First successful bone marrow transplant for a child using bone marrow from a mother with a blood type incompatibility.

(Chinhphu.vn) - For the first time in Vietnam, a successful allogeneic bone marrow transplant for a child with Thalassemia using bone marrow from the biological mother, with incompatible blood types, was performed.

This is the first successful allogeneic bone marrow transplant in Vietnam for a child with Thalassemia, using bone marrow from the mother with a blood type incompatibility.

On the evening of September 8th, Hue Central Hospital announced that it had held a discharge ceremony for its 11th Thalassemia bone marrow transplant patient, using marrow from the mother with a blood group incompatibility.

According to Hue Central Hospital, six-year-old Vu Quynh C., from Bac Ninh , was diagnosed with Beta-Thalassemia at six months old and required monthly blood transfusions. She had been receiving iron chelation therapy since the age of three. A liver MRI showed moderate iron overload in the liver. After hearing about successful Thalassemia bone marrow transplants at Hue Central Hospital, she and her family traveled from Bac Ninh to Hue to undergo the procedure.

After HLA testing confirmed that Vu Quynh C had an 11/12 HLA match with her biological mother, the hospital's Board of Directors held a consultation meeting with various departments and centers within the hospital, as well as experts from Italy, to plan the transplant for the child on August 11, 2025.

According to doctors, this is a special transplant case for two reasons: blood group incompatibility between mother and child, with the baby having blood type A and the mother having blood type AB. Previously in Vietnam, for cases with blood group incompatibility, red blood cell apheresis would be performed after collecting bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells, and some hospitals would use Rituximab. At Hue Central Hospital, a new technique was applied, ensuring immune tolerance by transfusing the donor's blood into the recipient's body in gradually increasing volumes: 5 ml on the first day, 10 ml on the second day, 20 ml on the third day, and 40 ml on the fourth day. In parallel with the blood transfusion, the patient also received multiple intravenous fluids and anti-allergy medication.

Doctors applied advanced immune tolerance techniques in this bone marrow transplant.

Furthermore, this is the first thalassemia bone marrow transplant in Vietnam using marrow from the mother. Statistics show that 20% of siblings in a family have HLA matches. However, only 5% of children will have an HLA match with either their father or mother. For thalassemia bone marrow transplants using donors from parents, a different conditioning protocol is used compared to transplants from siblings.

During the transplant procedure, baby Vu Quynh C experienced complications including infection, bladder hemorrhage, and mild GVHD (Gynecological Hyperthermia) on the skin. With the spirit of "fighting to the end for the patient's survival," doctors at Hue Central Hospital closely monitored every moment and clinical development, coordinating across specialties and utilizing modern equipment. The patient gradually improved, with platelet and granulocyte counts recovering on days 20 and 24, respectively.

Today marks the 28th day since the transplant, and child C has been discharged from the hospital.

The child was discharged from the hospital 28 days after receiving a bone marrow transplant.

Thalassemia is a common inherited hematological disorder, with approximately 2,000-2,500 children in Vietnam diagnosed with a severe form each year. These children require lifelong treatment with blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy, leading to numerous complications affecting the heart, liver, kidneys, endocrine system, bones, and physical and mental development. Their lives are closely tied to hospitals, becoming a burden on their families and society.

As a top-tier hospital under the Ministry of Health , Hue Central Hospital has played a pioneering role in advanced medical techniques for many years, especially organ and stem cell transplantation. The hospital has successfully performed over 2400 organ and tissue transplants. Since 2019, the hospital has implemented stem cell transplantation in children, initially focusing on solid tumors such as high-risk neuroblastoma, metastatic retinoblastoma, and recurrent lymphoma, and later expanding to allogeneic stem cell transplantation for thalassemia.

Since September 2024, the hospital has officially implemented stem cell transplantation for the treatment of thalassemia. This is the first unit in the Central and Central Highlands regions, and the second in the entire country, to successfully perform this advanced technique. To date, the hospital has performed 61 stem cell transplants in children, including 11 allogeneic transplants for thalassemia patients. The hospital is also the first in the country to perform 11 allogeneic transplants for thalassemia patients in just one year. Currently, all patients are healthy and no longer require blood transfusions. Each successful transplant is a medical miracle, a beacon of hope for life for each family.

Currently, due to the increasing demand for bone marrow transplants, the hospital has expanded its transplant rooms. Last August, the hospital inaugurated two new transplant rooms. This allows the hospital to perform transplants on four pediatric patients simultaneously. In the very near future, the hospital will conduct half-matched transplants for children with thalassemia who do not have a complete HLA match with their siblings and parents, expanding the chances of healthy living for more thalassemia children, especially in cases where there were previously no curative treatment options.

Nhat Anh

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/lan-dau-ghep-tuy-thanh-cong-cho-tre-tu-nguon-tuy-me-ruot-co-bat-dong-nhom-mau-102250908202522911.htm