Can we afford to continue hematopoietic stem cell transplantation?

Many lives have been saved since the introduction of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) more than 60 years ago. Its value as a medical tool has been recognized by the Nobel Committee, awarding its Prize in 1990 to a pioneer in the field, late Prof. E.D. Thomas from Seattle. HSCT has become an accepted therapy and serves as proof of principle that missing or failed organ function can be resumed successfully by the use of healthy donor stem cells. More than 60,000 such transplants are performed today worldwide...