Indore's SSH Starts Haplo Transplant For Adults: Transplants Now Possible With 50% Blood Match

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Patients in Indore are now receiving advanced medical facilities, with the state's first government Super Speciality Hospital introducing haploidentical stem cell transplant (commonly known as haplo transplant) services for adult patients.

This new facility allows bone marrow transplants to be performed even with a 50% blood match, expanding the potential for treatment beyond the previous requirement of a 100% match. As a result, patients of all age groups, including those with leukaemia, chronic thalassemia, blood cancer, and anaemia, are benefiting. Two adult patients have already successfully undergone this procedure at the hospital.

In private hospitals, the cost of such a transplant is typically around Rs 35 lakh rupees, but at the Super Speciality Hospital (SSH), patients receive the treatment free of charge, thanks to government schemes and institutional support.

Hematologist Dr AkshayLahoti explained that while a complete blood match is ideal for a transplant, procedures can now be done even if only half the match is found. The process involves matching the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) instead of just the blood group, allowing for greater flexibility and access to transplants.

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What is haplo transplant?

Haplo transplant represents a significant advancement in bone marrow transplantation. Traditionally, a perfect match between the donor and patient cells is required to ensure that the patient's body accepts the transplanted cells. However, with haplo transplants, only specific cells need to be matched. Modern machines help isolate these cells and introduce them into the patient’s body, making the process more feasible even with partial matching.

In haplo transplants, only about two out of ten possible matches between patient and donor are fully matched, but partial matches are easier to find. This technique, involving the matching of HLA, makes it simpler to find a match among parents, children, and siblings.

Damaged cells in the patient are replaced with healthy stem cells from the donor. The cost of this procedure in private hospitals can reach up to 35 lakh rupees, including medications, but the availability of the procedure at the government hospital in Indore makes it more accessible to the general public.

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Benefits for patients with blood disorders

Haplo transplant is particularly beneficial for patients suffering from blood-related disorders like leukaemia, blood cancer, aplastic anaemia, sclerotic anaemia, and thalassemia, especially when a full blood match is not available. The hospital has already successfully performed transplants for patients with aplastic anaemia and acute leukaemia, demonstrating the effectiveness of this new approach.

“Hospital has been providing haplo transplant services for children for the past year. So far, around 12 children from across the country have benefited from this procedure. Now it has been started for adult patients as well. Additionally, the recent introduction of a blood irradiator machine at MY Hospital is expected to further improve the speed and efficiency of the transplant process, enhancing outcomes for all patients.”

Dr Preeti Malpani - Superintendent, Chacha Nehru Hospital