Bone Marrow & Stem Cell Transplant

Certain diseases and treatments can deplete a child's healthy stem cells. Sometimes the body needs help to replenish those cells. When this happens, your child may require a very complex process called a stem cell or bone marrow transplant.

Since 1986, Cook Children's Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant program has performed more than 1,000 transplants in children with cancer, blood disorders or inherited conditions. That's what makes this program one of the more diverse and experienced pediatric transplant programs in the Southwest.

Cook Children's is a member of:

The Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR)
Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium (PBMTC)
The Children's Oncology Group (COG) stem cell transplant section.
Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network.
We are accredited through the Foundation for Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT).

Over the last three years, 30 to 40 transplants were performed every year for a variety of diseases, with leukemia being the most common primary diagnosis.

Why our stem cell program?

Offering the best treatment with the highest quality of care is of the utmost importance. At Cook Children's, we are committed to innovative clinical research, as well as advancing the field of stem cell transplants and improving patient outcomes. We achieve this through excellent clinical care at the bedside, extensive quality initiatives and benchmarking our outcomes against large national and international academic transplant centers.

Common referral diagnoses:

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are cells in the body that have the potential to turn into anything, such as a skin cell, a liver cell, a brain cell, or a blood cell. Stem cells that turn into blood cells are called hematopoietic stem cells. Hematopoietic stem cells can be found in bone marrow (the spongy tissue inside bones), the bloodstream, or the umbilical cord blood of newborn babies. These cells are capable of developing into the three types of blood cells:

Red blood cells that carry oxygen
White blood cells that fight infection
Platelets that help blood to clot

Where do hematopoietic stem cells come from?

Hematopoietic stem cells may come from the patient or from a donor. Stem cells that come from an individual patient for their own use (autologus transplant) are collected from the blood through a special IV catheter after receiving chemotherapy. These cells are frozen before the child or teen undergoes a transplant. These stem cells are then thawed and put back into the patient's body after high-dose chemotherapy treatment is complete.

Donor stem cells come from a compatible family member or through a match from a worldwide registry of donors. Depending on the particular needs of your child, one or all three types of a donor's stem cells will be considered:

Peripheral blood stem cells are harvested from donated blood.
Bone marrow stem cells are collected from the donor's hip bone through a surgical procedure.
Cord blood stem cells are collected from the umbilical cord at time of delivery and are then frozen for later use.

While all three types of blood cells can replenish a patient's blood and bone marrow cells, there are advantages and disadvantages to each. The doctor will discuss these issues and suggest the best type of stem cell for your child's illness.

National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) transplant center since August 1990
Cook Children's Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Program has performed multiple autologous and allogeneic transplants, making it one of the more diverse and experienced pediatric transplant programs in the Southwest.

Our specialty care team

Gretchen Eames, MD, MPH

Hematology and Oncology

Accepting new patients

682-885-4007

Richard Howrey, MD

Hematology and Oncology

Accepting new patients

682-885-4007

Additional team members

Angela Brentlinger
MSN, RN, CPNP
Maranda Molina
MSN, RN, CPNP-AC, CPON
Amber Nelson
MSN, RN, CPNP-AC

Active research studies

A Multicenter Access and Distribution Protocol for Unlicensed Cryopreserved Cord Blood Units (CBUs) for Transplantation in Pediatric and Adult Patients with Hematologic Malignancies and Other Indications

Primary Investigator: Eames MD, Gretchen

IRB ID: 2011-191/2023-095 (OPEN)

Study Information
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A multicenter safety study of unlicensed, investigational, cryopreserved cord blood units (CBUs) manufactured by the National Cord Blood Program (“NCBP”) and provided for unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplantation of pediatric and adult patients

Primary Investigator: Eames MD, Gretchen

IRB ID: 2015-077 (OPEN)

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ASCT2031: A Multi-Center, Phase 3, Randomized Trial of Matched Unrelated Donor (MUD) versus HLA-Haploidentical Related (Haplo) Myeloablative Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults (AYA) with Acute Leukemia or Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)

Primary Investigator: Howrey MD, Richard P.

IRB ID: 2022-125 (OPEN)

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CliniMACS® CD34+ T-cell Depletion of a Haploidentical Stem Cell Product as Part of a Treatment Protocol for Patients with Bone Marrow Failure

Primary Investigator: Howrey MD, Richard P.

IRB ID: 2018-041 (OPEN)

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Managed Access Program (MAP) to provide access to CTL019, for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or large B-cell lymphoma patients with out of specification leukapheresis product and/or manufactured tisagenlecleucel out of specification for commercial release

Primary Investigator: Pacenta, Holly

IRB ID: 2020-101 (OPEN)

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Phase 1/2 Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of a Single Dose of Autologous Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats Gene-edited CD34+ Human Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells (EDIT-301) in Subjects with Severe Sickle Cell Disease

Primary Investigator: Eames MD, Gretchen

IRB ID: 2022-023 (OPEN)

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Protocol for a Research Database for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, Other Cellular Therapies and Marrow Toxic Injuries

Primary Investigator: Eames MD, Gretchen

IRB ID: 2019-061 (OPEN)

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Protocol for a Research Sample Repository for Hematopoietic Cell Tranplantation, Other Cellular Therapies, and Marrow Toxic Injuries

Primary Investigator: Eames MD, Gretchen

IRB ID: 2019-062 (OPEN)

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We are here to help.

If your child has been diagnosed, you probably have lots of questions. We can help. If you would like to schedule an appointment, refer a patient or speak to our staff, please call our offices at 682-885-6152.