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Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) or Bone marrow transplantation is a medical procedure in the field of hematology and oncology that involves transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). It is most often performed for people with diseases of the blood or bone marrow, or certain types of cancer. Bone marrow transplantation was pioneered at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center from the 1950s through the 1970s by E. Donnall Thomas, whose work was later recognized with a Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. Dr. Thomas' work showed that bone marrow cells infused intravenously could repopulate the bone marrow and produce new blood cells. His work also reduced the likelihood of developing a life-threatening complication called Graft-versus-host disease. Since the early 1990s and the availability of the stem cell growth factors GM-CSF and G-CSF, most hematopoeitic stem cell transplantation procedures have been performed with stem cells collected from the peripheral blood. Collecting stem cells provides a bigger graft, and does not require that the donor be subjected to general anesthesia to collect the graft. Hematopoeitic stem cell transplantation remains a risky procedure and has always been reserved for patients with life threatening diseases.