autologous
Meaning of autologous: Autologous describes tissue, cells, or blood taken from a person and later used in that same person, rather than from another donor.
Definition of autologous
Autologous describes tissue, cells, blood, or genetic material that is taken from an individual and used in that same individual, rather than coming from another person or another species. The term distinguishes this source from an allogeneic source, meaning tissue from another person, or a xenogeneic source, meaning tissue from another species.
Autologous approaches are used in several areas of medicine. A person may donate their own blood in advance of a planned surgery for later use during the procedure, and an autologous stem cell transplant uses a patient's own previously collected stem cells rather than cells from a donor.
Because autologous material comes from the same person who will receive it, it generally avoids the risk of immune rejection that can occur with tissue or cells from another individual, though it depends on having enough healthy material available to collect beforehand.
Used in a sentence
The patient underwent an autologous stem cell transplant using cells collected earlier in the course of treatment.
Good to know
An autologous stem cell transplant uses a patient's own cells and therefore does not carry the same risk of the transplanted cells attacking the recipient's body that can occur with cells from a donor.
Word origin
Where “autologous” comes from
Formed from Greek autos, meaning self, combined with -logous, from logos, here indicating relation or correspondence.