stem cell transplantation in iran; 1991 until 2009

hematology- oncology and stem cell transplantation research center related to tehran university of medical sciences located in shariati hospital. these center activities have started in 1991 in order to help needful patients and augment new data to reach new aspects of therapeutic trials. also it is one of the greatest stem cell transplantation centers in world and is the second center in the world based on the transplanted thalassemia patients. since 1991, 2426 first hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (hsct) has been performed in patients with different diseases. acute myelogenous leukemia (647 patients), thalassemia major (386 patients) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (335 patients) were the most common transplanted disorders, respectively. there were 1662 cases that have received allogeneic hsct and 764 cases that have received autologous hsct. number of allogeneic ant autologous hsct is increased during the time, but the allogeneic to autologous ratio remains constant.the first peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was performed in 1996 and since then, there was 1988 patients were done with this method. the donor types for 1662 allogeneic first hsct were 1577 (94.9%) human leukocyte antigen (hla) matched-identical siblings, 44 (2.6%), hla mismatched sibling/other relative, 16 (1%) syngeneic twins, 18 (1.1%) hla matched other relative and 7 (0.4%) unrelated.   the first cord blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was performed in 1998 and since then there was 16 patients that have obtained cord blood transplantations. recently, new methods have been used like donor lymphocyte infusion (dli) and cellular therapy. there were 147 patients with cellular therapy for post mi, cirrhosis, thalassemia major, multiple sclerosis, head of femour necrosis and gvhd treatment.