• In Pavia the use of the blood of the healed to cure Covid-19 patients begins
  • Bambin Gesù, a girl waiting for a transplant saved thanks to a mini artificial heart

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12 June 2020 The marrow transplant for the 6-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, who, in March, had tested positive for the new coronavirus, together with his mother and father, was successful at the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital. 

The hospital communicated it in a note adding that "to help eliminate the virus, the child had been hospitalized at the Covid Center in Palidoro and compassionately subjected to plasma treatment obtained from a subject recovered from the viral infection. 

Once negative was possible to perform the expected transplantation with hematopoietic stem cells from the father, who was also recovered from the virus. Now the baby is fine, had no complications and will be subjected to ordinary post-transplant controls.

the history
In October 2019, the family arrives in Italy from London, where it resides, to treat the Child Jesus a recurrence of the disease from which the child is affected, acute lymphoblastic leukemia. "A bone marrow transplant is needed - says the hospital - and the group of the Department of Oncohaematology and Cellular and Gene Therapy starts a program of preparatory therapies: the child is subjected to chemo and immunotherapy to lower the 'charge' of the disease until at the threshold that allows the transplant to have a better chance of success, that is, to recover definitively from leukemia

The discovery of positivity to Covid
Over the months, during which home care and hospital treatments alternate, the treatments produce the effect hoped and the time of the transplant is approaching. Not having found a compatible donor, it is decided to proceed with the transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells as a parent. In March 2020, in full pandemic, the parents of the child are subjected to the necessary investigations to determine which will be the candidate for bone marrow donation. In the series of exams, screening for COVID-19 is also planned. parents test positive: dad and son are asymptomatic, mom has mild symptoms.

Waiting for the surgery
To proceed with the transplant, however, you must wait until everyone is negative, especially the small patient who has immune defenses already compromised by leukemia. At the same time, it is necessary to respect the intervention program to avoid a new recurrence of the tumor. To give the child extra 'weapons' to eliminate viruses and to reduce the risk of complications induced by viral infection, by circulating a charge of 'strong' antibodies, the infusion of hyperimmune plasma is chosen.

Obtained the authorization for compassionate use from the Ethics Committee of the Child Jesus and the clearance from the Regional Blood Center, the treatment is carried out on May 9 in the Covid Center of Palidoro. A treatment made possible thanks to the collaboration developed with the Spallanzani Hospital and the San Camillo Hospital. In the meantime, the boy's dad is also negative at Covid and everything is ready to carry out the last checks before the transplant. On May 29, the Infant Jesus' stem cells are infused to the Infant Jesus of the Janiculum.

The technique
This is the technique developed by the team of Professor Franco Locatelli, director of the Department of Onco-hematology and Cellular and Gene Therapy and developed in the Holy See Pediatric Hospital with the largest case studies in the world. To date, 700 parent transplants have been performed on children with leukemia and blood cancers.

The baby is now well
The baby is now in excellent general condition, has had no post-transplant complications, dad's cells are multiplying and he is moving towards complete recovery.