New therapy helps extend the lifespan of cancer patients.

In Vietnam, Vinmec is pioneering the application of artificial insemination therapy (AIET) - a technology transferred from Japan - opening up opportunities to extend lifespan and improve quality of life for cancer patients.

At a conference on immunotherapy organized by the Nichi-In Center for Regenerative Medicine (NCRM) in Japan, Professor Dr. Nguyen Thanh Liem - Director of the Vinmec Institute of Stem Cells and Gene Technology - announced positive results after many years of implementing AIET in Vietnam.

Vinmec acquired this technology from GN Corporation (Japan) in 2018, with technical support from experts at the Nichi-In Center for Regenerative Medicine.

AIET utilizes the patient's own healthy immune cells, including autologous NK cells and T lymphocytes. Patients will have 100 ml of peripheral blood drawn. After 15-21 days of processing and culturing in the laboratory, the resulting product will be reinfused into the patient's own vein. According to Professor Liem, patients may require 2-6 treatment cycles, depending on the progression and stage of the cancer.

In practice at Vinmec, the use of AIET as an adjunct therapy in combination with standard treatments increases treatment effectiveness by 20-30% and significantly improves the survival time of patients with various types of cancer.

Liệu pháp mới giúp kéo dài thời gian sống cho bệnh nhân ung thư - 1 — One step in the process of immune cell proliferation at Vinmec (Photo: Vinmec).

Specifically, the results of two clinical trials conducted at Vinmec between 2016 and 2021 showed that the average survival time for colorectal cancer patients increased by 14.3 months. For lung and liver cancer, this figure rose to 18.7 months.

Not only are patients living longer, but they are also living better lives. Over 100 patients, including those with late-stage breast, ovarian, thyroid, and head and neck cancers, reported improved appetite, better sleep, reduced fatigue, nausea, and depression, as well as improved physical activity levels after treatment.

In particular, because it uses the patient's own cells and does not use foreign biological materials or intermediate culture layers, AIET causes virtually no side effects. The entire procedure is performed by Vinmec according to strict Japanese standards and complies with the Law on Safety of Regenerative Medicine, ensuring absolute safety throughout the treatment process.

The success of AIET is not only a milestone for Vinmec but also a significant step forward for regenerative medicine in Vietnam – a field considered the "key" to extending lifespan and improving quality of life in the 21st century.

While highly appreciating GN Group's AIET technology transfer initiative, Professor Liem also acknowledged GN's other outstanding interdisciplinary research in the field of regenerative medicine.

Notably, the technology for preserving articular cartilage using autologous cells demonstrates the ability to reverse cellular aging in the laboratory – an achievement that could usher in a new era for rehabilitative medicine in the future. Currently, this technology is being transferred to hospitals and research institutes internationally.

Nguyen Thanh Liem, former Director of the National Children's Hospital, is one of Vietnam's leading pediatric surgeons and a pioneering researcher in the fields of regenerative medicine and cell therapy.

He is the recipient of the 2018 Nikkei Asia Prize for Science and Technology, the Ho Chi Minh Prize, the Hero of Labor Medal, the Vietnamese Talent Award, and in 2025 was ranked among the world's most influential scientists by a research group from Stanford University (USA).

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