The Department of Transfusion Medicine, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, in collaboration with the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute (RGCI), New Delhi, successfully hosted the CELLCure Pre-Conference Workshop on Cellular Therapy as part of TRANSCON 2025 – the 50th Annual Conference of the Indian Society of Blood Transfusion and Immunohaematology (ISBTI).

The full-day workshop brought together distinguished clinicians, researchers, scientists, and technical experts for an intensive program combining knowledge-sharing, hands-on training, and live demonstrations in the rapidly evolving field of cellular therapy.

The workshop featured expert sessions on CAR-T cells and their clinical perspectives, leukapheresis, CD34 and CD3 cell enumeration, extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP), stem cell registries, and the significance of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) laboratories in ensuring safe and effective therapies. Renowned faculty including Dr. Rahul Katharia, Dr. Prashant Mehta, Dr. Swati Pabbi, Dr. Amardeep Pathak, Dr. Nupur Das, Dr. Pramod Yadav, Dr. Anubhav Pandey, and Dr. Nitin Agarwal led the scientific sessions, enriching the program with their specialized expertise.

A key highlight was the hands-on training component, where participants engaged in practical demonstrations of cutting-edge techniques such as whole blood automation, flow cytometry-based CD34 enumeration, ECP, and cryopreservation of cells. Participants also had the unique opportunity to tour the GMP Laboratory at Amrita Hospital, offering rare insights into the state-of-the-art facilities and stringent processes that uphold international standards in cellular therapy.

The workshop drew wide participation from clinicians, resident doctors, scientists, technical specialists, and industry representatives. Active discussions, interactive Q&A sessions, and live demonstrations fostered a highly engaging learning environment. The program concluded with a certificate distribution ceremony, followed by a networking session that encouraged collaboration and future research partnerships.

The event was coordinated under the leadership of Workshop Chairpersons Dr. Rahul Katharia (Amrita Hospital) and Dr. Amardeep Pathak (RGCI), along with Workshop Secretary Dr. Swati Pabbi and a dedicated team of faculty and technical coordinators. The CELLCure workshop was a resounding success, establishing itself as a highlight of TRANSCON 2025.