<p>The infant from Islamabad was brought to Delhi by his parents in March for treating the immune disorder called Familial HLH, which is considered fatal unless treated by a stem cell transplant, doctors said Monday. He was operated upon March 15.<br /><br />“This was the first case of unrelated blood stem cell transplant in India,” said Anupam Sachdeva, senior consultant in the hospital’s paediatrics department.<br /><br />Stem cells produce white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets vital for normal body functions such as oxygen transport, defence against infections and diseases, and clotting.<br /><br />No match<br /><br />Stem cells used for a transplant are usually taken from a relative or a matched donor. But Shaheer, the only child of his parents, had no donors matching his stem cells in his family.<br />“This is the first case in India when stem cells from a mismatched donor has been used for replacement,” Sachdeva said.<br /><br />“We approached Reliance Cord Bank in Mumbai for cord blood units and found two suitable units,” the doctor said.<br /><br />Hospital authorities said Shaheer, who was the 50th patient to be operated for a stem cell transplant at the hospital, has recovered well but is supposed to visit the doctors twice a week. <br /><br /></p>
<p>The infant from Islamabad was brought to Delhi by his parents in March for treating the immune disorder called Familial HLH, which is considered fatal unless treated by a stem cell transplant, doctors said Monday. He was operated upon March 15.<br /><br />“This was the first case of unrelated blood stem cell transplant in India,” said Anupam Sachdeva, senior consultant in the hospital’s paediatrics department.<br /><br />Stem cells produce white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets vital for normal body functions such as oxygen transport, defence against infections and diseases, and clotting.<br /><br />No match<br /><br />Stem cells used for a transplant are usually taken from a relative or a matched donor. But Shaheer, the only child of his parents, had no donors matching his stem cells in his family.<br />“This is the first case in India when stem cells from a mismatched donor has been used for replacement,” Sachdeva said.<br /><br />“We approached Reliance Cord Bank in Mumbai for cord blood units and found two suitable units,” the doctor said.<br /><br />Hospital authorities said Shaheer, who was the 50th patient to be operated for a stem cell transplant at the hospital, has recovered well but is supposed to visit the doctors twice a week. <br /><br /></p>
