The Brazilian Data Managers Working Group: a 10-year grassroots initiative for the development of the national hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapy registry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46765/2675-374X.2025v7n1e367Keywords:
Hematopoietic cell transplantation, National Registry, Cellular Therapy, CIBMTR, CAR-T CellAbstract
Hematopoietic cell transplantation is a data-driven field, and reporting to outcomes registries has become a common practice worldwide. However, comprehensive transplant data collection requires dedicated professionals who can accurately capture data, follow international guidelines, and maintain reliable databases for the evaluation of transplant outcomes. This article describes the development and evolution of the Brazilian Data Managers Working Group (GTGD) and its contributions to professional education, collaborative networking, registry implementation, data quality improvement, and scientific engagement in hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapy in Brazil. The transition from single-center reporting to the establishment of a national transplant registry required collaboration among centers, partnership between the Brazilian Society of Cellular Therapy and Bone Marrow Transplantation (SBTMO) and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR), and the development of the GTGD to ensure the sustainability of this effort. The GTGD originated from a grassroots collaboration among data managers and transplant centers seeking to address limited professional recognition, inconsistent reporting practices, and restricted access to specialized training. Supported by collaboration with the SBTMO and CIBMTR, the initiative evolved into a nationally coordinated network. Over the decade, the GTGD promoted structured education, knowledge sharing, professional development, operational support, standardized data-management practices, quality-improvement initiatives, and scientific collaboration. In parallel, participation in the national multicenter protocol expanded to 95 centers, with 51 centers reporting data to the CIBMTR by 2025. The group also developed educational resources, supported benchmarking and cellular therapy reporting, strengthened national and international collaboration, and increased the visibility and professional identity of data managers within transplant programs. This experience demonstrates how coordinated engagement, continuous education, institutional collaboration, and professional advocacy can contribute to the development of national registry infrastructure and the generation of reliable real-world evidence in hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapy.
References
1. Kanate AS, Majhail NS, Savani BN, Bredeson C, Champlin RE, Crawford S, et al. Indications for hematopoietic cell transplantation and immune effector cell therapy: guidelines from the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2020;26(7):1247-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbmt.2020.03.002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbmt.2020.03.002
2. Ferreira E, Dulley FL, Morsoletto F, Neto JZ, Pasquini R. Bone marrow transplantation in Brazil. Hum Immunol. 1985;14(3):324-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/0198-8859(85)90240-X DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0198-8859(85)90240-X
3. Miranda A. Um dia histórico: Hospital de Clínicas da UFPR é pioneiro da América Latina em transplante de medula óssea [Internet]. Curitiba: Universidade Federal do Paraná; 2019 [cited 2026 Jul 18]. Available from: https://www.ufpr.br/portalufpr/noticias/um-dia-historico-hospital-de-clinicas-da-ufpr-e-pioneiroda-america-latina-em-transplante-de-medula-ossea/
4. Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. CIBMTR 50th anniversary timeline [Internet]. Milwaukee (WI): CIBMTR; 2022 [cited 2026 Oct 14]. Available from: https://cibmtr.org/Files/CIBMTR-50th-Anniversary/Timeline-Slides--FINAL.pdf
5. Silva CC, Neves HRA, Simione AJ, Geraldo BLS, Miranda ECM, Pasquini MC, et al. Challenges and strategies used to increase the reporting of Brazilian hematopoietic stem cell transplantation data to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. J Bone Marrow Transplant Cell Ther. 2020;1(2):46-52. https://doi.org/10.46765/2675-374X.2020v1n1p46-52 DOI: https://doi.org/10.46765/2675-374X.2020v1n1p46-52
6. Voltarelli JC, Ferreira E, Pasquini R. História do transplante de células-tronco hematopoéticas no Brasil. In: Voltarelli JC, Pasquini R, Ortega ETT, editors. Transplante de células-tronco hematopoéticas. São Paulo: Atheneu; 2009. p. 15-42.
