VIDEO: New therapy provides protection after bone marrow transplant

June 27, 2014 bone marrow, Cancer, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Genetics, Transplant

After a bone marrow transplant the body becomes vulnerable to infection due to a compromised immune system. Now, a new study has identified a way to protect for post-transplant patients from several life-threatening infections.

In a clinical trial, researchers from the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital and Houston Methodist Hospital used virus-specific immune cells, called T cells, to restore the body’s anti-viral immunity.

Since a post-transplant patient doesn’t have an immune system of their own, “what we’re doing is growing an immune system for (the patients), and then putting it back.” said Dr. Ann Leen, associate professor in the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy.

It only takes 10 days for the center to grow these T cells from the blood of each patient’s bone marrow donor. Learn more about how the T cells are grown in our video walkthrough of the center.