UConn Health’s Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center has announced the launch of its Blood and Marrow Transplant Program. This new program is made possible by the expertise of Dr. Kapil S. Meleveedu, who serves as the assistant professor of medicine and director of Blood and Marrow Transplantation at UConn Health. Dr. Meleveedu’s extensive training in blood and marrow transplantation from the Mayo Clinic and UConn School of Medicine enables the program to provide patients with comprehensive care.
The program operates within the state-of-the-art Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at UConn John Dempsey Hospital. Equipped with high-tech facilities, including specialized airflow private patient rooms and an isolation room, the unit offers a dedicated space for transplantation care and monitoring. Patients can expect comprehensive care from a team of skilled hematologists-oncologists and oncology nurses, as well as access to necessary labs, tests, and support resources.
Currently, the program focuses on autologous transplants, utilizing a patient’s own blood stem cells. However, plans are in place to expand the program to include allo-transplants, which involve donated blood stem cells from close genetic matches. Dr. Meleveedu also aims to introduce CAR-T Cell Therapy in the near future, which enhances a patient’s own immune cells to fight blood cancer. The program is a significant development in meeting the growing needs of the citizens of Connecticut, particularly in the central region of the state.
