radiation, immune disease, and heredity. However, in about half the cases, the cause is unknown. The definitive diagnosis is by bone marrow biopsy; normal bone marrow has 30â70% blood stem cells, but in aplastic anemia, these cells are mostly gone and replaced by fat.