END OF THE YEAR MESSAGE 2025

Dear Members,

As we draw the curtains on the year 2025, the Office Bearers would like to pause and reflect on a year that has been both purposeful and progressive for the Indian Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ISBMT). This year has been marked by meaningful collaboration, capacity building, and a shared commitment to advancing the science and practice of HSCT and cellular therapy across the country.

Education and Training remained the cornerstone of our activities in 2025. A major highlight was the successful eight-month collaboration with the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT). Through this partnership, we were privileged to host six eminent EBMT speakers—Dr Josu De La Fuente, Dr Rob Wynn, Prof. Arnon Nagler, Prof. Dr. Peter Lang, Dr. Isabel Salcedo, and Ms. Liana Abu Rumieleh—who contributed to the nurses and physicians webinars. In addition, monthly Clinical Grand Rounds were conducted with distinguished EBMT experts including Dr Olaf Penack, Prof. Per Ljungman, Prof. Ali Bazarbachi, Dr José Luis Piñana, Dr Annalisa Ruggeri, and Dr Raffaella Greco. These initiatives significantly enriched academic exchange and strengthened global engagement. Alongside this, ISBMT continued to explore and strengthen its academic engagement with the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT), reflecting a shared vision of global collaboration and excellence in HSCT and cellular therapy.

The year also marked the completion of one full year of Patient Support Group webinars, reinforcing ISBMT’s commitment to patient advocacy, survivorship, and holistic care. These webinars have served as an important platform for education & engagement for patients and caregivers.

The 6th Annual Scientific Meeting of ISBMT 2025, held from 2nd to 4th May 2025 in Bengaluru, was a major academic milestone for the society. With the theme “Reducing toxicity and improving survival,” the meeting brought together nearly 600 delegates, including physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, researchers, industry partners, and patient representatives. The three-day program featured comprehensive scientific sessions, a strong nursing and data management track, the introduction of a dedicated Allied Health Program, and a landmark Patient Support Group Meeting, reinforcing ISBMT’s commitment to multidisciplinary and patient-centred care. Over 140 abstracts were presented through oral and poster sessions, encouraging high-quality research and knowledge exchange. The meeting successfully fostered collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity, reflecting ISBMT’s growing national impact.

The BMT Masterclass 2025, held on 13th and 14th December at ACTREC, Navi Mumbai, was a resounding success. The program brought together 50 students and 35 faculty members and featured a well-structured curriculum covering basic to advanced concepts in blood and marrow transplantation. In addition to expert-led faculty sessions, the masterclass included case presentations by students, fostering interactive learning and clinical reasoning, and reinforcing ISBMT’s commitment to structured education and capacity building in HSCT.

ISBMT’s Working Groups remained highly active throughout the year, with 21 projects currently ongoing across various domains. Notably, a project from the Acute Leukemia Working Group has been accepted for presentation at the Tandem Meetings (Annual ASTCT Meeting) in February 2026, reflecting the growing academic impact of ISBMT-led collaborative research.

The ISBMT Registry also made remarkable progress in 2025, with approximately 2,350 data entries completed for the year 2025 alone, demonstrating increased engagement and commitment from transplant centres across the country. To support this expansion, the Registry team conducted dedicated training workshops throughout October and November, focusing on familiarising centres with the additional data fields introduced in the registry portal.

Our society also grew in strength and diversity this year. We were delighted to welcome 12 new HSCT centres and 16 individual members into the ISBMT fraternity, reflecting the expanding footprint and collective spirit of transplantation services across India. On behalf of the Office Bearers, we extend our sincere gratitude to all our members, faculty, collaborators and partners. Your unwavering support, enthusiasm, and dedication have been central to every milestone achieved in 2025.

As we look ahead to 2026, we do so with optimism and renewed purpose. The coming year promises deeper engagement, expanded educational initiatives, stronger research collaborations, and continued efforts to improve patient outcomes through innovation and collective action.

We thank you for being an integral part of the ISBMT journey and look forward to your continued support in the year ahead. Wishing you a year of purpose, progress, and well-being. Happy new year!