<ul class="summary-list"><li>Thom Filicia is an interior designer and member of the original Fab Five.</li><li>Ten years ago, he donated bone marrow to save his brother, who had blood cancer.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thomfilicia.com/">Thom Filicia</a>. It has been edited for length and clarity.When I was first asked to be on "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/cast-of-queer-eye-then-and-now-2018-10">Queer Eye for the Straight Guy</a>," which debuted 20 years ago, I didn't think I was being an advocate. I was simply one of five people with specific talents willing to come together.Yet, looking back, I can see that simply by having the courage to be open about who we were, the original Fab Five started a conversation. At that time, being proud of who we were was groundbreaking in and of itself.Having a part in changing the cultural conversation about queerness is something I'm really proud of. But the most meaningful thing I've done over the past two decades has nothing to do with TV or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/best-and-worst-interior-design-trends-for-2024">interior design</a>. It has to do with having the courage to help save someone I love.<h2>My brother was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer</h2>My brother, Jules, is about five years older than me. He's a New York City guy with a thriving business, a wonderful wife, and two darling daughters. Jules' diagnosis with myelofibrosis (MF), a type of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/woman-shares-misdiagnosis-signs-blood-cancer-myeloma-2022-12">blood cancer</a>, came out of left field 10 years ago.Amid this wacky, bizarre moment, there was a rush. Doctors quickly realized that the best option for Jules was to get a bone marrow transplant. We were all frightened on multiple levels. We didn't have a lot of information, but we knew we needed to move quickly.<div type="image" title="Thom Filicia looking at photos of his brother" height="1500" width="2000" msid="105704518" hostid="261" sizebytes="210348"></div>I was not only a match for Jules but a perfect match. That was a relief, but it also meant that suddenly, I was navigating my own health, not just supporting my brother and his family through their crisis.<h2>I needed more information but had nowhere to turn</h2>I felt like I was going through the process blind. Having little information was very scary. I'd be in meetings with doctors with Jules and his wife, trying to digest what the professionals were telling us. Afterward, I'd try to remember everything they'd said, but it seemed impossible.At the same time, I had my own questions: ones that I didn't want to burden Jules with as he was going through his own health crisis.Back then, I had nowhere to turn, but I badly wanted a home base to guide me as I went through the donation process. That's why I've partnered with<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mappingmf.com/"> Mapping Myelofibrosis</a>, an initiative of the biopharma company GSK, to help others connect with resources and a community. Mapping MF is everything I wish I had a decade ago.<h2>I think everyone should consider bone marrow donation</h2>The donation process was no problem for me. I've found there's a big difference between what people think bone marrow donation is, and what it really is. It's much less invasive than people realize.Today, because of my donation, Jules is doing really well. Doctors are always shy about using the word "cure," but each day that does by post-transplant without the disease returning means there's less risk of relapse. Luckily, Jules hasn't had any signs of MF in a decade. He's living a fulfilling life, and that's the most I could ask for.Being part of this donation was a really amazing life experience. I joke that Jules and I are true blood brothers now: because of the transplant, my DNA runs through his body. Yet this isn't just about our sibling bond. I am still a registered donor, and I would donate bone marrow to anyone. I think everyone should be a donor.

Thom Felicia, member of 'Queer Eye' cast, believes that donating bone marrow to his brother was the best thing he has ever done

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Doctors suggested a <keyword id="6631668" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bone-marrow">bone marrow</keyword> transplant to treat Kimberly Crompton's son, who has leukemia.</li><li>She learned that Black Americans find a perfect blood match about a third as often as white Americans. </li><li>Crompton set out to get more people of color on the <keyword id="148125" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="bone-marrow-donation">bone marrow donation</keyword> registry. </li></ul>Kimberly Crompton's 14-year-old son, Jehvan, was supposed to be getting surgery on his foot. Ahead of the operation, doctors ran routine blood work, and they found something unexpected: Jehvan had the blood cancer Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML). The news was jarring, especially since Jehvan hadn't shown any obvious symptoms. "Really, a kid? My kid - has cancer?" Crompton told<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/28/us/kimberly-and-jehvan-crompton-be-the-match-iyw-trnd/index.html"> CNN</a>. <h2>Racial disparities in bone marrow donation</h2>Soon, Crompton learned that Jehvan needed to find a bone marrow donor, and that being Black could affect Jehvan's chances of finding a match. While white Americans have a 77% chance of finding a bone marrow match, Black Americans have just a 23% chance because fewer Black individuals are registered as donors, according to the Be The Match foundation."Currently, individuals of Black and African American ancestry are underrepresented on the registry, making it more difficult to find donor matches for those suffering from blood diseases like sickle cell," Mary Halet, director of Community Engagement at Be The Match, <a href="https://bethematch.org/news/news-releases/be-the-match-to-rally-black-and-african-american-marrow-donors/">said</a> in 2017. Crompton set out to try to change that by sharing Jahvan's story widely, and encouraging more people of color to become registered as donors. She wanted to add 200 people to the registry, but more than 11,000 have signed up due to her efforts. She told CNN she hopes that her son's story has highlighted the importance of African American donors. Bone marrow donation is important not only for people with blood cancer, like Jahvan. It's also the only known cure for sickle-cell disease, which<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/data.html"> disproportionately affects</a> people who are Black or Hispanic. <h2>Jehvan is still waiting for a match</h2>Despite the outpouring of support for donor registration, Jehvan still doesn't have a match. After a round of oral chemotherapy failed to slow the cancer's progression, he's now on a more invasive treatment plan while he awaits a bone marrow transplant. Until then, the family is relying on their faith to help them get through Jehvan's cancer treatment. Jehvan said he recognizes that signing up more potential donors could help him, but also thousands of other kids in need of a bone marrow transplant. "I see myself as another person trying to help everybody else out who won't ask for help," he told CNN. <a href="https://join.bethematch.org/s/landing?language=en_US&amp;ref=marrow17&amp;utm_campaign=priority_marrow&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_content=donatebonemarrow&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAyoeCBhCTARIsAOfpKxjRzTcJ_XVO5nFbUjr76QsvyLXBE4ol1_MyiH5rYRRtFraKxfHCcn8aAggoEALw_wcBFraKxfHCcn8aAggoEALw_wcB">You can join the Bone Marrow Registry here</a>.

