Indian Center Reports High Survival After Pediatric Sickle Cell bone marrow Transplants
November 12, 2025 — by Transplant News
WORLD NEWS – INDIA: Doctors at Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram report a major advance in pediatric sickle cell care after a decade-long study of bone marrow stem cell transplantation. The research, covering 100 children treated between 2015 and 2024 and published in the journal Hemoglobin, found an overall survival rate near 87 percent following transplantation, signaling a decisive shift in outcomes for this hereditary blood disorder.
The analysis separated results by donor type and showed markedly different success rates. Transplants from fully matched sibling donors recorded a 96 percent success rate, while procedures using half-match family donors achieved a 78 percent success rate. These figures were presented by the treating team as among the best reported internationally and underscore the role donor matching plays in pediatric transplant outcomes.
Clinicians highlighted that early diagnosis and timely referral for transplant were critical to the improved survival, with interventions performed before the onset of severe organ damage delivering the greatest benefit. The center described updates to conditioning and post-transplant protocols designed to limit treatment toxicity and to reduce the incidence of graft versus host disease, measures that contributed to fewer complications and better recovery trajectories.
The investigators emphasized the real-world impact of these results in a resource-constrained setting: many children who had been dependent on chronic blood transfusions are now living active lives free of regular transfusion support. The team framed the findings as a meaningful step toward curative therapy for pediatric sickle cell disease in India and other developing regions, offering a roadmap for wider adoption of stem cell transplantation as a viable option for affected children.
