Cellular Therapy at The Ottawa Hospital

Doctors interacting with a young patient.

Since the onset of stem cell therapy at The Ottawa Hospital in 1981, over 3,500 transplants have been performed at the institution. The Program treats patients affected by chronic and acute forms of leukemia, aplastic anemia, myelodysplasia, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, some forms of multiple sclerosis, and wide-ranging autoimmune illnesses. A total of 234 stem cell transplants were performed in 2021, with over 40% of patients traveling from regions outside of Ottawa. The program is growing at a rapid pace, as new stem cell-based therapeutic therapies are developed. The highly specialized facility also serves as a hub for unrelated stem cell donation collections and provides cellular therapy products to patients in Canada and around the world.