Milestones

1968
World's first successful human bone marrow transplant for an infant with an immune deficiency syndrome

1974
BMT program established as an independent program to treat pediatric patients

1975
First successful transplant in a patient with lymphoma

1979
Adult BMT program established; formed joint BMT program with pediatrics

1982
First transplant for inherited metabolic disease

1985
One of the first BMTs using an unrelated is performed

Late 1980s
Development of autologous marrow transplant for chronic myelogenous leukemia

1991
First cord blood transplant performed with a related donor for child with leukemia

1992
Began using autologous BMT to treat stages 2, 3 and 4 breast cancer

1996
The University of Minnesota Cancer Center opens, providing contiguous lab space for pediatric and adult BMT researchers

1998
University of Minnesota cancer Center, affiliated with theBMT program, becomes a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center

1998
The 30th anniversary of the program

1999
The 3,000th BMT is performed

1999
The first sickle cell patient transplanted using a nonmyeloblative allogeneic sibling transplant

1999
The American Red Cross, Fairview-University Medical Center and the University of Minnesota team up to open the Midwest's first public cord blood bank

2000
The first umbilical cord blood transplant is performed on a Fanconi anemia patient using pre-implantation genetic testing to ensure the donor,s umbilical cord blood would provide a perfect tissue match

2000
The first successful double-cord blood transplant for the BMT program

2003
Successful and routine engraftment of cord blood grafts for adults using 2, closely matched cord blood units

2004
Successful early experience of leukemia reinduction using immunoablative therapy along with infusions of haploidentical donor natural killer cells

2004
Initial publication of experience with alternative donor, reduced intensity cord blood grafts for adult recipients who are too advanced in age or whose condition does not allow conventional allogeneic transplantation