Bone marrow is the factory inside your bones that makes blood. A transplant replaces a diseased or damaged factory with healthy blood-forming (stem) cells. Despite the name, the cells today usually come from the bloodstream rather than the marrow itself, collected in a process much like donating blood; cord blood is another source.
There are two kinds. In an autologous transplant, your own stem cells are collected and stored, high-dose chemotherapy clears the diseased marrow, and your cells are given back — used mainly in myeloma and some lymphomas. In an allogeneic transplant, the healthy cells come from a matched donor , which can cure diseases where your own marrow is the problem — leukaemia, aplastic anaemia, thalassaemia. First, strong medication ("conditioning") prepares the body; then the new cells are infused and, over weeks, "engraft" and begin making healthy blood.
A transplant is used for blood cancers, bone-marrow failure, and some inherited blood disorders, when it offers a better chance than other treatment. Which type — autologous or allogeneic — depends entirely on the disease. A haematologist confirms whether, when, and which kind is right, after staging the disease and assessing fitness.
OWN CELLS (AUTOLOGOUS) FOR CLINICAL EVIDENCE
The evidence
Thalassaemia is the clearest example of a cure, and one India has deep experience in. We give the published numbers and their context.
Thalassaemia major — early, low-risk
AllogeneicWhen done early, before iron overload has damaged organs.
Overall survival~97%
Thalassaemia-free (cured)~89%
Thalassaemia — long-term follow-up
137 patients, ~30 yearsA cohort followed for decades after transplant.
Living at last follow-up83.2%
Cured of thalassaemia78.8%
India experience
Tertiary centre seriesIndia runs some of the world's largest thalassaemia transplant programmes.
Published single-centre cohort164 patients
Best results when doneEarly, low-risk
Read these with their context. The best thalassaemia results come from transplanting early — before iron overload harms the heart and liver; in higher-risk, older patients, survival is lower (around 80–90%). 2 Outcomes for leukaemia and other diseases depend heavily on the specific diagnosis, stage and donor match, so a haematologist's individual assessment matters far more than any headline figure.
OUTCOMES
Benefits and limits
WHAT IT CAN DO- Cure diseases that are otherwise fatal or lifelong. 1,2
- End a lifetime of transfusions in thalassaemia.
- Give the immune system a chance to fight residual cancer (allogeneic).
- Offer the best long-term results when done early.
WHAT IT CANNOT DO- Avoid a demanding recovery with weeks in isolation.
- Remove the real risk of graft-versus-host disease (allogeneic).
- Guarantee success — some transplants do not take or the disease returns.
- Proceed without a suitable donor, when one is required.
DONOR MATCHING
The donor & matching
For an allogeneic transplant, the donor's tissue type (HLA) must match the patient closely enough to reduce rejection and graft-versus-host disease. The best-matched and simplest donor is usually a brother or sister ; each full sibling has about a one-in-four chance of being a full match. When no matched sibling exists, a matched unrelated donor can be sought through international registries, or a half-matched (haploidentical) parent, child or sibling can be used with modern techniques.
For international patients, bringing family members for tissue typing early is the practical first step, since a related donor avoids registry searches and shortens the timeline. Donating stem cells is usually done from the bloodstream and is a low-risk procedure for the donor.
SAFETY
Risks and complications
A transplant is intensive treatment with real risks, especially in the allogeneic setting. These are what a haematologist discusses at consent.
Infection
While the new marrow is growing, defences are very low — which is why patients stay in protected isolation and take preventive medication.
Graft-versus-host disease
In allogeneic transplants the donor cells can attack the patient's tissues; it ranges from mild to serious and is managed with medication.
Graft failure
Occasionally the new cells do not take, or the disease returns, and further treatment is needed.
Organ effects
The high-dose conditioning can affect the lungs, liver, fertility and hormones; these are discussed and monitored.
Your haematologist gives you the full, personalised list at consent. This is a summary, not a complete account.
BEFORE TREATMENT
What to prepare for
The donor search, the long stay, and the isolation are what international families most need to plan for.
01Send the diagnosis and reports
The exact diagnosis, stage and recent bloods and marrow reports let a haematologist confirm whether a transplant is right, and which type.
02Tissue-type the family early
For a donor transplant, HLA-typing siblings and close relatives is the first step. A related match avoids a registry search and speeds everything up.
03Plan for 8–12 weeks in India
Evaluation, conditioning, the transplant, three to four weeks in isolation, and monitoring until engraftment and early recovery are stable. Medical visas are needed for patient and donor.
04Prepare for isolation
The weeks in a protected, HEPA-filtered room are demanding. A dedicated attendant, and preparing children in advance, make a real difference.
05Life after: follow-up for months
Recovery continues for months, with medication and regular checks. We help set up follow-up with a haematologist close to home, coordinated with the Indian team.
INDICATIVE COST
Cost in India
Autologous, from$15,000
Allogeneic (matched)$22,000–30,000
Indicative, not a quotation. Half-matched and unrelated-donor transplants typically run higher (around $32,000–40,000+), plus any registry fees. The same treatment costs many times more in the USA or Europe. A current itemised estimate is prepared after clinical review of your records.
Transplant outcomes depend on a unit's volume, its isolation facilities and its infection-control expertise. These are the accredited centres in our network.
FAQ
Questions patients ask
Can a transplant cure my child's thalassaemia?
For many children it can. With a matched sibling donor and transplant done early, before organ damage, overall survival is around 97% and roughly 89% are cured of thalassaemia. 2 A haematologist confirms suitability and timing.
What if there's no matched sibling?
A matched unrelated donor can be sought through international registries, or a half-matched (haploidentical) relative used with modern techniques. Each adds cost and, for registries, time.
How long will we be in India?
Plan for about 8–12 weeks in total — evaluation, the transplant, three to four weeks of protected isolation, and monitoring until early recovery is stable.
Is donating stem cells hard on the donor?
Usually not. Cells are most often collected from the bloodstream in a process like donating blood, after a few days of injections; it is a low-risk procedure.
Why does doing it early matter so much?
In thalassaemia especially, transplanting before iron overload damages the heart and liver gives the best results; waiting lowers the odds. 2 Sending reports promptly helps us move quickly.
Every clinical claim on this page traces to one of these. Outcomes for individual diseases depend on diagnosis, stage and donor match, and are decided by a treating haematologist.
1Survival and late effects of haematopoietic cell transplantation in patients with thalassaemia major.
Bone Marrow Transplantation (Nature), 2022. 137 patients, median follow-up ~30 years: 83.2% living, 78.8% cured; 39-year overall and disease-free survival 81.4% and 74.5%.
2Cure for thalassaemia major — from allogeneic HSCT to gene therapy; Angelucci / Pesaro experience.
Haematologica, 2017 and related reviews. Overall survival ~97% and thalassaemia-free survival ~89% in low-risk, early patients; ~87% / ~80% in advanced disease; >90% survival when done early.
3Haematopoietic stem cell transplant outcomes in thalassaemia major — tertiary centre, South India.
Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, 2020. 164 patients; demonstrates India's large-volume thalassaemia transplant experience and the importance of early, low-risk transplant.
This page is written for patients and their families and is not medical advice. Health Route is a facilitator, not a healthcare provider. Whether a transplant is right, its type and timing, and donor suitability are decisions for a treating haematologist and transplant team who have assessed the patient.