Epilogue

Abstract

Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is without doubt a work in progress. As this text so well illustrates, the field of allogeneic stem cell transplantation has evolved from a halting beginning, poorly accepted by the medical profession a mere 35 yr ago, to an established therapy in the management of a variety of malignant and non-malignant conditions. Indeed, in the process of this evolution traditional, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation has become nearly extinct, replaced by the use of peripheral blood stem cells and submyeloablative conditioning regimens. We can now only speculate about the role of allogeneic stem cell transplantation over the next few decades. It is likely that the diseases we currently treat by stem cell transplantation will continue to be targets for this type of therapy and that more than incremental advances will be made in their curability. Yet, it is likely that truly exciting advances in stem cell transplantation will be in some totally new directions.