A mom is registering Black bone marrow donors to help save her 14 year-old son

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Melissa Ramirez's son Jax has <keyword id="13451449" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ipex-syndrome" source="Orion">IPEX syndrome</keyword>.</li><li>This syndrome can be cured only with a bone-marrow transplant.</li></ul>Melissa Ramirez says her 7-year-old son, Jax, is happy all the time."He's a natural storyteller," she told Insider. When he was 3, she once found a ring of people standing spellbound as he told a tale. "I feel like he could run for the United Nations," a neighbor said. When Jax was 2, they found out he had <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-causes-type-1-diabetes">type 1 diabetes</a>. It was only the beginning of his complicated medical journey. Every cold sent Jax to the emergency room or the pediatric intensive-care unit. But Ramirez said doctors brushed off her demands for more answers, saying Jax was just unlucky. After they had a genetic panel done in fall 2021, they discovered Jax had immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked syndrome, or <a href="https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/service/stem-cell-transplantation/conditions/ipex-syndrome">IPEX</a>. Jax's body has an autoimmune response to attack every organ and healthy tissue in his body. Ramirez said medical personnel cried over the phone when they told her Jax's diagnosis and warned, "Don't Google." IPEX can be cured only with <a href="https://www.insider.com/bone-marrow-transpant-donor-meeting-2016-1">human stem-cell transplants</a> via <a href="https://www.insider.com/mom-registers-black-bone-marrow-donors-to-save-her-son-2021-3">bone-marrow</a> donation. But Jax, who is mixed-race, has no match. His mother is white of Slovak, German, and Irish descent. His father, from Mexico, is Latino.The mother of a white daughter with IPEX told Ramirez, "I think your experience is going to be a little different from ours." Her white child had 10 pages of matched donors, while Jax had none. <h2>The bone-marrow donor pool lacks diversity</h2><a href="https://www.dkms.org/get-involved/stories/why-diversity-is-essential">DKMS</a>, called "Deutsche Knochenmarkspenderdatei," or the German Bone Marrow Donor Center, which works with patients worldwide, said only 30% of patients who need human stem-cell transplants would find that match within their families. Other patients are matched through databases that compare "10 specific human leukocyte antigens," or HLAs, which play a role in the body's immune response to foreign substances. Nine out of 10 of those must match, and 10 out of 10 is best. DKMS said, "A person's ethnic background is important in predicting the likelihood of finding a match."And nonwhite people are underrepresented in the donor pool. The bone-marrow registry <a href="https://bethematch.org/transplant-basics/matching-patients-with-donors/how-does-a-patients-ethnic-background-affect-matching/">Be the Match</a> said white people had a 79% chance of finding a matching donor. That dropped to 60% for Native Americans and 48% for Latinos. For Black people, the chance of finding a match was 29%. Only 4% of donors registered with <a href="https://www.cancer.net/blog/2021-03/why-bone-marrow-registry-needs-more-diverse-donors-and-how-sign">Be the Match</a> were Black. In many cases, people unable to find a match died. <h2>Jax's mom is fighting to find him a donor</h2>People of mixed-race backgrounds are at an even greater disadvantage. Their HLA markers tend to be "relatively unique and therefore more difficult to match," according to Be the Match.Be the Match calls Jax, with his mixed-race ancestry, "one in a million.""I've never won the lottery, not so much as a scratch-off card," said Ramirez, his mother. "But this is one lottery I'm going to win."So she's fighting hard. As of the end of March, Ramirez will have overseen 70 live swabbing events to register bone-marrow donors since November. These have included drives in Texas and Mexico. She's registered 2,900 people because of Jax. "Every time, I raise my goal by 500 people," she said. She's also enlisted the second lady of Pennsylvania, <a href="https://johnfetterman.com/meet/giseles-story/">Gisele Fetterman</a>, in her fight to spread the word about Jax's condition and help raise awareness about the need for a more diverse donor pool, both in their home state and beyond. Fetterman is also the mom of multiracial children. Jax needs a transplant desperately, and Fetterman believes there's hope. "This is something we have the power to change," she said.

A 7-year-old boy needs a bone-marrow transplant. Being mixed-race makes it almost impossible to find one.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A proposed bill in Massachusetts would create a bone marrow donation program for inmates.</li><li>Incarcerated people could receive between 60 days up to one year off their sentence for donating.</li></ul>Forget sentence reductions for good behavior: With a proposed bill making its way through the Massachusetts legislature, inmates could receive up to a year off their jail sentence by donating their organs.<a href="https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/HD3822">Bill HD.3822</a>, called the "Act to establish the Massachusetts incarcerated individual bone marrow and organ donation program," would allow eligible incarcerated people to receive no fewer than 60 but no more than 365 days off their sentences for donating their marrow or organs. It has not passed through the Massachusetts House of Representatives.The act, if passed, would create a five-person panel to oversee the implementation of the program, made up of two Department of Corrections officials, an organ donation specialist from a state hospital, and two advocates focusing on organ donation and prisoners' rights. The panel would determine eligibility standards and file reports of annual donations and "estimated life-savings associated with said donations.""There shall be no commissions or monetary payments to be made to the Department of Correction for bone marrow donated by incarcerated individuals," the proposed text reads.None of the five co-sponsors of the proposed bill responded to Insider's requests for comment.State Rep. Judith Garcia, one of the co-sponsors, explained the proposal with an infographic <a href="https://twitter.com/GarciaJudithMA/status/1619082301400571905/photo/2">on Twitter</a>, saying the Massachusetts organ donation waiting list has nearly 5,000 people on it, disproportionately impacting Black and Hispanic residents, with no existing path to organ donation for incarcerated people, even if a relative were in need of a donation. The bill would "restore bodily autonomy to incarcerated folks by providing opportunity to donate organs and bone marrow," the graphic read.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Rep Judith García (@GarciaJudithMA) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1619082301400571905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2023</a></blockquote>"It seems like something out of a science fiction book or horror story," Kevin Ring, president of the nonprofit organization Families Against Mandatory Minimums, told Insider. "It's just this sort of idea that we have this class of subhumans whose body parts [we] will harvest because they're not like us or because they're so desperate for freedom that they'd be willing to do this."Ring, a former lobbyist who served 20 months in federal prison on public corruption charges as part of the <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archive/opa/pr/2008/September/08-crm-779.html">Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal</a>, said he would have considered doing anything to reduce his sentence while he was incarcerated, making the whole thing feel like a coercive idea that "preys on that desperation.""In most state systems, you earn good time credits from participating in programming that is intended to reduce your risk of reoffending, so those things make sense," Ring said, listing examples like drug treatment programs and job training to show initiative and work toward rehabilitation. "Those are things that are at least connected, relevant, to releasing them early. This one seems like it's not, though and it just begs the question, like, how about two years off for a limb, for an amputee? What's going on here? It's dark."<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—Kevin Ring (@KevinARing) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1620184551510392841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2023</a></blockquote>In an email sent to Families Against Mandatory Minimums and reviewed by Insider, a cosponsor of the bill, State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, told Ring the legislation would "only establish support to those incarcerated and provide guidelines, clarity, and transparency for a potential life-saving voluntary deed.""Twitter versus reality, I stand by the merit of this bill and with the individuals and families it has the potential to impact," Gonzalez's email read.Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts, a legal aid group, said in a statement to Insider that the intent behind the bill made sense to try to address issues of racial inequity and the need for organ donation, but didn't appear to be a comprehensive solution due to the risk of coercion."PLS is in touch with the bill sponsors and is cognizant of the significant problem they have identified — racial inequity in our health system that has left BIPOC communities disproportionately impacted by organ and marrow shortages," Jesse White, policy director of Prisoners' Legal Services of Massachusetts, said in a statement to Insider. "However, we are concerned regarding the potential for coercion and impact of inadequate medical care in carceral settings. We believe the solution must target the underlying structural problems leading to health disparities, including ongoing needless incarceration of so many who could live freely and safely in our communities."Ring told Insider he doesn't think it's likely the bill will become law, given an <a href="https://twitter.com/web_rant/status/1620514033874141196">especially</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Sinita11_/status/1620203481662644224">negative</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/mvandemar/status/1620568912797786115">response</a> to it on social media."We're in the criminal justice movement, we appreciate that people make mistakes," Ring told Insider. "I can't believe these people are some sort of Frankenstein monsters, I think they just goofed. They're probably well-intentioned, but it's just a disastrous idea."

A proposed Massachusetts bill would give inmates up to a year off their sentence &mdash; if they donate their organs

Why you should donate a kidney to a stranger

These six people donated their kidneys to complete strangers and saved 140 lives in the process - here's why

