Lehigh Valley Health Networks Lehigh Valley Topper Cancer Institute celebrated the opening of its new Stem Cell and Transplant Therapy Program Tuesday.

Stem cell transplants are a life-saving treatment option for certain blood disorders and cancers, including numerous forms of leukemia. LVHN first announced two years ago that it would expand what was at the time an infusion suite to include stem cell transplant and cellular therapy, thanks to donations from Tom and Karin Hall. Karin Hall was treated for breast cancer at LVHN.

The program is led Dr. Amir Toor, who has more than 20 years of experience with stem cell transplants and vast expertise with cellular therapies for hematologic malignancies.

Toor said the network has spent the last few years preparing for the program by bringing together a specialized team of physicians, clinicians, nurses, social workers, financial counselors and transplant coordinators specially trained to care for and support patients undergoing stem cell transplants. He added that LVHN has also developed designated spaces where stem cells are collected for transplants and an inpatient unit designed to keep patients safe during treatment.

It is an honor to bring stem cell transplantation to people in all the communities LVHN serves, Toor said.

Stem cells are produced in bone marrow and many other tissues of the body. These cells can divide into more stem cells or turn into certain specialized cells throughout the body, such as nerve cells, cardiac muscle cells and blood cells, replacing older cells. Stem cells are essential, but some peoples bodies may not produce enough of them or they may have lost stem cells to cancer or cancer treatment.

The goal of stem cell transplants, also called bone marrow transplants, is to restore blood-forming stem cells to the body, often using a patients own preserved cells or cells from a donor, such as a family member.

Treatment through LVHNs new program will be available for people with disorders and cancers such as:

There are roughly 200 blood stem cell transplant centers that report data to the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration, of which 11 are in Pennsylvania. Patients will often travel for this level of care, spending weeks far from home, Dr. Brian A. Nester, president and CEO of LVHN, said.

Stem cell transplants are a lifesaving treatment option, but they are also incredibly taxing for those receiving them and their loved ones, said Nester.

There are other uses of stem cells in medicine, including regenerative medicine, which uses stem cells to repair diseased, dysfunctional or injured tissue in the body. This technique can even be used to grow new organs to replace damaged ones using a patients own stem cells.

Dr. Suresh Nair, physician in chief of the Topper Cancer Institute, said that for now, LVHN will not offer regenerative medicine treatments, but this new center puts LVHN at the forefront of opportunities in future stem cell research technologies.

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LVHN announces opening of new stem cell transplant center. Here's what that means for the Lehigh Valley - The Morning Call