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Only 30 per cent of needy patients are able to undergo transplant in India; we need more dedicated transplant centres

- Dr Lalit Kumar

Hemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) was developed in the early 1970s and was recognised as a potential treatment for a number of benign and malignant haematological diseases. Since then, the field has grown into a full specialty. Keeping pace with technological advances, this area has also seen evolution as regards to indications, availability of donor in family (an HLA identical sibling) or outside HLA matched unrelated donor (with the help of bone marrow donor registries) or haploidentical donor from parent or sibling.

In India, this treatment was started in 1983. The progress was slow initially, but has picked up in the last two decades. Currently, more than 110 centres are doing transplant. As per the Indian Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry, 23,843 patients underwent HSCT till 2021. Of these, 13,962 underwent allogenic HSCT (using stem cells from a donor), and 9,881 autologous HSCT (using patient's own stem cells). Multiple myeloma and lymphomas (Hodgkin's and Non Hodgkin's) are major indications for autologous HSCT, while acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML),ẞ-Thalassemia, severe aplastic anaemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia are major indications for allogeneic HSCT.