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/past-noncompliance-barred-pig-transplant-patient-from-human-heart-2022-1">Organ scarcity</a> means patients accept risky transplants, die on the waitlist, and are sometimes denied life-saving treatment.</li><li>This year scientists have advanced <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/doctors-changed-human-lungs-blood-type-for-the-first-time-2022-2">experimental paths</a> to make more organs available.</li></ul>Leilani Graham was just 13 years old when she went into cardiac arrest for the first time. A congenital issue made her heart stop suddenly, almost killing her, until medical workers shocked it back to life with a defibrillator.It would happen three more times before Graham, age 24, had to have her heart replaced.She was lucky to have gotten a heart. On average, <a href="https://www.organdonor.gov/learn/organ-donation-statistics">17 people die every day</a> on the waiting list, out of nearly 106,000 people listed for a transplant. Some never even make the waiting list.But Graham would have picked a different heart if she'd had a choice. Coming from a 52-year-old donor, it was a risky, or "marginal," donation — one of many Band-Aid fixes for the lack of organs across the US.<div type="image" title="selfie leilani graham red background" height="933" width="933" msid="94501537" hostid="261"></div>When the time comes to replace her heart again — sooner rather than later, she fears, because of its age — she'll likely be lower on the list than people awaiting their first transplant.Between deadly delays, marginal donations, and sticky ethical questions about who gets prioritized for transplants, the shortage of life-saving organs is a medical crisis. That's why researchers are pursuing everything from pig organs to blood-type conversions in order to make more hearts, lungs, and kidneys available."The idea of getting an organ that didn't necessarily have to come from a dead donor, that could come from a pig that has been genetically modified, is something that definitely intrigues me," Graham told Insider. She now sits on an ethics advisory committee for transplant research at New York University Langone Hospital, including pig-organ research.<div type="image" title="hands in medical gloves hold diseased heart" height="1080" width="1080" msid="94501538" hostid="261"></div>If pig organs turn out to be just as effective as human organs, she added, "That is more appealing to me than using marginal donors."While much of the shortage is driven by imperfect <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/08/03/transplant-deaths-mistakes-senate-finance/">logistics and bureaucracy</a> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/supply-isnt-the-problem-with-organ-transplants-11575644400">rather</a> than supply, cutting-edge research could make organs — human, pig, or synthetic — more accessible in Graham's lifetime.Here's what researchers are trying.<h2>1. Transplanting organs from genetically engineered pigs to humans</h2><div type="image" title="doctor in face mask selfie with patient with nose tube" height="1739" width="2319" msid="94501539" hostid="261"></div>In January, surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center transplanted a pig heart into a human patient for the first time. Hospitals had declined to list the man, David Bennett, for a human heart because supplies are short and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/past-noncompliance-barred-pig-transplant-patient-from-human-heart-2022-1">he had a history of failing to follow doctor's orders</a>. The pig-heart procedure was highly experimental."It's got danger written all over it," Arthur Caplan, a bioethics professor at NYU, told Insider at the time, saying it would be a "miracle" if the man survived. Two months later, Bennett <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/first-pig-heart-transplant-patient-dies-2-months-after-surgery-2022-3#:~:text=David%20Bennett%20Sr.%2C%20the%20first,procedure%2C%20giving%20doctors%20valuable%20insights.">died</a>, possibly related to a pig virus lurking inside his new heart.NYU Langone is taking a more incremental approach to learning to put pig organs into human bodies.This year, researchers there transplanted genetically modified pig kidneys into two deceased humans, then <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/two-gene-edited-pig-hearts-transplanted-into-humans-nyu-2022-7">pig hearts</a> into two brain-dead humans. Eventually, if procedures like this continue to be successful, they could move into phase 1 clinical trials with consenting patients like Bennett.<div type="image" title="side by side of human heart and pig heart" height="600" width="1200" msid="94501541" hostid="261"></div>"There will be an iterative process of learning, changing tactics," Dr. Robert Montgomery, director of NYU Langone Transplant Institute, said during a press conference in July.He added that he hopes gene-edited pigs will become a "renewable, sustainable source of organs, so no one will have to die waiting."<h2>2. Stopping organ decay after death</h2><div type="image" title="electrocardiogram shows mostly flat heartbeat with image of muted cells on the left versus clear heartbeat and bright cells on the right" height="1620" width="2732" msid="94501543" hostid="261"></div>In a <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41586-022-05016-1&amp;amazonTrackingID=null&amp;site=bi&amp;vikingID=62e9a96b056870302d4a2e56&amp;platform=browser&amp;sc=false&amp;disabled=false&amp;sessionID=1663641431931ovta77ys">study</a> published in August, researchers at Yale School of Medicine <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dead-pigs-regain-cell-function-blurring-line-between-life-death-2022-8">restored dead pigs' heartbeats and stopped organ decay</a>, seemingly halting the death of cells. If the technique works for human organs in the future, it could allow clinicians to preserve many more organs for donation after death. One hour after the pigs died, the researchers connected them to a system of pumps, heaters, and fillers called OrganEx. By artificially flushing the pigs' organs with blood — a process called perfusion — they restored molecular and cellular function in the heart, brain, liver, and kidneys.The hearts even contracted to pump blood, indicating renewed electrical activity, and restored full blood circulation in the pigs' bodies. There was no sign of electrical activity in the brain. Still, the scientists say they've uncovered a previously unknown capacity for mammal cells to recover after blood has stopped flowing."Cells actually don't die as quickly as we assumed that they do, which basically opens up the possibility for intervention," Zvonimir Vrselja, a neuroscientist on the research team at Yale, said in a briefing at the time. "If properly intervened, we can maybe tell them not to die."<h2>3. Changing organs' blood type</h2><div type="image" title="dry pink lung inside glass dome with suction cups and tubes attached to it" height="1875" width="2500" msid="94501544" hostid="261"></div>Part of the reason getting an organ can be difficult is because it has to be compatible with the patient's blood type. Some researchers are working to eliminate that criterion.In a February <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.abm7190">paper</a>, scientists announced they had removed the Type A antigens, or signature sugar molecules, from the blood of human lungs. If a person receives an unmatched organ, the organ's antigens activate the body's immune response, which can lead to rejection. Type O blood and organs don't have antigens and can be donated to anybody of any blood type. So the researchers <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/doctors-changed-human-lungs-blood-type-for-the-first-time-2022-2">essentially converted Type A lungs into universal lungs</a>.The conversion may have been temporary, but they plan to run more trials in mice.At Northwestern University Medical Center, surgeons recently took the opposite approach: scrubbing antigens from the blood of the transplant patient. Using this method for the first time, they transplanted mismatched lungs and kidneys into a living patient and sent her home in August, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/people/health/ct-northwestern-medicine-colette-hurd-crossmatch-transplant-0815-20220817-wevgavyzmvgwrihbwbr4abtyym-story.html?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Don%27t%20miss%3A%20News&amp;utm_content=6821660780014">The Chicago Tribune reported</a>.<h2>4. Growing synthetic organs from stem cells</h2><div type="image" title="stem cells" height="1500" width="2000" msid="94501545" hostid="261"></div>Some scientists believe they could one day grow synthetic organs using stem cells — self-replicating, nonspecialized cells, which develop into all the other types of cells in our bodies.In an August <a href="https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0092-8674%2822%2900981-3">paper</a>, researchers announced they had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/world-first-mouse-embryo-grown-without-womb-sperm-egg-study-2022-8">grown synthetic embryos from mouse stem cells</a>, with no eggs, sperm, or womb."The embryo is the best organ-making machine and the best 3D bioprinter — we tried to emulate what it does," Jacob Hanna of Weizmann's Molecular Genetics Department, who headed that research team, said in a statement.Hanna started <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/israel-human-embryos-dna-mouse-medical-transplants-2022-8">a company called Renewal Bio</a> to pursue the possibility of turning stem cells into organs for transplants. But much more research is needed before <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/world-first-mouse-embryo-grown-without-womb-sperm-egg-study-2022-8">growing human embryos</a> this way.<h2>5. Tricking the body into accepting a new organ without immune-suppressing drugs</h2><div type="image" title="pills in hand" height="1914" width="2552" msid="94501549" hostid="261"></div>In June, a team of Stanford physicians <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2117028">announced</a> that they had transplanted new kidneys into three children who had a rare genetic disease, and the children didn't need immune-suppressing drugs afterward.Normally, transplant patients take medication for the rest of their lives so that their bodies don't launch an attack against their new organ. That doesn't always prevent rejection and it significantly increases risk of cancer and various infections. Eliminating the need for immune-suppressing drugs could increase the quality and length of transplant patients' lives."Everybody I know who's a transplant patient has shielded from COVID and had to really change their lifestyle for the past couple years. So getting rid of immunosuppression would be incredible," Graham said.The Stanford doctors first injected the children with stem cells from the bone marrow of their parents, who were also their organ donors. They hoped that those stem cells would mature into immune cells, arming the children with new immune systems that would recognize their new organs. Five to 10 months later, they transplanted the kidneys. At the time of the report, two or three years after the procedures, the children were back in school, playing sports, with no signs of illness and no immunosuppressants, the doctors <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2022/06/kidney-transplant-without-immunosuppressants.html">reported</a>."I just think it's important to highlight the good work that doctors are doing to try to increase quality of life, and then the bravery of the patients who are willing to undergo it," Graham said.This story has been updated. It was originally published on September 24, 2022. Hilary Brueck and Marianne Guenot contributed reporting.

