St James’s Hospital Marks 40th Anniversary of Pioneering Stem Cell Transplant Treatment

St James’s Hospital in Dublin, Ireland is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its first bone marrow transplant, a pioneering treatment that has since led to the hospital performing stem cell transplants in nearly 200 patients in Ireland each year. The hospital’s National Adult Stem Cell Transplantation Service is now the third-largest of its kind in the UK and Ireland, providing life-saving treatments for patients diagnosed with blood-related cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, as well as some rare cases of bone marrow failure.

Expert Team Led by Professor Shaun McCann

In 1984, an expert team led by Professor Shaun McCann, emeritus Professor of Hematology at Trinity College Dublin and Head of Transplantation at St James’s Hospital, performed the first bone marrow transplant at the hospital. Since then, the hospital has expanded its services to include the first Irish center for Adult CAR T-Cell Therapy.

Stem cell transplants, also referred to as bone marrow transplants, are used to treat and cure many types of blood-related cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma, as well as rare bone marrow failure conditions and solid-organ tumors. The purpose of the transplant is to cure the blood cancer or keep the hematological disease in remission for as long as possible.

Allogeneic and Autologous Transplants

In an allogeneic stem cell transplant, healthy stem cells are transplanted from one individual to another. Alternatively, in an autologous transplant, the patient’s own stem cells are used. The first bone marrow transplant at St James’s Hospital in 1984 was an allogeneic transplant where donor stem cells were harvested from a sibling to treat a patient with leukemia.

The Growing Challenge of Transplant Survivor Management

With a growing and aging population, the number of blood cancer cases in Ireland and globally continues to rise. Since its inception, the transplant unit at St James’s Hospital has provided stem cell and bone marrow transplants to over 3,750 patients, improving survival rates for patients with blood cancer and giving them fresh hope.

Dr. Catherine Flynn, Consultant Hematologist and Associate Clinical Professor at the Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute, said: “Looking after our increasing number of transplant survivors is a privilege but also presents a growing challenge. Our service would not be able to run without our dedicated nursing staff and colleagues throughout the hospital. We work closely with bodies such as the Irish Blood Transfusion Service and are grateful to the many stem cell donors from all over the world. We are hopeful that we can continue to grow our service through adequate support and resources.”

Supporting Organisations and Departments

The work of the Stem Cell Transplantation Service is supported by many departments and organizations within St James’s Hospital/Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute and beyond. In particular, links with clinical teams within the hospital, including the intensive care unit, close collaboration with the Irish Unrelated Donor Registry, and the Irish Blood Transfusion Service are crucial to finding compatible donors for those who do not have a suitably matched family donor and ensure that complications for patients are kept to a minimum.

Since its inception, the transplant unit has been supported by the Bone Marrow for Leukemia Trust, a charity organization, which has provided equipment, contributed to funding for staff and the development of accommodation for patients post their stem cell transplant.

Achievements and Future Plans

Professor Mary Day, St James’s Hospital Chief Executive Officer said: “St James’s Hospital has a long history of stem cell and bone marrow transplant, and this anniversary would not have been reached without the clinical expertise that we have accumulated and developed. The groundbreaking work of our expert clinicians, such as Professor McCann, has allowed us to cement our place as a world leader in cancer care and led us to the establishment of the Trinity St James’s Cancer Institute, the first OECI-accredited cancer institute in Ireland.”

Due to a growing and aging population, it is expected that the number of blood cancer cases in Ireland will continue to rise. However, with the dedication of the team at St James’s Hospital and the ongoing development of stem cell transplant treatments and services, there is hope for continued success in treating and curing these life-threatening diseases.

Originally Post From https://dublinpeople.com/news/health/articles/2024/06/10/st-james-40-years-transplant/

St James Hospital Marks 40th Anniversary of First Irish Bone Marrow Transplant