This is the first time in Vietnam that a successful allogeneic bone marrow transplant for a pediatric Thalassemia patient has been performed using bone marrow from the child’s biological mother, despite blood group incompatibility.
On the evening of September 8, 2025, Hue Central Hospital announced that it had held a discharge ceremony for its 11th Thalassemia bone marrow transplant case, using bone marrow taken from the patient’s mother, with blood group incompatibility.
According to Hue Central Hospital, the patient, Vu Quynh C., a 6-year-old child from Bac Ninh, was diagnosed with Beta-Thalassemia at 6 months old and had to be hospitalized for monthly blood transfusions. The child had been receiving iron chelation therapy since the age of 3. A liver MRI showed moderate iron overload in the liver. After hearing about successful Thalassemia bone marrow transplant cases at Hue Central Hospital, the child and family traveled from Bac Ninh to Hue for the transplant.
After HLA testing showed that Vu Quynh C. had an 11/12 HLA match with the biological mother, the Hospital Board of Directors held a consultation meeting with departments and centers within the hospital, along with an expert from Italy, to plan the transplant for the child on August 11, 2025.
According to doctors, this was a special transplant case for two reasons. First, there was blood group incompatibility between mother and child: the child had blood type A, while the mother had blood type AB. Previously in Vietnam, for cases involving blood group incompatibility, red blood cell depletion would be performed after collecting bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells, while some hospitals would use Rituximab. At Hue Central Hospital, doctors applied a new technique of immune tolerance by gradually transfusing the donor’s blood type into the recipient’s body in 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 was also given multiple fluid infusions and anti-allergy medication.
Doctors applied an advanced immune tolerance technique in this bone marrow transplant case.
In addition, this was the first Thalassemia bone marrow transplant case in Vietnam using bone marrow from the patient’s mother. According to statistics, about 20% of siblings in a family have HLA compatibility. However, only around 5% of children have HLA compatibility with their father or mother. For Thalassemia bone marrow transplants using a parent as the donor, a different conditioning regimen is used compared with cases using bone marrow from siblings.
During the transplant process, Vu Quynh C. experienced complications including infection, bladder bleeding, and mild skin GVHD. With the spirit of “fighting to the end for the patient’s survival,” doctors at Hue Central Hospital closely monitored every moment and every clinical development, coordinated across specialties, and utilized a modern equipment system. The patient gradually improved, with platelet and granulocyte recovery on days 20 and 24. On day 28 after the transplant, the child was discharged from the hospital.
The pediatric patient was discharged after 28 days following the bone marrow transplant.
Thalassemia is a common hereditary blood disorder. Each year, approximately 2,000–2,500 children in Vietnam are diagnosed with severe forms of the disease. Pediatric patients require lifelong treatment with blood transfusions and iron chelation, which can lead to many complications affecting the heart, liver, kidneys, endocrine system, bones, and physical and mental development. Children’s lives become closely tied to hospitals, creating a heavy burden for families and society.
As a special-grade hospital under the Ministry of Health, Hue Central Hospital has for many years played a pioneering role in advanced medical techniques, especially organ transplantation and stem cell transplantation. The hospital has successfully performed more than 2,400 organ and tissue transplant cases. Since 2019, the hospital has implemented stem cell transplantation techniques in children, beginning with transplants for 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. It is the first unit in the Central and Central Highlands region, and the second nationwide, to perform this advanced technique. To date, the hospital has performed 61 pediatric stem cell transplants, including 11 allogeneic transplants for children with congenital hemolytic anemia. It is also the first unit in the country to perform 11 allogeneic transplants for pediatric patients with congenital hemolytic anemia within just one year. Currently, all pediatric patients are healthy and no longer dependent on blood transfusions. Each successful transplant is not only a medical miracle but also a renewed hope for life in every family.
At present, as demand for bone marrow transplant cases continues to increase, the hospital has expanded its transplant rooms. In August, the hospital inaugurated two new transplant rooms. As a result, the hospital can now perform transplants for four pediatric patients at the same time. In the very near future, the hospital will carry out haploidentical transplants for children with Thalassemia who do not have full HLA compatibility with siblings or parents, thereby expanding the chance of a healthy life for more children with Thalassemia, especially those who previously had no definitive treatment option.