About 17 Americans die waiting for transplants each day. Scientists are trying to make more organs in 5 creative ways.

By Sudipto Chowdhury Kolkata, May 9 () The COVID-19 pandemic has brought life to a screeching halt for many, but those with serious ailments such as blood disorders have been pushed to the edge with their lives now hanging by a thread in the absence of necessary medical interventions. Sonia Ghakkar, a Gurgaon resident, had been desperately looking for help, as her husband, a leukemia patient, waits for bone marrow transplant (BMT)."About two months ago, my husband was diagnosed with leukemia. Bone marrow transplant is his only chance of survival. We have sought permission from the health ministry for transport of blood stem cells, but to no avail. The match cannot reach the hospital under the present circumstances," she said.Stem cell transplant is the only cure for many patients suffering from blood disorders.According to a hematologist, it takes months, sometimes years, to find a donor, and many "high-risk" patients have limited time left.Transplants have come down to a meager 20 per cent nationwide, as most hospitals have postponed such processes, and prescribed additional chemotherapy sessions for the time being, in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, he said.Mumbai resident Danish Merchant had his BMT scheduled in March-end, but doctors had been postponing the process, citing logistical challenges as the reason."I am dependent on chemotherapy sessions for now. It is not just shooting up my bills, but also leaving me weak and scared. I pray that the situation comes under control at the earliest and my BMT procedure takes place before it gets too late," the 32-year-old said.Renowned hematologist and Padma Shri awardee Mammen Chandy said medical establishments have been conducting elective transplants."We have not stopped functioning; elective transplants are being conducted. Because of this lockdown, the blood platelet donation has also gone down. Nevertheless, all procedures are being done following the guidelines laid down to contain COVID-19," Chandy, Director, Tata Medical Centre, told from Vellore.Lalit Kumar, the head of the oncology department at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), said the process could be delayed to an extent for the ones suffering from Thalassemia, but "high-risk" patients need doctor's intervention."Lockdown has affected transplantations, for sure. It has gone down to 20-30 per cent. There are patients located in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan who cannot travel (to Delhi) as of now. The process can be delayed for patients suffering from thalassemia, but doctors have to take a call on high-risk patients suffering from Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, among other severe blood disorders."We have advised our patients after evaluating their health conditions to go for an extra session of chemotherapy to delay the process till an alternative can be worked out," he said.According to Kumar, voluntary donation has also dipped since the imposition of the lockdown on March 25.Expressing concern, Santanu Sen, a consultant in pediatrics, pediatric oncology and stem cell transplantation at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai, said six critical patients were sent home, keeping in mind their safety amid the pandemic."All six of them were about to start their conditioning therapy. We have safely rescheduled the procedure keeping in mind the safety of the patients. Secondly, we also require a lot of blood support products. As of now we have sent them home. We are working very closely with the government to find an alternative, which will be beneficial for the patients," he said.Asked if setting up 'green corridors' would help in the movement of donors from one state to another, Sen said, "We have a patient whose brother is a match, but he is stuck in Rajasthan and cannot travel due to the shutdown."A special pass for these donors or a green corridor will definitely help. However, shortage of blood and necessary drugs at this juncture could also pose a problem," he explained.According to Sumati Misra, the head of counselling and transplant centre at DATRI -- the country's largest unrelated blood stem cell donors' registry -- the last donation was made by a man from Kochi to a recipient in Chennai in March-end.Germany-based DKMS BMST Foundation India, a non-profit bone marrow donor centre working from Bengaluru, said many donors are scared of contracting coronavirus.Talking to , the organisation's CEO in India, Patrick Paul said, "We conduct donation and cell collections in cooperation with hospitals. We also have international donors listed. Special care is taken to bring the donated stem cells in cargo planes. Donation, however, has been affected big time as people are scared of virus transmission," he said.A top official at the Union health ministry responsible for policy-making said states have been told to facilitate emergency medical services, but creating corridors at this point in time was "practically impossible"."As per our policy, the family member of a patient should approach the hospital or the institution concerned, which could then write to the state government for issuance of passes for hassle-free movement of donors and recipients," he said.The health ministry official also said that the national helpline number '104' was also meant to provide assistance in cases of emergencies other than COVID-19."They can dial 104 for information and also reach out to '1075' separately for such specific issues," he added. SCH RMS SRY

