KUWAIT: The National Bank of Kuwait specialized children’s hospital announced on Tuesday the introduction of an engineering cell therapy service in the Department of Hematology, pediatric cancer, and cell transplantation with a success rate of 95 percent. The head of the Department of Hematology, Pediatric Cancer, and Stem Cell Transplantation at the hospital, Dr Sundus Al-Sharida, stressed in a speech at the opening of the third Kuwait conference on pediatric stem cell transplantation and cell therapy the keenness to keep abreast of the developments and novelties of patient treatment and follow-up on the various therapeutic options for pediatric cancer patients.
She added that the phototherapy service has been introduced as a new step towards treating complications of stem cell transplantation for patients, during which universal therapeutic protocols are adopted. She pointed out that cortisone constitutes the first therapeutic stage, while aphasia comes in the third stage, noting that this therapeutic service was provided for seven cases, all of which achieved positive results.
She pointed out that immunotherapy is one of the options that have been provided recently and is an effective alternative and less effective than chemotherapy, pointing out that the Ministry of Health is working to provide advanced medicines, equipment, devices, and new treatments in this field. The two-day conference is being held under the auspices of the minister of health, Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi, and brings together experts and researchers in the field of pediatric stem cell transplantation science. 18 speakers from inside and outside Kuwait will participate in the summit.
The conference is interspersed with many scientific papers and lectures, such as stem cell transplantation from an identical and half donor and others related to gene therapy (for sickle cell anemia) and thalassemia. The conference will also discuss cell engineering therapy, in addition to the latest developments in the treatment. — KUNA