The sources and uses of hematopoietic stem cells keep increasing

In summary, stem cell therapies have been used to try and treat a variety of malignant and non-malignant conditions with increasing success. Such therapies, particularly in children, have resulted in a number of long term survivors and an increased number of productive years possible. The first stem cell therapies were used to treat children with immune deficiencies in the late 1960s and some of those children are currently alive. The long term consequences of stem cell therapy, particularly related to the risk for another malignancy developing or for the development of consequences of the high dose therapies given prior to the stem cell infusions, are becoming recognized and will require long term monitoring and intervention as needed.