COVID-19 casts shadow on stem cell treatment across country

<a href="https://www.insider.com/herbs-to-boost-immune-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="31457" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="immune-system">immune system</keyword> is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that fight off infection. </li><li>Your immune system can be affected by sleep, nutrition, hormones, and exercise.</li><li>You can help improve your immune system, but some people are chronically immunocompromised. </li></ul>Your <a href="https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=all-about-the-immune-system-90-P01665" target="_blank" rel="noopener">immune system</a> protects your body against invaders like harmful <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-kill-germs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">germs, including</a> viruses, bacteria, and fungi, and toxins from harmful chemicals. This system comprises a large network of cells, molecules, tissues, and organs that work together via several biological processes to identify and neutralize threats. Some of the major components of your immune system include your skin, tonsils, spleen, bone marrow, white blood cells, and lymph nodes. Several <a href="https://www.ucihealth.org/blog/2017/04/boost-your-immunity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">factors</a>, including sleep, nutrition, stress, hormones, and exercise, can affect your <keyword id="48619" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Immunity">immunity</keyword> for better or for worse. Certain <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> conditions, medical treatments, and factors like age, pregnancy, and smoking can also <a href="https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2020/may/what-it-means-to-be-immunocompromised" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affect your immunity</a>.Here's what you need to know about your <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-boost-immune-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">immune system</a> and how it functions. <h2>Your immune system, explained</h2>The immune system is your body's internal defense system. According to the <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/21196-immune-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleveland Clinic</a>, your immune system primarily does two things:<ol><li>It protects you against germs and tries to keep you from getting sick.</li><li>If you do get sick, it fights the infection to help you recover. </li></ol>These are some of the major <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/21196-immune-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">components of your immune system</a>:<ul><li>Skin: Your skin is the first line of defense against germs or toxins. It acts like a barrier that prevents germs from entering your body. It also secretes fluids and other substances that destroy germs.</li><li>Mucous membranes: Your respiratory, reproductive, urinary, and digestive tracts are lined with mucus, which traps germs and expels them. For example, when you have a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/community/for-patients/common-illnesses/colds.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cold</a>, your body produces mucus to flush germs out of your nose, sinuses, and airways.</li><li>White blood cells: These cells are a key part of your immune system. They locate, identify, and attack germs. There are several types of white blood cells; each one has a specific role to play in your immune response. </li><li>Lymph nodes: These are small glands located all over your body, including in your armpit, neck, and groin regions. They are part of your lymphatic system, which filters out germs via a clear, watery fluid known as lymph. This process can help prevent germs from reaching other parts of your body.</li><li>Spleen: Your spleen produces, stores, and dispatches white blood cells. For instance, if your body detects germs in your bloodstream, your <a href="https://www.chp.edu/our-services/transplant/liver/education/organs/spleen-information" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spleen</a> and lymph nodes manufacture and dispatch thousands of white blood cells to fight them.</li><li>Tonsils: Located in your throat, your tonsils trap harmful germs as soon as they enter your body, fighting them to prevent respiratory infections like <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6145787/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">influenza (flu) and pneumonia</a>. </li><li>Bone marrow: Your bone marrow produces several different types of immune cells, including white blood cells. Millions of new blood cells are produced in your bone marrow and added to your bloodstream every day.</li><li>Thymus: Located behind your breastbone, this small organ produces white blood cells that catalogue germs and remember them in future, so that it's easier for your body to fight those germs if they attack you again.</li></ul><h2>How does your immune system fight infection?</h2>If germs get past your defenses, your body launches an immune response to fight them. This involves several <a href="https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/immune.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">types of white blood cells</a>: <ul><li>B lymphocytes: These cells produce antibodies, which are special proteins designed to identify and weaken specific germs.</li><li>T lymphocytes: These cells attack the germs identified by the antibodies. They also release <a href="https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/immunotherapy/cytokines.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cytokines</a>, which are small proteins that orchestrate your entire immune response by controlling the growth and activity of all your blood cells and immune cells.</li><li>Phagocytes: These cells engulf germs and destroy them.</li></ul>Once your body has dealt with a certain invader, it <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/immunesystemanddisorders.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">remembers</a> it. If the same germ attacks you again, your body recognizes it and sends out the appropriate antibodies to fight it. This can help prevent reinfection. This ability to protect against a certain illness is known as "immunity." "The generation of long-lasting protective memory is one of the most unique and important characteristics of the immune system. Memory is essential in allowing individuals to defend themselves from infections to which they have previously been exposed," says <a href="https://connects.catalyst.harvard.edu/Profiles/display/Person/191917" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tulip Jhaveri</a>, MD, who specializes in pathology and infectious diseases. Vaccines help the body develop immunity to germs and infections. This is called immunization and it counts on your <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000821.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">immune system's memory</a>. Though different vaccines take different approaches to the immunization process, they all trigger your immune response to fight off a particular kind of illness (like measles, smallpox, etc.). After you receive a vaccine, your body remembers how to fight that particular germ and generates a <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-herd-immunity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">long-lasting immune response</a>. Certain vaccines require a booster shot, which jogs your immune system's memory. <h2>How do you check your immune system? <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/primary-immunodeficiency/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20376910"></a></h2><a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/primary-immunodeficiency/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20376910" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blood tests</a> that measure your levels of blood cells, immune system cells, and immunoglobulins (infection-fighting proteins) can help determine whether your <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-causes-a-weak-immune-system#:~:text=Signs%20you%20have%20a%20weakened,isn't%20doing%20its%20job." target="_blank" rel="noopener">immune system is healthy or not. </a>Jhaveri says that recurring illnesses could indicate that one's immune system isn't functioning as it should. Some <a href="https://www.insider.com/low-immune-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signs of a weakened immune system</a> include:<ul><li>Frequent or prolonged colds</li><li>Recurring gastrointestinal problems like gas, constipation, or diarrhea</li><li>Slow healing of wounds</li><li>Frequent infections, like pneumonia, ear infections, or sinusitis</li><li>Persistent fatigue</li><li>High stress levels</li></ul>Certain factors and health conditions can compromise your immunity and affect your body's ability to fight diseases. These include:<ul><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2903738/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HIV and AIDS</a>, which damage immune cells, making your body vulnerable to other infections</li><li><a href="https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2020/may/what-it-means-to-be-immunocompromised" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asthma</a>, which causes your immune system to severely overreact to harmless substances </li><li><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11111455/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leukemia and lymphoma</a>, which affect the normal functioning of your lymphocytes (white blood cells)</li><li><a href="https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/low-blood-counts/infections/why-people-with-cancer-are-at-risk.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cancer treatments</a>, like radiation and chemotherapy, which can also damage and destroy immune cells in the process of destroying cancer cells</li><li><a href="https://www.mskcc.org/news/helping-body-recover-after-bone-marrow-transplant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bone marrow</a> or organ transplants, which necessitate deliberately weakening the patient's immune system so it doesn't reject the donated cells </li><li><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/sgr/50th-anniversary/pdfs/fs_smoking_overall_health_508.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smoking</a>, which harms your immune system and raises your chances of developing an illness</li></ul> Age also plays a role in immunity. As you get older, your immune system is more susceptible to infections, diseases, and cancers; this is referred to as "<a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/5-tips-make-immune-system-stronger-age/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">immune senescence</a>." Infants and young children are also <a href="https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=kids-health-concerns-ease-with-age-1-970" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more prone to infections</a>; their immunity develops over time as they encounter germs and their body learns how to fight them. "Even pregnancy is a state of compromised immunity to a certain extent," says Jhaveri.Medical term: "<a href="https://www.insider.com/what-does-immunocompromised-mean">Immunocompromised</a>" or "compromised immune system" are terms used to describe someone whose immune system is permanently damaged either due to an acquired, chronic disease, or due to an inherited immune system disorder. Sometimes, the immune system is unable to differentiate between harmful substances and healthy tissues, causing it to attack and destroy healthy cells, which is known as <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000816.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">autoimmune disorder</a>. There are over 80 types of autoimmune disorders - some of the more common ones include Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and celiac disease.<h2>Insider's takeaway </h2>Your immune system consists of several components working together to fight off infection-causing germs. One of the most remarkable characteristics of the immune system is that it is able to remember how to defeat germs it has encountered before; a process by which you develop immunity to that illness. Vaccination, also known as immunization, relies on your immune system's memory to help build immunity against harmful germs that cause illnesses. Certain health conditions and medical treatments, as well as factors like age, smoking, and pregnancy can compromise your immune system and its ability to function. Frequent illnesses and chronic fatigue are some of the signs of a weakened system. Blood tests can help determine whether your immune system is functioning as it should.Important: Popular discourse offers plenty of theories about boosting immunity, some true, some false, and some unsubstantiated. For instance, multivitamins are believed to boost immunity; however Jhaveri says they <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/can-supplements-help-boost-your-immune-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">don't really help</a> as much as was once believed. Jhaveri says your best chance at boosting your immune system is to eat a healthy diet, get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, stop smoking, limit your alcohol consumption, and reduce stress.<h2>Related articles from <a href="https://www.insider.com/health-reference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Health Reference</a>:</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/foods-that-boost-your-immune-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8 foods that boost your immune system and can help keep you healthy</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/when-to-go-to-hospital-for-fever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A fever is rarely a reason to go to the hospital - here's what to do if you or your child has a fever</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-does-immunocompromised-mean" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What it means to be immunocompromised and the conditions that put you at risk of infection</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-boost-immune-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to boost your immune system through diet and lifestyle changes</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/herbs-to-boost-immune-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4 herbs that may help boost your immune system naturally</a></li></ul>

What is the immune system? A guide to your body's first-line of defense against infection

<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/leaders-by-day"></a><div type="image" title="Headshot (Todd Stottlemyre)" height="670" width="893" msid="80889406" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Todd Stottlemyre is a former baseball player who won two World Series and now is a motivational speaker.</li><li>Stottlemyre shared how he coped with the loss of his 11-year-old brother, who died of leukemia. </li><li><keyword id="1591355" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="journaling">Journaling</keyword> and daily reflection helped him become more resilient. </li></ul>Todd Stottlemyre, a former pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays and a motivational keynote speaker, spent years blaming himself for his 11-year-old brother's death. When Stottlemyre was 15 years old, he donated bone marrow to his younger brother who had leukemia, a form of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. Right after the procedure, his brother slipped into a coma and died. Stottlemyre was devastated. "After replaying that day and those emotions in my mind and my heart over and over again, I started to let my self-hate and guilt take over," he said. Stottlemyre struggled with the loss of his brother. He had an overwhelming sense of guilt that followed him into adulthood, he said. In 1993, when he won the World Series championship, he hit his lowest point. Stottlemyre said he "hated the person who looked back at me in the mirror," and decided to seek help from Harvey Dorfman, a mindset coach and professional baseball mental training consultant at the Major League Baseball Association.Grieving the loss of a loved one is often a complicated and long-term process. It's important to seek the help of a trained professional if you're struggling. In Stottlemyre's case, what was supposed to be a two-hour session with Dorfman turned into a 12-hour meeting. Dorfman introduced Stottlemyre to a <keyword id="6363690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Strategy">strategy</keyword> for processing negative emotions. It's a simple tool that any leader can use to become more resilient. The lessons Stottlemyre learned on building a resilience amid <keyword id="85981" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Adversity">adversity</keyword> influenced the basis of his most recent fiction book, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Observer-Modern-Mastering-Thoughts-Emotions/dp/1641465344">The Observer</a>," detailing an entrepreneur's pursuit towards a more fulfilling life. <h2>Invest in a journal</h2>During his coaching sessions with Dorfman, Stottlemyre said he was encouraged to capture his thoughts through journaling. This not allowed him to be more mindful about his well-being, but Stottlemyre said it also helped his career development."By observing our thoughts and prioritizing self-awareness - especially through negativity - we'll have the power to change our perspective and change our state of thinking on any particular matter," Stottlemyre told Insider. The former athlete recommended that you ask yourself questions to pinpoint the exact feeling that you might be experiencing. For example, if you're going through a major setback, write down what it is and how it makes you feel. Once you've verbalized those emotions, jot down what it's trying to teach you and what you take away from it, he added. "It's a way of helping yourself through self-talk," Stottlemyre said. "If you keep telling yourself to take one more step forward whenever you're contemplating about giving up, pretty soon you're going to realize you've taken a hundred steps in progress." <h2>Develop a routine for self-reflection</h2>Another way to develop a self-reflecting routine is to create prompts. For instance, Stottlemyre sets out some time to complete a "Sunday gamesheet," which includes four reflections that he thinks about weekly.First, jot down what you think you should do more and less of, he said. "Focus on the clarity you can create from those questions to help you achieve X," he said. "Are the things you did this week helping you get where you want to go? And if not, how can you change that?" Stottlemyre also recommended that you write down what you learned each week. We often forget to acknowledge the daily lessons we learn, even though we respond positively to (and tend to be more motivated by) progress, he said. Making progress doesn't mean that you'd have to reach a milestone every week either. In fact, Stottlemyre advised that you acknowledge your small wins. Lastly, the former athlete encouraged people to note what they're grateful for each week. "When we become intentionally grateful and we find ourselves mentally and emotional of being grateful, we tend to focus less on what we're missing - and that's a huge step towards fulfillment," Stottlemyre said.

