Unrelated Stem Cell Transplant - Success Story (In India)

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Offline Narendra

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Unrelated Stem Cell Transplant - Success Story (In India)
« on: April 02, 2009, 09:26:21 PM »
From :- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Abad-boy-beats-thalassemia-with-surgery/articleshow/4347563.cms

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Ahmedabad boy beats thalassemia with surgery

AHMEDABAD: A year ago, Rishi was a severely ill thalassemia major patient, with A-positive blood group. A year later, he is a healthy 13-kg cherubic child but his blood group has changed to B-positive!

The change in his blood group is in fact proof that Rishi’s surgery, the country’s first stem cell transplant from umbilical cord blood of a stranger child received from a private bank, has worked. This is the first such successful experiment in the country which will now help two-and-a-half-year-old Rishi Bhanushali live without frequent blood transfusions.

It has been one year and Rishi is doing well. He is healthy and has been put off immunosuppressant drugs. He is just being given injections to keep up his haemoglobin as cord stem cells take some time for 100% engraftment,” said Dr Sandeep Shah, head of the bone marrow transplant department at Gujarat Cancer Research Institute and Vedant Hospital.

Rishi’s survival and good health hold out a lot of hope for thalassemia major children who do not have siblings. In the country, so far bone marrow transplant from stem cells derived from either brother or sister of the patient has been done, with a 70% success rate.

This is the first time that stem cells from umbilical cord blood of an unrelated child were used. Rishi did not have a sibling but was lucky as not only did he find a donor umbilical cord blood but got a complete six by six match of HLA typing.

After Rishi’s success, the doctors are now poised to perform two more umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants. We have not been able to find a six by six match but are performing the transplants with five by six match. We are hopeful of success,” said Dr Shah.

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Offline Sharmin

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Re: Unrelated Stem Cell Transplant - Success Story (In India)
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2009, 09:33:59 PM »
Great story Narendra.  Cord blood transplants are like a charm when it all works out.  My best wishes to Rishi and his family.

Thanks for sharing,

Sharmin
Sharmin

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Offline Mahender

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Re: Unrelated Stem Cell Transplant - Success Story (In India)
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2009, 09:57:16 AM »
That's good news ....i have been lookin for stem cell match across india...but could not find 6/6 match...latest was 4/6 for my daughter purva....let me know if there is any organisation whom we can get in touch for donors...

Thank you

Mahender
Bangalore

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Offline nice friend

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Re: Unrelated Stem Cell Transplant - Success Story (In India)
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2009, 01:26:47 PM »
Nice & very encouraging Sharing Narendra , its realy a good development .. hope is still alive bcoze of developmetna nd news like this ... hope to hear abt a cure for thals realy in near future ...

Umair
Sometimes , God breaks our spirit to save our soul.
Sometimes , He breaks our heart to make us whole.
Sometimes , He sends us pain so we can be stronger.
Sometimes , He sends us failure so we can be humble.
Sometimes , He sends us illness so we can take better care of our selves.
Sometimes , He takes everything away from us so we can learn the value of everything we have.

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Umair

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Offline Zaini

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Re: Unrelated Stem Cell Transplant - Success Story (In India)
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2009, 07:20:55 PM »
A positive hope indeed.

Zaini.
^*^Xaini^*^

 

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