In a historic medical breakthrough, eight-year-old Aditi Shankar has become the first person in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) history to undergo a transplant without lifelong immunosuppressant drugs. Aditi, who suffers from a rare genetic condition, received a stem cell transplant using bone marrow donated by her mother, Divya, who also provided her kidney. The procedure, conducted at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), has allowed Aditi’s new kidney to function without the need for ongoing immunosuppressant medication to prevent rejection.
This achievement is attributed to Aditi’s prior bone marrow transplant from her mother, which reprogrammed her immune system to match her donor kidney. The success of this innovative treatment offers hope for improved outcomes for children facing kidney transplant limitations. However, it is important to note that this approach is currently reserved for seriously ill patients with no alternative options due to the higher risks associated with double transplants.
Aditi’s recovery represents a remarkable milestone in medical science, raising prospects for further research into utilizing bone marrow and kidney transplants from the same living donor to treat patients with kidney failure and related conditions.