A former World Series champion shares the simple daily habit that helped him become more resilient

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5c7ed3ee262898324c48d15d-2000/timothy brown hiv cure berlin patient.jpg" border="0" alt="timothy brown HIV cure berlin patient" data-mce-source="Brendan Smialowski/AFP/GettyImages" data-mce-caption="Timothy Brown, previously known as the Berlin Patient, was considered the first person to be cured of the AIDS virus. Now scientists think they may have done it a second time." />Brendan Smialowski/AFP/GettyImagesTimothy Brown, previously known as the Berlin Patient, was considered the first person to be cured of the AIDS virus. Now scientists think they may have done it a second time.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Scientists say they may have cured a man's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/hivaids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AIDS</a> by performing a stem cell transplant to treat his cancer.</li><li>Only one other person has been deemed "cured" of AIDS before. He's also a cancer patient who got a stem-cell transplant.</li><li>HIV/AIDS researchers say this is an exciting development, but it's also a risky strategy, perhaps even life-threatening.</li></ul>First there was one, now there are two: A second cancer patient has been treated with a bone marrow transplant, and it looks like that treatment cured him of AIDS.This is the second time scientists have done this - the first person cured of AIDS was an American man named <a href="http://defeathiv.org/berlin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Timothy Brown</a> (originally nicknamed "the Berlin patient"). Brown received a bone marrow transplant in 2007 to help treat his aggressive leukemia. The new patient who may also have been cured has Hodgkin's lymphoma and lives in the UK."It's cool because before this we had an 'n' of one," microbiologist Jeffrey Milush, who directs the UCSF Core Immunology Laboratory, told Business Insider. (Milush was not involved in the latest research.) "Now we've got two people." The scientists behind the feat are still approaching the case cautiously, though. "At 18 months post-treatment interruption, it is premature to conclude that this patient has been cured," they wrote in the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1027-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">journal Nature Tuesday</a>. But essentially, they think that's what they've done.In both cases, the patients weren't specifically trying to cure their HIV; they were dealing with aggressive strains of cancer, and their oncologists recommended bone marrow transplants to treat it.The reason that these specific bone marrow transplants seem to be capable of curing HIV is because both of the bone-marrow donors had a genetic mutation that made them more resistant to a common kind of HIV (the kind both patients had). "It does give them some superpower, in the sense of being protected from <a href="https://www.avert.org/professionals/hiv-science/types-strains" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CCR5 </a>-using HIV," Milush said. CCR5 is one kind of HIV. But even though Brown is cured of that strain, he still has to take medications that prevent another strain, CXCR4, from replicating in his body. "They're not impervious to infection," Milush said. "They are just more resistant to the major type of HIV."<h2>What these cases mean for the future of HIV/AIDS treatment </h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/58f6817cf40daef5008b5585-2048/8116089104d1eae6a2e3k.jpg" border="0" alt="surgeon surgery doctor" data-mce-source="Phalinn Ooi/flickr" data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/phalinn/8116089104/in/photolist-dnc5wL-bmGx26-q6KAwA-nooYuh-6NZfwr-h9md1-pxPsTL-cMQok5-5ymmFN-bU4M1g-FARmJ-bFa1sq-pryhMT-f5QSHr-bFa2Wf-LZQvE-ctKjj7-aSucC4-echgo7-jwDVTr-kfJDMX-49msE1-KD22K-Rvn54d-aSugFv-khi6zP-cP54dS-RU8XYM-RvnXxq-k4bkyK-c5Qt7y-7SbKyq-k4bYKB-8wZMfo-qbiWr1-noGUgU-dnc2RX-dnbUv1-dnbJRV-RyVwAw-p6QEPc-njMBig-dugcMs-dngY3B-dnc3sX-bnxR3q-4ichZs-dnbYmo-dnc4Qj-T7Dzg1" /><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/phalinn/8116089104/in/photolist-dnc5wL-bmGx26-q6KAwA-nooYuh-6NZfwr-h9md1-pxPsTL-cMQok5-5ymmFN-bU4M1g-FARmJ-bFa1sq-pryhMT-f5QSHr-bFa2Wf-LZQvE-ctKjj7-aSucC4-echgo7-jwDVTr-kfJDMX-49msE1-KD22K-Rvn54d-aSugFv-khi6zP-cP54dS-RU8XYM-RvnXxq-k4bkyK-c5Qt7y-7SbKyq-k4bYKB-8wZMfo-qbiWr1-noGUgU-dnc2RX-dnbUv1-dnbJRV-RyVwAw-p6QEPc-njMBig-dugcMs-dngY3B-dnc3sX-bnxR3q-4ichZs-dnbYmo-dnc4Qj-T7Dzg1">Phalinn Ooi/flickr</a></div></div></div>These types of stem cell transplants require harvesting blood marrow from a compatible human donor, wiping out the cancer patient's own immune system, then reconstituting it with the donated marrow. The cancer patient has to take potent drugs that help their body accept the donor's immune system.It's an expensive, invasive, and extremely complicated immunological dance, and bone marrow transplants <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/bone-marrow-transplant/about/pac-20384854" target="_blank" rel="noopener">can be fatal</a>. "It's not simple," Milush said.It's also not a realistic treatment option for most HIV patients, who don't necessarily have cancer. More than <a href="https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/data-and-trends/statistics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">38,000 Americans</a> were infected with HIV last year, and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/aids-hiv.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">6,160 US deaths</a> were directly attributed to HIV in 2016. Public health experts in the US <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-state-of-the-union-end-hiv-in-us-by-2030-2019-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have a bullish plan to end HIV in the US by 2030</a>, but it does not involve expensive and dangerous bone-marrow transplants."You've gotten millions upon millions of people infected with HIV, and you certainly aren't going to be doing stem cell transplants on all of them," Milush said. "We need something that's going to be able to be rolled out to the mass population. If we focus only on these bone-marrow transplants, I think we're going to miss the opportunity to treat the widest group of people."The most promising way to end HIV in the US, experts say, is to manage infected patients' viral loads with drugs, and to prevent the disease from spreading to more people."We have very effective antiretroviral therapy, and when people are on retroviral therapy and achieve an undetectable viral level, they cannot transmit the disease," US Health and Human Services assistant secretary for health Brett Giroir told reporters in February. But although various drugs on the market can make HIV a livable disease, it is still a dangerous condition if not treated well. And while these drug cocktails are good at controlling the virus, they don't eradicate it. So scientists like Milush are still on the hunt for a full-on HIV cure for all. Some of the most promising strategies to date include extracting and genetically transforming patients' own virus cells (sometimes with the CRISPR gene editing-technique), or a vaccine.The new case could also help scientists by informing future research into cures that would be less dangerous than bone-marrow transplants. "Continuing our research, we need to understand if we could knock out this [CCR5] receptor in people with HIV, which may be possible with gene therapy," lead study author Ravindra Gupta said in a release. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/charlie-sheen-paid-to-keep-hiv-secret-2015-11">Charlie Sheen said he paid $10 million in 'shakedown' money to keep his HIV a secret</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/6IpkSriJ-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

Scientists may have cured a man of HIV by injecting him with 'superpower' cells. Here's what it means for the future of AIDS treatment.

