MADURAI: The transplant team at Meenakshi Super Speciality Hospital in Madurai has successfully performed bone marrow transplantation for seven-months-old identical twin infants who were diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder.
This is a half-matched bone marrow stem cell transplant which we did after their father became half-matched donor as no fully matched donor was available within the family or through donor registry, Dr.T.Kasi Viswanathan, senior consultant and Head of Department of Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, has said at a press meet here on June 3rd 2026.
“The infants are male twins and they had severe combined immunodeficiency which is a genetic condition that causes severe life-threatening infections to the babies if not treated on time. In the absence of fully matched donor, we performed half-matched bone marrow transplant (TCR alpha-beta depletion) which removes the damage-causing harmful cells and gives infection-fighting immunity. We did this procedure successfully in Meenakshi Super Speciality Hospital and the babies are gradually coming to normal immune stage,” he told reporters at a press meet organized by the hospital to explain about this rare genetic disorder.
Cautioning that children with severe immune deficiencies are vulnerable to life-threatening infections, Dr.T.Kasi Viswanathan has said that Meenakshi Super Speciality Hospital in Madurai had demonstrated its specialized expertise in treating Inborn Errors of Immunity (IEI).
“The transplanted stem cells had started functioning normally in the infants’ bodies. Half-matched donor transplants can be done if safe protocols are followed. Marriages taking place within the close family is one of the prime reasons for genetic disorders among children,” he added.
Other doctors who were in the half-matched bone marrow stem cell transplantation team include Dr.RM.Annapoorani, Dr.V.Anitha and Dr.VS Venkateswaran and they were present at the press meet along with Mr.A.Dileep Bernard, Director, Meenakshi Super Speciality Hospital-Madurai.
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