Cell Therapy Department

The Cell Therapy Department processes and examines bone marrow grafts, peripheral stem cells and separated lymphocytes for patients of the IHBT, the Clinic of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology of the University Hospital in Motol, the 1st Internal Clinic of the General University Hospital in Prague, the Department of Hematology of the Royal Vinohrady University Hospital or, if need be, other establishments (in case of special techniques of graft handling). Furthermore, it prepares grafts also for foreign establishments, just as it accepts grafts from abroad. In this field it collaborates with the Czech Stem Cells Registry of IKEM.

Staff members of the Cell Therapy Department are engaged in dispatching, defrosting and administering transplant cells at the patient’s bed. Apart from bone marrow stem cells for both autologous (self) and allogeneic (cells from another person) transplants, the department also processes peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood stem cells. Indicated patients’ graft is purified ex vivo or other manipulations are performed. Grafts are characterized so that their quality is determined. Unless it is an allogeneic transplantation with an immediate administration of a graft, grafts are frozen in a programmed freezer and stored in a cryobank in liquid nitrogen at -196°C.

A number of manipulations performed have the character of a research work. The Cell Therapy Department is involved in them in collaboration with other Czech and foreign establishments.

Umbilical Cord Blood Bank of the Czech Republic

The Cell Therapy Department is a leading centre of the project titled Umbilical Cord Blood Bank of the Czech Republic (Czech abbreviation: BPK ČR) which is supported by the Kapka naděje (A Drop of Hope) endowment fund. The BPK is also engaged in applied research in the field of the handling of stem cells obtained from hematopoietic tissues. After testing and typing, umbilical cord blood grafts are regularly included (with a six-month quarantine) in the BMDW international registry. Grafts of hemopoietic tissue are handled also outside working hours; phone service is available for the event of collection and administration at weekends.