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Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy

We provide state-of-the-art bone marrow transplants and immunotherapy for pediatric patients.

If your child needs a bone marrow transplant or immunotherapy, our highly experienced team will be closely involved in that care. 

The mission of the St. Jude Transplant Program is to advance cures for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment focused on bone marrow transplant, gene therapy or immunotherapy. Bone marrow transplants are also called stem cell transplants. Immunotherapy is a relatively new type of treatment that helps the body fight the disease. It’s also called cellular therapy. 

We work hard to give our patients the best treatment and reduce side effects. By working closely with scientists at St. Jude, we move new research from the lab into the clinic. Our clinical trials aim to improve outcomes for children who currently cannot be cured. They also look at different approaches to reduce treatment-related complications. Read more about common complications.

The Transplant Program at St. Jude has been a part of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) since 1990. Our center also provides data to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR).

  • St. Jude is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children.
  • St. Jude Transplant Program is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) for transplantation and immunotherapy. 
  • The Transplant Unit at St. Jude is dedicated to the care of patients receiving bone marrow transplants or immunotherapy. The standard nurse-to-patient ratio is 2:1. 
  • St. Jude pioneered a type of transplant that uses parent donors for pediatric cancer. This is called a haploidentical donor. 

Our close-knit group of physicians also work with support staff in different departments, including Rehabilitation Medicine, Nursing, Pathology, Radiation Oncology, Infectious Diseases, Quality of Life, Pharmacy, Psychology, Clinical Nutrition, Child Life and Social Work. These staff have been specially trained to care for children having transplants.

Can my child come to St. Jude for a bone marrow transplant or immunotherapy?

We accept children who can take part in one of our clinical trials. A physician must make the referral.

Learn About our Referral Process

 
 
 
St. Jude physician talking to young male patient who is sitting on hospital bed

What to Expect with a Bone Marrow Transplant

During the transplant process, we’ll educate you and your family about the treatment and other care needed.

Learn more about allogeneic and autologous transplants >
Learn more about the bone marrow transplant process >

 
St. Jude physician talking to young female patient in hallway.

What to Expect with Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy, also called cellular therapy, works by helping the body’s defense system to find bad cells and kill them. It often has different side effects than chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant.

Learn more about immunotherapy >

 
 

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn the answers to commonly asked questions about bone marrow transplant and immunotherapy at St. Jude.  

Read Our FAQs >

 
 
 

Treatment Team

Our physicians and advanced-practice providers work closely with other specially trained experts in infectious diseases, quality of life, radiation oncology, critical care medicine, surgery and other fields.

Meet Your Bone Marrow Treatment Team

 
 
 
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