Staff Reporter : Kolkata, 21st August: Crossing milestones, the lives of a seven-year-old boy with thalassemia and a 62-year-old man with brain cancer were saved by top medical experts from Narayana Health through advanced Haplo Cord transplant process and Cart T cell therapy, respectively.
Child goes blood transfusion-free after treatment
The 7-year-old child, diagnosed with HbE Beta thalassemia, was needing monthly blood transfusions. His family was counseled to register under the Save the Sibling programme. His parents underwent IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) and pre-implantation genomic testing to produce an HLA matched thalassemia-free sibling. A Haplo-cord transplant was performed using the cord blood of the patient’s sibling and some amount of stem cells from his father. During the transplant period, the child developed many complications like infections, mucositis, liver derangement and persistent low counts, which were resolutely managed. The patient has recovered well and is now transfusion-free. The IVF was performed after the cord blood was collected and stored by Cord Life Sciences India Pvt Ltd.
Brain cancer ceases to exist following CAR T cell therapy
The case of the 62-year-old male patient involves complete disappearance of brain cancer after a CAR T cell therapy. The patient was initially found to be having gait disturbance (an abnormal change in the way a person walks or moves). He was then diagnosed to have primary CNS lymphoma, a type of brain cancer. He received 4 cycles of high-dose chemotherapy, but the disease could not be brought under control. In view of the stubbornly-resistant nature of this disease, a decision was taken to have him undergo the CAR T cell therapy. He underwent lymphocyte collection, bridging with radiations and other medications, before receiving a dual CAR targeting CD19 and CD22 on the cancer cells. A repeat MRI showed complete disappearance of the disease. The patient is now fit and stable.
Speaking about these two rare recoveries, Dr Joydeep Chakrabartty, Senior Consultant, Hemato Oncology & Clinical Lead – BMT Programme (East), Narayana Health, said, “These are landmark achievements for us and we are happy to have saved the lives of a young and an old patient, with both facing potential fatalities. Using the Haplo-cord technology for the child and the CAR T cell therapy for the aged patient, the expert team of doctors attending them have been able to turn their lives around for the better. Narayana Health has always been at the forefront in breaking newer grounds in medical science, and these two cases clearly reflects our expertise in and commitment to bringing advanced health care to the masses, which has always been our motto.”
Dr. Prasanta Chowdhury, Laboratory Director, Cord Life Sciences India Pvt Limited, said, “Cord blood banking is a complex issue involving medical, financial, ethical, and scientific debates. The core dilemma centres on choosing between private storage for family use and public donation for general use, weighed against high costs and low statistical odds of personal use. In these two cases, we have successfully addressed every single concern with absolute compassion and clarity.”
Echoing similar views, Mr. Ajit Kumar Bellamkonda, Facility Director, Narayana Hospital, Howrah & Chunavati, said, “This is indeed a milestone crossed for all of us at Narayana Health. We are thrilled to share that the CAR T-cell therapy for a 60+ patient and a haplo-cord transplant for a child have successfully driven our collective goal of improving the quality of life of the people who repose their trust in us.”
About Narayana Health
Narayana Health, trusted by millions for more than 26 years, is a leading healthcare provider in India with a NABH and JCI-accredited network of 21 hospitals and numerous clinics nationwide. The group comprises over 4,000 doctors across 110+ specialties and offers integrated services including hospitals, clinics, labs, pharmacies, and insurance. Guided by its mission to make healthcare accessible to all, Narayana Health continues to set standards in medical excellence and patient care.
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