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54ab06e2eab8ea216d8dcf50-800-600/april-2.jpg" border="0" alt="april coyners drew olanoff">April CoynersDrew Olanoff, 34, with his fiancé April Conyers.</img>"Cancer."
That's the only word April Conyers, 33, remembers hearing in the hospital on Oct. 10.
She was sitting with her fiance of two months, Drew Olanoff.&#xa0;She knows the doctor said a lot of other things, about oncologists and chemotherapy and staying positive, but it's all a blur.
Olanoff, 34, had gone to the hospital at Conyers'&#xa0;urging. He was running a 102-degree fever and had stomach pains. They thought he might have appendicitis. Instead, he had diverticulitis, a pesky but curable infection.
But the CAT scan also revealed tumors lining Olanoff's gut. After five years in remission, his Hodgkin's Lymphoma had returned.&#xa0;
Olanoff was shocked. He had a physical the week prior, and had been told he was in perfect health.&#xa0;
The first time Olanoff had cancer, the signs were more obvious. At age 29, he discovered a lump the size of a softball on his neck - stage 3 lymphoma. This time,&#xa0;he mostly felt fine.
He had been feeling tired, but he assumed that was from flying to Berlin from San Francisco frequently for his job. He had some back pain, like most people experience on occasion. That turned out to be a tumor pressing on a nerve.&#xa0;
<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54abed9969beddee5e0a7cf9-960-1280/img_1425-4.jpg" border="0" alt="drew olanoff dog ">Drew OlanoffDrew Olanoff with his dog, Apollo, who helped him propose to April Conyers in August.</img>
"I think after you have a diagnosis like cancer it follows you around for the rest of your life," he says. "I've always carried [the fear it would return] with me. I go in for something like taking out my appendix out then they tell me they found tumors. It's like, 'No, that's to what I wanted to hear thank you, can you take that back?'"
For Olanoff and his soon-to-be bride, it's been a wild few months of accomplishments in both work and life - but that's all been interrupted by cancer.
The couple met over email a few years ago, when Olanoff was a writer for technology site The Next Web, and Conyers&#xa0;pitched him her startup clients at Brew PR. They officially met during TechCrunch Disrupt in New York at the Ace Hotel. Olanoff says he fell in love right there. "I told her, 'Sorry, I can't write about your companies anymore [due to conflict of love interest],'" he says.
Conyers&#xa0;moved to San Francisco for Olanoff. She began a new job in September as head of communications at a delivery startup, Postmates. Olanoff also began a new job in June, as Global Communications Director for an Instagram-like startup, EyeEm. He had been working at Yahoo when a mentor left to join EyeEm and asked Olanoff to come with him.&#xa0;
Conyers&#xa0;and Olanoff got engaged on Aug. 27, a Wednesday - the same day Conyers&#xa0;resigned from her job at Brew PR to join Postmates. She remembers preparing a taco dinner when their dog, Apollo, trotted over. A small box was nestled in his tiny shirt pocket along with a scribbled note. When Conyers looked up, Olanoff was on one knee.
After just two weeks at Postmates, Conyers&#xa0;and Olanoff received the news at the hospital, and their worlds turned upside down. Both of their employers offered to help Olanoff however they could.<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54ac0e726bb3f7a247826096-720-540/april-conyers-drew-olanoff.jpg" border="0" alt="april conyers drew olanoff" style="color: #000000;">April ConyersDrew Olanoff and fiance April Conyers</img>
Since then, Olanoff estimates he's had 25 doctor appointments. Every day he has chemotherapy, Conyers writes him a note in a card and organizes dinner dates at the hospital. His last round ended on Christmas Eve. On one particularly rough day, Olanoff told Conyers&#xa0;he wouldn't blame her if she left him. She told him to shut the hell up.
For a cancer patient - or anyone for that matter - Olanoff is upbeat. He radiates positivity, a natural glow which has won him high-up friends in the tech and celebrity circuits. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, for example, personally asked him to join her company. She had worked with him during her Google days when he was a TechCrunch reporter. Twitter co-founder Evan Williams gave Olanoff the handles @drew and @yoda. Celebrity Drew Carey helped Olanoff raise more than $1 million for cancer research the last time he was diagnosed, thanks to a Twitter interaction Olanoff instigated.&#xa0;
(In 2009, Olanoff created a Twitter movement for charity,&#xa0;<a href="http://www.blamedrewscancer.com">#blamedrewscancer</a>, which encouraged people to complain about life's small annoyances; Ryan Seacrest, Drew Carey, Alyssa Milano and Lance Armstrong all participated. He also auctioned off his Twitter handle, @drew, to Drew Carey, which Carey ultimately let him keep.)
Being so public about his cancer last time was exhausting for Olanoff. He didn't want to go through that again. But when the doctors told Olanoff he needed a stem cell transplant, Olanoff changed his mind.&#xa0;
<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54abfc0a6bb3f7f77482609b-768-1024/img_1338-2.jpg" border="0" alt="olanoff hospital">Drew OlanoffOlanoff's last round of chemo ended on Christmas Eve.</img>
This time, instead of using Twitter to raise money, Olanoff wants to <a href="https://medium.com/@drew/thats-really-not-what-i-ordered-again-cd51b313f11a">raise awareness for the bone marrow registry</a>. If he can use his influence in Silicon Valley to persuade even a few people to sign up, he can save lives - maybe even his own.
"April and I talked about [me going public with cancer again]," Olanoff says. "I felt guilty not talking about it. I felt selfish...This time there's a clear action and I can educate people."
The concept of giving blood is well known. Donating bone marrow seems scarier. Olanoff hopes re-launching his website, <a href="http://www.blamedrewscancer.com">BlameDrewsCancer.com</a>, and writing about his situation will make bone marrow donations less taboo.
"People understand giving blood. They prick your arm, give you a cookie and you leave. You never know if your blood gets used or not. [Bone marrow] is a situation where, if you get that call, you can talk to the person who needs it. If you want you can get to know them. You don't have to say yes. You don't have to do the donation." 
Olanoff's efforts to educate the world about bone marrow and stem cell transplants have already helped. The last time he had cancer, he held a "blameathon" to raise money for charity with live bands and mouth swabs. Four years later, he got a call from an attendee who told Olanoff, "I'm a match for somebody." 
<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54abfc5e6bb3f7097a826095-1200-924/drew-olanoff-hospital-cancer.jpg" border="0" alt="drew olanoff hospital cancer">Drew OlanoffDrew Olanoff tries to stay in good spirits, even during chemotherapy. He wears a Super Man cape his friend gave him to cheer up other patients.</img>
When Olanoff was re-diagnosed, Conyers&#xa0;promptly signed herself up for the registry. She was sent cotton swabs in the mail and rubbed all four corners of her mouth in under five minutes. One week later, her DNA was added to the online database.
If there is one good thing about having cancer, it's that it puts life in rather harsh perspective.
"Things that annoyed you don't annoy you anymore," Olanoff says. "Things you get stressed out about aren't stressful anymore. You refocus on family and friends. 
"The perspective on life," he adds, "is a reward."
Conyers&#xa0;and Olanoff are still planning their wedding. They hope to get married in late 2015 or 2016, once Olanoff has beaten his cancer. 
Again.
If you are interested in becoming a bone marrow donor or joining the registry to see if you could be someone's match, visit <a href="http://bethematch.org/support-the-cause/donate-bone-marrow/join-the-marrow-registry/">BeTheMatch.com</a>.
Here's more on the process, but definitely read more on the website and/or ask your physician before you decide to sign up:
<ul>
<li>You should be between the ages of 18 and 44, although people between ages 45 and 60 can still apply to get registered online. If you register, your DNA information will remain in the bone marrow registry until you turn 61 or call to opt out.</li>
<li>Getting swabbed takes about five minutes and you can get a kit sent to you in the mail.</li>
<li>According to Be The Match, only one in forty people who join the registry get asked for additional testing (a blood test). One in 300 gets matched with a patient. One in 500 actually donates bone marrow.&#xa0;</li>
<li>If you are matched with a patient, the process takes about&#xa0;20 to 30 hours over a 4- to 6-week period, during which you'll have doctors appointments then go under anesthesia and donate your bone marrow. You may also need injections before your stem cells are donated.&#xa0;</li>
</ul>

