In a world-first, a Pakistani man is set to receive an umbilical cord blood transplant in China to treat his Myelodysplastic Syndrome.  It is the first time that a foreigner has received this type of umbilical cord blood transplant in China.

Myelodysplastic syndrome is a group of disorders caused when something disrupts the production of healthy blood cells.  In most cases, some blood cells are malformed or the body does not produce enough blood cells.  The symptoms of myelodysplastic syndrome include shortness of breath, fatigue, anaemia, easy bruising, and frequency infections.

The Chinese doctors will use a cord blood transplant to restore the patient’s ability to produce healthy blood cells.  The patient, Tahseen Dilbar, is going to receive an umbilical cord blood sample from the Shanghai Cord Blood Bank, which is the only licensed cord blood bank in the city.  Approximately 3,000 Chinese people have already received this type of transplant.

The stem cell sample is going to be injected into Dilbar in the coming week.  It will contain a mix of cord blood stem cells and half-matched stem cells donated by his older brother.

Dr. Wang Chun explains the use of half-matched stem cells from the patient’s brother, saying “Half-matched hematopoietic stem cell transplants usually invite strong rejection from the recipient’s body.  The addition of matched umbilical cord blood can effectively reduced the chance of rejection.”

The patient will regain the ability to produce healthy blood cells within two weeks of receiving the transplant.  If all goes well, he will be back to normal within two months.

Dilbar was diagnosed with the condition in 2010.  Since then, he has received multiple blood transfusions to survive, but his condition was only going to worsen.  He now has a chance at a healthy future, thanks to the regenerative properties of umbilical cord blood.

Source: Umbilical blood gives man hope

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