He stated: “After much effort, we were unable to find a matching bone marrow sample for transplant to ‘Karen.’ Therefore, considering that her cord blood had been stored by her family in the Royan Cord Blood Bank at birth, about six years ago, we decided to use her cord blood for treatment.”
Dr. Bahoush added: “One of the main concerns in stem cell transplantation is always the risk of graft rejection. However, since the stem cells that were going to be transplanted into this six-year-old child were her own, the risk of rejection was eliminated.”
This pediatric hematology and oncology specialist noted that other transplant experts had assessed the likelihood of success as very low or even impossible. Despite this, the transplant was performed, and five months after the infusion of cord blood stem cells, the child’s treatment is progressing well.
Dr. Bahoush added: “Karen’s treatment is an exceptional event in the world of science because when she came to us, she had a severe form of bone marrow failure. Worldwide, the standard protocol for treating bone marrow failure is to preferably use stem cells from another individual, such as a sibling, meaning an allogeneic transplant. However, since there had been one previous case of a patient’s own cord blood being transplanted back to themselves in the world, we proposed this approach to the country’s transplant centers, but it was opposed. Ultimately, despite the very limited facilities at Ali Asghar Hospital, we performed the transplant ourselves.”
He continued: “Three weeks after the infusion, the blood platelets, which are very important in cord blood transplantation, began to rise, and after one month, the patient’s other tests returned to normal.”
Dr. Bahoush emphasized that Karen’s disease was acquired in childhood and stated: “Karen’s successful transplant was achieved with the help of God, and this event may mark a breakthrough and a new advancement in the treatment of patients.”
The pediatric hematology and oncology specialist at Hazrat Ali Asghar Hospital stressed the necessity of increasing equipment and creating an appropriate transplant facility at this hospital, noting that currently only one transplant room is available. He invited the public and benefactors to collaborate in equipping the transplant ward so that more patients can be served.
Aplastic anemia (aplastic anemia) is a type of anemia in which the bone marrow does not produce enough new blood cells. Unlike regular anemia, which only affects red blood cells, in this disease, the production of other blood cells is also reduced.