Stem Cells Assist UK's First Rejection-Free Kidney Transplant

Stem cell transplants are typically administered in complex procedures to help treat a particular condition or disease. But, as unique mother cells of the body, stem cells also have a wide variety of applications that are being studied and practised.

One of the most promising of these applications, as demonstrated in the remarkable recently published case of Aditi Shankar, is supporting the recovery process following organ transplants.

Eight-year-old Aditi Shankar has become the first child in the UK to receive a particular type of kidney transplant without needing to take long-term drugs to stop the rejection of the organ.

Within weeks of the transplant, Aditi was taken off immunosuppressant drugs, which usually have to be taken daily. As the drugs work by suppressing the immune system, they increase the risk of infection and often cause long-term side effects, including nausea, diabetes, fatigue, vomiting, and osteoporosis, among others.

Thanks to the success of the procedure, Aditi is now back at school with both her transplanted kidney and immune system working normally.

Eliminating the need for immunosuppression

Aditi has Schimke’s immuno-osseous dysplasia (SIOD), an extremely rare genetic condition that weakened her immune system and meant her kidneys were failing.

Specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital first spoke with international colleagues about the stem-cell-assisted transplant approach, which has already been used in other children with SIOD.

First, stem cells were collected from the bone marrow of Aditi’s mother. Donor cells from a parent are always a half-match for their children, whereas siblings have a 50% chance of being a half-match for each other.

The bone marrow stem cells were then transplanted into the bloodstream of Aditi, where they could find their way to the marrow. Six months later, once the stem cells had successfully rebuilt her immune system, Aditi received a kidney transplant, again donated by her mother (at least a 50% chance of a full human leukocyte antigen (HLA) match), and her immune system accepted the organ.

Prof. Stephen Marks, children’s kidney specialist at GOSH, says Aditi’s treatment appears to have been a success, and just a month after the transplant, they were able to take her off all of her immunosuppressant drugs.

In this case, the stem cells seemed to help Aditi build a healthy immune system and prevent organ rejection, which happens when the immune system identifies the transplant as foreign. A rejection triggers a response that ultimately destroys the transplanted organ or tissue.

For a patient to receive a transplant and not require a lifetime of immunosuppressant medication is a significant breakthrough. Several studies, including a clinical trial at Stanford Medical Center Program, are further exploring this potential of stem cells in replacing the need for immunosuppressive drugs after routine transplants.

Further studies are needed in this area before stem cells become a regular part of such procedures. But the signs are promising that, in the near future, stem cells will be assisting doctors and surgeons in overcoming one of the major challenges in transplantation care.

For more information, visit our cord blood banking service page or contact our team at 0115 967 7707 or custcare@fhbb.com. We would be more than happy to advise and support you on your journey.