During a press conference at the 2013 ASH Annual Meeting, Dr Alice Bertaina presents data from a recent study on stem cell transplantation.

Transplants of haploidentical, or half-matched, blood-forming stem cells may be an effective option for patients in need of a transplant without a fully matched donor; however, in the past, in comparison to transplant from a fully matched donor, this treatment has been associated with an increased risk of infection and disease recurrence. This study tested the effectiveness of manipulating in the lab these half-matched donor stem cells.