Japanese Authorities Consider Harvesting Backup Bone Marrow Before Sending Nuclear Plant Workers In
Radiation Protection Suits This photo was taken at a U.S. Navy exercise in Italy. Wikimedia Commons Japanese authorities are considering harvesting bone marrow from workers at the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant, hoping an infusion of their own healthy cells could save their lives if they're exposed to dangerous radiation levels. The procedure, known as autologous stem cell transplantation, is already used to help cancer patients whose bone marrow is destroyed by high doses of chemotherapy or radiation treatment. It is also used to treat cancers that destroy blood marrow, like leukemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma. The Guardian reports the plan is a precautionary measure that could help save the lives of engineers and water cannon operators who have been desperately trying to bring the damaged reactors under control. Workers would be given blood growth factor proteins that cause their bone marrow to produce more blood stem cells and release them into the...