Development of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at the “dr Vukan Cupic” Institute for Health Protection of Mother and Child of Serbia

The first allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children in Serbia was performed in the 1970s at the Institute for Health Protection of Mother and Child of Serbia “Dr Vukan Cupic.” In December 1990, a haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was performed on a nine-month-old infant suffering from X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency. Seven years later, a Bone Marrow Transplantation Department was opened at the Institute for Health Protection of Mother and Child of Serbia “Dr Vukan Cupic.” Thanks to the members of the transplantation team, with the help and support of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia and the Republic Fund of Health Insurance, as well as assistance from several centers in Italy and England, significant success was achieved in the development of transplantation medicine. Each year, the members of the transplantation team at the Institute for Health Protection of Mother and Child of Serbia “Dr Vukan Cupic” perform 18-26 hematopoietic stem cell transplantations, both autologous and allogeneic (from an identical related donor, unrelated matched donor, related partially matched donor, related and unrelated cord blood).