Media Release
Mangaluru, Dec 31: For the first time in coastal Karnataka at the corporate level, Yenepoya Speciality Hospital, Kodialbail, in association with Yenepoya University, has developed state-of-the-art infrastructure to perform advanced haematological procedures such as bone marrow transplant and genetically engineered cellular therapies, including CAR-T cell therapy.
Two successful bone marrow transplants were recently performed by a team led by Dr Rajesh Krishna, consultant haematologist and bone marrow transplant specialist. He was assisted by Dr Priya Naik, intensivist, Dr Vidya Kamath, chief of Yenepoya Blood Centre, Raziya, apheresis technologist, Rosina, staff nurses and allied health staff.
The first procedure was carried out on a patient with relapsed lymphoma who underwent autologous bone marrow transplantation. The procedure involved harvesting bone marrow stem cells using a technique called apheresis, in which stem cells are collected through a special machine. Blood from the patient is passed through the apheresis machine, which selectively collects stem cells and returns the remaining blood to the body. The procedure is painless and does not involve open surgery.
The patient subsequently received six days of chemotherapy to eliminate cancer cells. As chemotherapy also destroys stem cells, the previously collected bone marrow stem cells were reinfused into the patient. Bone marrow regeneration typically takes about two weeks. Minor complications such as infection and diarrhoea were reported and managed effectively. The patient also received special irradiated blood products during this period and was successfully discharged two weeks after the transplant.
The second transplant was performed on a patient suffering from amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma. The patient underwent a single high dose of chemotherapy using melphalan before transplantation. Minor complications such as infection and fatigue were noted, and the patient was discharged successfully after recovery.
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a breakthrough treatment for blood cancers that uses the patient’s own white blood cells, which are collected and genetically engineered to enhance their cancer-fighting ability before being reinfused.
The centre is also equipped to perform allogeneic transplants, in which bone marrow stem cells are collected from a donor to treat cancers such as leukaemia and lymphoma. The donor procedure is painless and does not involve surgery.
Yenepoya Speciality Hospital has invested in a high-tech bone marrow transplant suite with HEPA-filtered positive air ventilation to maintain a near zero-microbe environment. The hospital has collaborated with Yenepoya University to provide irradiated blood products and other essential support services.
The bone marrow transplant team is led by senior consultant Dr Rajesh Krishna, who received advanced training at leading hospitals in London, including Hammersmith Hospital, Royal Free Hospital and University College Hospital. With over 15 years of experience in the United Kingdom, he is the first specialist to introduce allogeneic transplantation and cellular therapy to Mangaluru.
The infrastructural development for the project was initiated under the leadership of Yenepoya chancellor Abdulla Kunhi, pro-chancellor Farhad, CEO Dr Thahir and vice-chancellor Dr M Vijayakumar. The facility is expected to greatly benefit patients from coastal Karnataka and northern Kerala, reducing the need to travel to metropolitan cities and improving access to quality cancer care at lower overall costs.