Medical experts from Narayana Health successfully saved the lives of two patients facing potential fatalities through advanced medical procedures: a seven-year-old boy with thalassemia who underwent a Haplo-cord transplant process, and a 62-year-old man with brain cancer who was treated with CAR T-cell therapy.

​A 7-year-old child diagnosed with HbE Beta thalassemia required monthly blood transfusions. The family registered under this program and underwent In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) alongside pre-implantation genomic testing to produce an HLA-matched, thalassemia-free sibling.

​Doctors performed the transplant utilizing the cord blood of the patient’s sibling along with stem cells sourced from the father. Despite complications such as infections, mucositis, liver derangement, and persistent low counts, the medical team resolutely managed the patient, who has now fully recovered and remains transfusion-free. Cordlife Sciences India Pvt Ltd collected and stored the cord blood.

​The other patient was a 62-year-old male patient who presented with gait disturbances and was subsequently diagnosed with primary CNS lymphoma, a form of brain cancer.

​After failing to bring the disease under control with four cycles of high-dose chemotherapy, the stubborn and treatment-resistant nature of the illness prompted a switch to CAR T-cell therapy.

The patient underwent lymphocyte collection, bridging with radiations and medications, and received a dual CAR targeting CD19 and CD22 on the cancer cells.

A subsequent MRI confirmed the complete disappearance of the disease, allowing the patient to return to normal life.

​Dr. Joydeep Chakrabartty (Senior Consultant, Hemato Oncology & Clinical Lead – BMT Programme East, Narayana Health) noted that these rare recoveries represent landmark achievements in saving lives facing potential fatalities.

​Dr. Prasanta Chowdhury (Laboratory Director, Cord Life Sciences India Pvt Ltd) stated that blood banking involves complex medical, financial, ethical, and scientific dilemmas regarding private storage versus public donation, which were successfully addressed with compassion and clarity in these cases.

​Mr. Ajit Kumar Bellamkonda (Facility Director, Narayana Hospital, Howrah and Chunavati) emphasized that achieving successful CAR T-cell therapy on an elderly patient alongside a complex pediatric transplant reinforces the hospital’s dedication to driving advanced clinical breakthroughs.

Priyanka Dutta