Medical research in Nigeria has been taken a notch higher as the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, announced the success of its bone marrow transplant programme.
This advancement marks a significant milestone in the battle against sickle cell disease, which has long been a major health challenge in Nigeria and across Africa.
“The first set of patients were admitted in the last week of August 2024at the hospital. They received a treatment regimen of exchange blood transfusions, chemotherapy and anti-infective prophylaxis to prepare them for the infusion of bone marrow stem cells that were harvested from family donors, processed and given this week (17th and 19th September 2024).
“Both patients are currently undergoing immediate post-transplant care within the transplant unit at the hospital,” the Chief Medical Director at LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo and CEO, Sickle Cell Foundation of Nigeria, Dr. Annette Akinsete disclosed in a statement.
Highlighting the successful collaboration between Lagos University Teaching Hospital and the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria, SCFN, Adeyemo, praised the partnership for its pivotal role in establishing a high-quality, internationally accredited bone marrow transplant program.
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This joint effort has made it possible to offer a safe and effective cure for sickle cell disease, ensuring that Nigerians can access top-tier treatment locally.
Emphasizing the critical role of the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria, LUTH praised the foundation’s invaluable partnership in its recent medical achievement. The hospital credited SCFN for its exceptional administrative and project management oversight, which has been instrumental under the leadership of CEO Dr. Annette Akinsete.
“Recognizing the gaps in care for individuals affected by the disease in Nigeria, the leadership of the SCFN and LUTH established a bone marrow transplant programme at LUTH.
“In preparation for a locally adapted and cost-effective bone marrow transplant programme in Nigeria, a post-transplant clinic was initially established in 2019, a first in sub-Saharan Africa, to provide post-transplant care to patients who had travelled to other countries for bone marrow or stem cell transplants, thereby developing clinical expertise in posttransplant care,” the statement explained.
The programme consists of a high-level multidisciplinary team which includes paediatric and adult haematologists, consisting Dr. Seye Akinsete, as the Team lead, and Drs. Ugonna Fakile, Olufunto Kalejaiye, Yusuf Adelabu, and Professor Edamisan Temiye, the Programme Manager.
Others are blood transfusion and stem cell processing lab support, Professor Titi Adeyemo and Dr. Ann Ogbenna, bone marrow-transplant nurses, dieticians, social workers, pharmacists, psychiatrists, anaesthesiologists, nurses at the KidsOR (theatre) and other ancillary personnel.
The program was guided by the scientific expertise and leadership of Professor Adetola Kassim of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who joined in 2018.
And to further strengthen their expertise in the program, Prof Josu de la Fuente from the Imperial College London Healthcare NHS Trust UK joined the team in 2022 as a resource person and assisted with the paediatric aspects of the programme
Nigeria has the most significant burden of Sickle Cell Disease worldwide. Individuals affected with the disease suffer life-threatening and excruciating complications from early childhood, serious damage to their organs, and reduced life expectancy.
The establishment of comprehensive care programmes, including newborn screening, penicillin prophylaxis, and Transcranial Doppler screening in children to identify those at risk of stroke, followed by using chronic blood transfusion therapy and the increasing use of hydroxyurea therapy, has improved the proportion of children surviving into adulthood but has not improved the proportion of adults living to older age, especially for the most severely affected.
Bone marrow transplant using a donor from a family member is an established cure for this disease, first used more than 30 years ago. Bone marrow transplant is associated with known complications such as infection and graft-versus-host disease (when donor cells can attack the patient), infertility, and even death.
However, this procedure has been much improved over the last 20 years to ensure good outcomes and limit complications. It is a complex procedure requiring a multidisciplinary team approach and involves treatment and close follow-up for approximately 12 months.
The complexity and costs have severely limited those who can obtain this treatment, and most have sought this treatment outside Nigeria, which causes severe hardship for patients and families, only to come home with no local expertise for follow-up.
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