Former Yahoo Drew Olanoff, 34, Should Be Planning His Wedding - But Now He Has To Fight Cancer...Again

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57ab9501ce38f234008b5f80-1200/animal medical center veterinarian vet veterinary surgery_11.jpg" alt="Animal Medical Center Veterinarian vet veterinary surgery_11" data-mce-source="Rafi Letzter/Business Insider" />Rafi Letzter/Business Insider</div></div></div>Imagine your kid is sick.An infection struck, rapidly killing off internal tissue and leaving them bedridden for weeks in the ICU. One day your child was healthy, the next, gravely ill. Medication dealt with the bacteria, but the damage was too severe for a body to heal on its own. One kidney went, and then the other. Without a transplant, they'll have to make regular trips to the hospital for dialysis and face all kinds of secondary medical problems.You get tested, as do the rest of your family members who are eligible to donate. But no luck. Your child ends up on a waiting list thousands and thousands of names long. You wait for weeks or months without good news.Of course, there are thousands of healthy people in your city, millions more in your country. Some of them must be eligible matches. You scrounge up your life savings, pull funds out of your retirement account, put an ad online offering $20,000 to anyone who donates a healthy kidney to your kid. Responses flood in, crowds of people willing to get tested to save your kid and earn some cash.But the doctor tells you that none of those people can donate. In the United States, as in most of the rest of the world, <a href="http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&amp;edition=prelim&amp;req=granuleid%3AUSC-2014-title42-section274&amp;num=0">it's illegal to buy and sell body parts like kidneys</a>.In a new paper <a href="http://www.nber.org/papers/w22673">published by the National Bureau of Economic Research</a>, Nicola Lacetera lays out the key reasons for this rule:<ul><li>If people got to buy organs, it would lead to an unequal system where wealthy people got access to body parts at the expense of people who couldn't pay for life-saving transplants.</li><li>Poor people might choose to sell body parts to meet pressing economic needs, leading to a situation where people are functionally coerced by the inequalities of capitalism into giving up organs.</li><li>Sick people might hide their sicknesses in order to profit from donating infected tissue.</li><li>Broadly speaking, we have a social aversion to morally "repugnant" transactions, often involving buying and selling bodily services. There is a deeply-ingrained intuition that transactions (like prostitution, or even slavery) that involve trade in human flesh degrade the moral character of a society.</li></ul>But it's also unquestionably true that a properly-orchestrated organ market could save lives.In the US, <a href="http://www.organdonor.gov/statistics-stories/statistics.html">119,000 people are on the waiting list for a donation</a>, and an average of 22 people die every day waiting for an organ. It's pretty clear that creating a financial incentive to donate would have an impact on those numbers. (Lacetera offers some <a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/03/13/prohibiting_payforplasma_would_harm_patients.html">specific evidence</a> that people are more likely to donate tissues like blood plasma when there's money on the table.)And there exist solutions to at least some of the moral problems. For example: A third party, like the government or insurance companies, could ensure that the list of people who need transplants remains ranked in order of need. Patients who need organs most would be first in line, and no one could pay to go to the front of the line. Paying someone who wants to sell a kidney to someone in need wouldn't throw all that off - the fresh kidney would just have to go to the highest-need person who is a match, not the highest bidder. That could increase supply without unequally pushing lifesaving organs (or bone marrow or other body parts) toward wealthy patients.In a system like this, the government or insurance companies would pay for the organ, not the person who needs it. While that seems like an expensive prospect, it could actually save society money in the long-run. Lacetera writes that each kidney transplant would lead to about $200,000 in direct savings -- and as much as $1.1 million when you factor in indirect savings from increased health and life expectancy.(There are also alternative solutions, like <a href="http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/transplant/programs/kidney/incompatible/paired_kidney_exchange.html">kidney exchanges</a>, which Lacetera didn't address.)On top of that, a form of delayed payment might prevent people from donating to resolve short-term debts.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/575707155124c9f54ece1065-800/wearable-artificial-kidney-offers-hope-for-dialysis-patients.jpg" alt="Nurse Georgiana Stefan prepares a dialysis machine for a diabetes patient at Nicolae Paulescu National Institute for Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases in Bucharest, November 13, 2012. November 14 is World Diabetes Day. REUTERS/Radu Sigheti " data-mce-source="Thomson Reuters" data-mce-caption="Nurse Georgiana Stefan prepares a dialysis machine for a diabetes patient at Nicolae Paulescu National Institute for Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases in Bucharest" />Thomson ReutersNurse Georgiana Stefan prepares a dialysis machine for a patient.</div></div></div>Still, Lacetera acknowledges, it's hard to imagine a pay-for-donation system that didn't involve some exploitation or at least broad inequalities. The poor will always have more reason to go through the risk and pain of giving up kidneys, parts of livers, or bone marrow under a market economy. There's good reason to get squeamish when capitalism threatens to touch our most personal choices.So Lacetera set up an experiment. Through Mechanical Turk, the Amazon system for massive psychological experiments (and other "micro-tasks"), he asked people their opinions on different paid donation schemes. He found that with no additional information, about 50% of respondents in a control group were on board with some form of paid donation.When another group received evidence that payment could save lives, along with information on how it might be done equitably, about 70% said it was a good idea.All of which is to say, if you can make a compelling enough lifesaving case, people are willing to leave aside their internal aversions.So should we allow people to buy and sell organs? Expect your answer to change depending on the patient on the table. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/a-vietnam-veteran-gave-one-of-his-kidneys-to-his-war-buddy-2015-11">A Vietnam vet needed a new kidney - so his old war buddy gave him one</a></h3> <div> <div> <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="MyazBzeDoU4RCeh12OAZMILdf8jv_UH_" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> <script> if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; } RunFunctions.push(function() { var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'MyazBzeDoU4RCeh12OAZMILdf8jv_UH_',{ autoplay: 'false' }); }); </script> <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div> </div> <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script> </div>

You Searched For "bone marrow donation" and got 13 results

Thom Felicia, member of 'Queer Eye' cast, believes that donating bone marrow to his brother was the best thing he has ever done

Kelly Burch

A mom is registering Black bone marrow donors to help save her 14 year-old son

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A 7-year-old boy needs a bone-marrow transplant. Being mixed-race makes it almost impossible to find one.

Elizabeth Broadbent

A proposed Massachusetts bill would give inmates up to a year off their sentence if they donate their organs

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Why you should donate a kidney to a stranger

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These six people donated their kidneys to complete strangers and saved 140 lives in the process - here's why

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About 17 Americans die waiting for transplants each day. Scientists are trying to make more organs in 5 creative ways.

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Scientists may have cured a man of HIV by injecting him with 'superpower' cells. Here's what it means for the future of AIDS treatment.

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Former Yahoo Drew Olanoff, 34, Should Be Planning His Wedding - But Now He Has To Fight Cancer...Again

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Here's why an economist thinks we should consider paying people to give up their body parts

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