From Sardinia to the United States: this is the journey undertaken by a stem cell unit for the life-saving transplant of a one-year-old child affected by a rare genetic disease. The event dates back to last April, when the Cord Blood Bank (BSC) of Brotzu in Cagliari, directed by Dr. Mauro Carta, sent a unit of hematopoietic stem cells from cord blood to the Cincinnati Transplant Center.
The donation, from a Sardinian family, was possible thanks to the synergy between the Bsc of Cagliari and the American Transplant Center, with the support of the Italian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (IBMDR) and the American Registry NMDP (National Marrow Donor Program). The collaboration between the two countries made it possible to perform a life-saving transplant, without significant complications in the post-operative course, as confirmed by the doctors in Cincinnati.
As underlined by the Extraordinary Commissioner of Arnas Brotzu, Maurizio Marcias, the operation confirms « the importance of donating cord blood , a biological product rich in stem cells that, if not collected, is disposed of in the delivery room». «It is a simple gesture, but with enormous potential : thanks to the generosity of a family, today a child has a concrete hope of life». Cord blood represents one of the most precious sources of hematopoietic stem cells, useful in the treatment of numerous onco-hematological and metabolic pathologies, particularly in pediatric patients.
"The therapeutic use of stem cells continues to expand in clinical practice," comments Dr. Carta. "Those contained in the umbilical cord are confirmed as a valid alternative to bone marrow transplantation, peripheral stem cell transplantation and haploidentical transplantation in the treatment of some hematological diseases and not only, as they offer new perspectives in terms of compatibility and safety."
(Unioneonline/vf)
