WHAT IS BONE MARROW?

Bone marrow, found in the centre of all large bones, is the ‘factory’ where new blood cells are made. Without it our bodies would be unable to produce the white cells needed to fight infection or the red cells needed to carry oxygen and remove waste products from organs and tissues. Absence of healthy bone marrow also prevents the production of platelets which help blood to clot and stop bleeding.

In appearance, bone marrow is a liquid, blood-like substance which - just like blood - replenishes itself quickly if it is taken from the body.

Developing bone marrow. The white blood cells are stained purple and the red cells are smaller in size and stained paler in colour.

Typically, a patient requiring a bone marrow transplant does so because their own marrow has been destroyed by chemotherapy and or radiation being used to treat their disease.

Healthy donor marrow is introduced into the patient’s blood stream - much in the same manner as a blood transfusion. If the new bone marrow takes or ‘engrafts’ well, it begins producing normal healthy blood cells and the patient can begin to hope that they are on the road to recovery.