On December 31st, 2015, IME (Mediterranean Institute of Hematology) ceased its activities at the Policlinico Tor Vergata Hospital (Rome), due to eviction for the debt accumulated in recent years. 

Thalassemia, or Mediterranean anemia, is one of the most common genetic diseases.
Every year in the world it is estimated that tens of thousands of children with thalassemia die. Most are located in the Middle East and in South-East Asia where many die before reaching 35 years of age.

The only cure for thalassemia is bone marrow transplantation, with a 90% healing rate in young children. This was invented by Professor Guido Lucarelli about 30 years ago on the basis of the findings of Nobel Prize for Medicine recipient D. Thomas, who has given ample credit to the Italian doctor, including in his book “Bone Marrow Transplantation,” which, by modifying the protocol, is used to treat many diseases including leukemia. It is considered to be a book of worldwide reference (among doctors it is referred to as “The Thomas”) and the thalassemia chapter was written by Dr. Lucarelli.
Dr. Lucarelli, current scientific director of IME, is considered to be the greatest expert in the world on thalassemia cure and has published over 300 scientific articles on this subject and performed (with his group first in Pesaro and then in Rome at IME) more than 1,500 transplants (about half of the total performed worldwide in thalassemia).

The transplantation invented by Lucarelli calls for the use of a compatible donor, which, however, only 30% of children on average have. For the remaining 70%: Dr. Pietro Sodani in his 12 years at IME has developed changes to the transplantation protocol invented by Dr. Lucarelli to use the mother or father as a non compatible donor, with positive results. The first related scientific publication came out in 2009 with the first 22 children. Ann Woolfrey, who works in the most prestigious bone marrow transplant center in the world, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle (USA), commented favorably on this work with a scientific article eloquently entitled “Breaking Barriers.” To date 55 transplants of this type have been performed at IME. There is nothing in the world comparable to this.

Since 2004 at IME 305 bone marrow transplants have been performed, 55 from non-compatible (mother / father) donors, and 250 from compatible donors.

Help us to find a solution to cure children with thalassemia and to continue to diffuse the cure worldwide.

With political will, a technical solution can be found.