About the Program
Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center is a world leader in pediatric stem cell transplantation.
- We perform more than 80 stem cell transplants each year for children and teens with many types of cancer and other disorders.
- Our Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation team includes some of the world’s most experienced and knowledgeable pediatric stem cell transplant doctors and scientists, as well as nationally recognized pediatric specialists.
- Our doctors work collaboratively with national research groups, including the Children's Oncology Group, Blood and Marrow Clinical Trials Network and the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium to develop innovative clinical trials and expand transplantation for new conditions.
- We have an active stem cell research program which includes scientists who partner with our clinical care team to improve outcomes for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
We evaluate and treat patients with different types of cancer and blood diseases, including:
- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
- Acute myelogenous leukemia
- Chronic meylogenous leukemia
- Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Brain tumors
- Aplastic anemia
- Fanconi anemia
- Sickle cell disease
- Thalassemia
- Myelodysplastic syndrome
- Osteopetrosis
- Primary immunodeficiencies (severe combined immunodeficiency and errors of metabolism)
- Solid tumors (neuroblastoma, Wilms' tumor and some testicular/ovarian cancers)
Our Treatment Approach
The group of specialists involved in your child's care through the transplant process is often referred to as the "transplant team." This team works closely together to provide your child the best chance of a successful transplant. Our transplant team consists of:
- Physicians, who specialize in pediatric oncology, hematology, immunology and bone marrow transplantation
- Nurses, who work closely with all members of the team to plan and carry out your child's care, providing support and teaching along the way
- Clinical assistants, who assist the nursing staff in providing care to your child
- Social workers, who help your family deal with many issues that may arise including lodging and transportation, finances, schooling and legal issues
- Dieticians, who help your child meet nutritional needs before and after transplant
- Physical therapists, who help your child become strong and independent with movement and endurance after the transplant
We also offer follow-up programs for your child following stem cell transplant.
Dana-Farber's David B. Perini, Jr. Quality of Life Clinic helps survivors of childhood cancer address the long-term effects of treatment. The clinic includes special programs to ease patients' transition to post-transplant life, including support in returning to school.
The GVHD Clinic is a special program within the Jimmy Fund Clinic that addresses the needs of transplant patients with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a serious potential complication of stem cell transplant. At the clinic, patients meet with multiple medical experts to manage the disease and its symptoms.
The Treatment Team
Our staff of compassionate and experienced pediatric subspecialists includes stem cell transplant experts, oncologists and hematologists. Our physicians are focused on family-centered care: from your first visit, you'll work with a team of professionals who are committed to supporting all of your family's physical and psychosocial needs.
George Daley, MD, PhD, Director
Daley is the director of the Stem Cell Transplantation Program and a professor of Hematology/Oncology at Harvard Medical School. His laboratory focuses on stem cell biology. You can learn more about his research at our website on stem cells.
Leslie E. Lehmann, MD, Clinical Director
Lehmann is the clinical director of the Stem Cell Transplantation Program at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. She specializes in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation and the long-term effects of stem cell transplantation. In addition, she is an assistant professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
Suneet Agarwal, MD, PhD
Agarwal is an attending physician at Children’s and specializes in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and pediatric hematology. He is also an instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. He completed his medical training in pediatric hematology/oncology at Children’s.
Kathrin Bernt, MD
Bernt is a pediatric hematologist oncologist and attending physician at Children’s. She is also an instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
Christine Duncan, MD
Duncan is an attending physician at Children’s and an instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. She specializes in stem cell transplantation and the treatment of graft-versus-host disease. She completed her medical training at Children’s.
W. Nicholas Haining, BM, BCh
Haining is a staff physician at Children’s and an assistant professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. His expertise is in stem cell transplantation and biological and immunological therapies for the treatment of pediatric cancers. He has worked at Children’s since 1993.
Steven Joffe, MD, MPH
Joffe is an attending physician and research at Children’s. He is an expert in bioethics and stem cell transplant. His research focuses on the ethics of human research studies and the improvement of clinical trial design. He has worked at Children’s since 1997.
Andrew Li-Jen Kung, MD, PhD
Kung is an oncologist and specializes in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation. His research focuses on the development of targeted therapies for pediatric cancers. The overarching goal of his research program is to move basic laboratory discoveries into clinical testing to advance the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cancer.
James LaBelle, MD, PhD
LaBelle is an attending physician at Children’s with expertise in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation. He’s also an instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
Steven Margossian, MD, PhD
Margossian is a pediatric oncologist at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and an instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
Melissa Materazzo
Materazzo is the program administrator for the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program.
Sung-Yun Pai, MD
Pai has worked at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's since 1994. She specializes in the treatment of primary immunodeficiency including severe combined immunodeficiency, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and others disorders.
Sridhar Rao, MD, PhD
Rao is an attending physician at Children’s with expertise in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In addition, he is an instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
Jessica Sachs, MD
Sachs is an attending physician and an instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
Christina Ullrich, MD, MPH
Ullrich is a pediatric oncologist and researcher with expertise in neuro-oncology and neurofibromatosis. She is the director of Neuro-Oncology and an assistant professor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School.
Jennifer S Whangbo, MD, PhD
Whangbo is an attending physician with expertise in bone marrow and stem cell transplantation. She is also an Instructor in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School.
Jennifer A. Strykowsky, BSN
Strykowsky is a nurse specializing in the treatment of children with neuroblastoma and those receiving stem cell transplants. She is also the MIBG Nurse Coordinator for neuroblastoma treatment.
Kelbe Osborne
Osborne is the financial coordinator for the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Program.
Stem Cell Transplantation Clinical Research
As one of the nation's leading pediatric research centers, Dana-Farber/Boston Children's is focused on advancing the understanding and treatment of pediatric cancer and related disorders, as well as developing new applications for stem cell transplantation. We are:
- members of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network, the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium and a Phase 1 Children's Oncology Group Center
- currently investigating the use of autologous transplant for children with neuroblastoma and brain tumors, unrelated donor transplants for patients with sickle cell disease and long-term consequences of transplants, including pulmonary function and bone health
Our research scientists are recognized for their discoveries surrounding stem cell biology and blood formation. Our mission is to rapidly translate scientific discoveries into improved patient care. Some of our recent accomplishments include:
- In 2007, the Boston Children's Hospital Laboratory of Leonard Zon, MD, discovered that adding a certain drug to blood stream cells in zebrafish and mouse models boosted stem cell production. Zon guided this discovery into a clinical trial to determine whether this drug might help transplant patients with leukemia. If successful, the drug may enhance recovery of the child's blood and immune system and be an important advance in transplantation.
- Studies from the laboratory of George Daley, MD, PhD, showed that the fat cells in the bone marrow suppress the recovery of blood cell production following bone marrow transplantation in mice. Scientists are testing drugs that block the formation of fat cells in anticipation of a future clinical trial in transplant patients.
Contact Us
To contact Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation Program, please call 617-632-3961 or email us at pedi_sct@dfci.harvard.edu.
You can also reach us through our toll free number, 1-888-PEDI-ONC (733-4662).
Inpatient Care
Boston Children's Hospital
300 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Phone (toll-free): 1-888-PEDI-ONC (733-4662)
Phone: 617-632-3961
Outpatient Care
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
450 Brookline Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Phone (toll-free): 1-888-PEDI-ONC (733-4662)
Phone: 617-632-3961