Principles of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Rapid developments within the field of stem cell transplantation (SCT) have occurred over the last few decades. Improvements in conditioning regimens in conjunction with advances in supportive and anti-infective care have correlated, in general, with improved survival compared to historical cohorts. Increasing use of alternative donor sources, such as umbilical cord blood and haploidentical stem cells, have permitted more patients without a matched sibling or well-matched unrelated donor to proceed with allogeneic transplantation as a therapeutic modality. Within this short review, the main indications for both autologous and allogeneic SCTs will be highlighted. There will be a focus on stem cell harvesting and graft-versus-host disease, and key areas of current research focus will be highlighted.