JIPMER completes 100 Blood Marrow Transplant procedures

Puducherry: The premier, Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER); has completed 100 Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT), 84 autologous transplants and 16 allogeneic transplants for various indications.

The first autologous HSCT was done for a case of relapsed Hodgkin's lymphoma in February 2013. In April 2014, the first allogeneic transplant from an HLA matched identical twin donor was done for a seventeen-year-old girl with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

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Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), commonly known as bone marrow transplant or blood & marrow transplant (BMT) program was started in JIPMER in the Department of Medical Oncology in January 2013. Current BMT unit is three bedded and is well equipped with HEPA filters biosafety laminar hood for sterile chemotherapy preparation and stem cell cryopreservation, deep freezer (-80 degree Celsius) for stem cell storage.

With heightened general awareness about the indications and outcomes of BMT, our growing experience, and availability of essential financial support from CMCHISTN and other government schemes, our transplant numbers are increasing over the years. The common indications for which autologous transplant was done are multiple myeloma, relapsed/refractory lymphoma and for allogeneic transplant were high-risk acute leukaemias and aplastic anaemia.

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As we have gained experience over the years, our BMT unit has moved to the more advanced and complicated method of transplant and performed the first Haplo transplant in July 2017 and first MUD (matched unrelated donor) transplant in Jan 2019.

JIPMER which includes a tertiary care referral hospital is an Institution of National Importance (an autonomous body) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. The medical institution was established in the year 1823 by the French Government but was converted into Dhanvantari Medical College at the time of de facto transfer of Pondicherry to Government of India. This Medical College was later upgraded into Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research.