Help for Kids with Immune Deficiency

Stem cell transplants can now help children born with immunodeficiency. This represents a better alternative to high dose chemotherapy.

Children with immunodeficiencies have a defective immune system which leaves them prone to infections and other problems. Stem cell transplants introduce healthy donor bone marrow which enables replacement of the defective immune system with a healthier one. This can potentially save many lives.

Chemoradiotherapy can cause serious liver and lung damage, as well as hair loss and illness. For this study, instead of using chemoradiotherapy, the researchers used immune molecules made of white blood cells. This way the children were able to avoid the dangers associated with chemoradiotherapy.

The researchers reported no hair loss and less damage to the liver and lungs. The approach was well tolerated. Patients recovered twice as fast as those who received the standard treatment. Most of them continue to do well and are expected to do well with the treatment later in life.

This represents a big breakthrough for the treatment of immunodeficiency.

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