7. Instituto Nacional de Câncer José Alencar Gomes da Silva. Registro Brasileiro de Doadores Voluntários de Medula Óssea (REDOME): quem somos [Internet]. Rio de Janeiro: INCA; 2026 [cited 2026 Jul 18]. Available from: https://redome.inca.gov.br/quem-somos/
8. Arcuri LJ, Ribeiro AAF, Hamerschlak N, Kerbauy MN. Posttransplant cyclophosphamide beyond haploidentical transplantation. Ann Hematol. 2024;103(5):1483-91. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-023-05300-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-023-05300-8
9. Costa FF, Loebel RR, Duarte AM, Fernandes W, Marques JF, Vergueiro CSV, Seber A. A public project to train data managers and start a national hematopoietic stem cell transplantation registry in cooperation with the CIBMTR. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2019;25(3 Suppl):S272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbmt.2018.12.195 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbmt.2018.12.195
10. Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. Forms Instruction Manual: Transplant Essential Data (TED) and Comprehensive Report Forms (CRF) [Internet]. Milwaukee (WI): CIBMTR; 2026 [cited 2026 Jul 28]. Available from: https://cibmtr.org/CIBMTR/Data-Operations/Manuals-Guides
11. Silva CC, Ribeiro AF, Simione AJ, Neves HRA, Colturato VAR, Pasquini MC, et al. Development of forms for a tutorial of Transplant Essential Data (TED) as a tool to facilitate understanding and learning about data entry in CIBMTR to Brazilian centers. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2017;23(3 Suppl):S153-4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbmt.2016.12.287 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbmt.2016.12.136
12. Silva CC, Neves HRA, Simione AJ, et al. Results of a distance-learning tutorial for Brazilian centers on how to insert data in the CIBMTR registry. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2018;24(3 Suppl):S434. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbmt.2017.12.649 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbmt.2017.12.561
13. Sociedade Brasileira de Terapia Celular e Transplante de Medula Óssea. Manual de apoio para gerentes de dados em TCTH e terapia celular [Internet]. São Paulo: SBTMO; 2024 [cited 2026 Jul 15]. Available from: https://sbtmo.org.br/grupos-de-trabalhos/gerentes-de-dados/
14. Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. CPI Compliance Program [Internet]. Milwaukee (WI): CIBMTR [cited 2026 Jul 24]. Available from: https://cibmtr.org/CIBMTR/Data-Operations/Data-Operations-Compliance/CPI-Compliance-Program
15. Sociedade Brasileira de Terapia Celular e Transplante de Medula Óssea. Regimento Interno dos Grupos de Trabalho da SBTMO [Internet]. São Paulo: SBTMO; 2023 [cited 2026 Oct 14]. Available from: https://sbtmo.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Regimento-Interno-GTs_SBTMO_2023.pdf
16. Simione AJ, Silva CC, Vigorito AC, Macedo AV, Neves HRA, Varjão VAN, et al. Current activity trends and outcomes of hematopoietic cell transplantation: a 2026 report from the Brazilian Registry of Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in collaboration with the CIBMTR and SBTMO. J Bone Marrow Transplant Cell Ther. 2026;7(1):e353. https://doi.org/10.46765/2675-374X.2025v7n1e353 DOI: https://doi.org/10.46765/2675-374X.2025v7n1e353
17. Correa C, Gonzalez-Ramella O, Baldomero H, Basquiera AL, Baena R, Arcuri L, et al. Increasing access to hematopoietic cell transplantation in Latin America: results of the 2018 LABMT activity survey and trends since 2012. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2022;57(6):881-8. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-022-01630-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-022-01630-9
18. Galeano S, Bonfim C, Karduss A, Jaimovich G, Gómez-De León A, Bettarello G, et al. Results of the Latin American Bone Marrow Transplantation Society activity survey 2019-2022: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the increase in related haploidentical donors. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2025;60(7):971-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-025-02600-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41409-025-02600-7
19. Brasil. Portaria GM/MS n. 8.041, de 25 de setembro de 2025. Altera a Portaria de Consolidação GM/ MS n. 4, de 28 de setembro de 2017, para estabelecer a Política Nacional de Doação e Transplantes e definir o Regulamento Técnico do Sistema Nacional de Transplantes. Diário Oficial da União [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2026 Aug 12]. Available from: https://www.in.gov.br/en/web/dou/-/portaria-gm/ms-n-8.041-de-25-de-setembro-de-2025-*-658713632
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Cinthya Corrêa da Silva, Heliz Regina Alves das Neves, Anderson João Simione, Alayne Magalhães Trindade Domingues Yamada, Antonio Vaz de Macedo, Afonso Celso Vigorito, Vanessa Aparecida do Nascimento Varjão, Flavia Ferreira da Costa, Adriana Mendes de Quadros Cavilha, Monique Ammi, Nelson Hamerschlak, Vergilio Antonio Rensi Colturato, Adriana Seber, Carmen Silvia Vieitas Vergueiro, Simone Ojima Ferreira, Andreia Ribeiro de Almeida, Vaneuza Araújo Moreira Funke, Ricardo Pasquini, Carmem Maria Sales Bonfim, Paula Moreira da Silva Sabaini, Rosana Rocha Concilio, Joaquim Gasparini, Bruna Letícia da Silva Santos Geraldo, Leonardo Jun Otuyama, Luiz Carlos da Costa Junior, Eliana Cristina Martins Miranda, Fernando Barroso Duarte, Beatrice Araújo Duarte, Marcelo C. Pasquini

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
