Indian-origin girl receives first rejection-free kidney from mother in UK

In a medical breakthrough, eight-year-old Indian-origin girl Aditi Shankar became the first child to have gone through a special type of kidney transplant in which she doesn't need to take long-term drugs to stop rejection of the organ in the United Kingdom.

The doctors working at Great Ormond Street Hospital stated that this experiment was a breakthrough in the world of medical science. They added that it was made possible after the Indian girl's immune system was reprogrammed before a new kidney was given to her.

To reprogramme the immune system of the girl, the doctors used bone marrow stem cells from the donor who was Aditi's mother Divya.

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After weeks of the transplant, Aditi was removed from immunosuppression which also decreased the risk of long-term side effects from the powerful drugs that are generally taken daily for preventing organ rejection.

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The girl has now started attending school, with both her transplanted kidney and immune system working normally.

Aditi was suffering from an extremely rare inherited condition called Schimke's immuno-osseous dysplasia (SIOD) which destroyed her immune system and led to the failing of her kidneys.

The girl first went through a bone marrow transplant as the doctors used stem cells from her mother to rebuild the patient's immune system.

After six months, the girl went through a kidney transplant, which was also donated by her mother, after which the new organ was easily accepted by her immune system.

Went into a 'special sleep'for surgery, says girl

Speaking to PA Media press agency, Divya said, "I was so happy to give her blood cells and a kidney. I just feel so proud."

Aditi stated that she went into "a special sleep" for the surgery. She stated that now that she has recovered, she feels that it is great. "I can go swimming," she said.

Children's kidney specialist at GOSH Prof Stephen Marks said that the kidney specialist of children at GOSH said that the treatment of Aditi appears to have been a success.

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"She is the first patient in the UK who has had a kidney transplant to not require immunosuppressive medication after the surgery," he stated.

"A month after the transplant, we were able to take her off all of her immunosuppression, which means she doesn't get the side effects of the drugs. It really is great to see that she is an active eight-year-old girl, back to school, able to have an excellent quality of life," he added.

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