HCMC Hospital to Produce CAR-T Cells for Blood Cancer Treatment in Vietnam

Advancements in Blood Cancer Treatment

Ho Chi Minh City's Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital is taking a significant step forward in the treatment of blood cancer by preparing to produce CAR-T cells domestically. This development could drastically reduce the costs associated with the treatment, which currently require patients to travel abroad, spending billions of dong on procedures.

Dr. Phu Chi Dung, director of the hospital, highlighted at a recent press conference that if CAR-T cells can be produced locally, the cost of treatment could be reduced to under VND500 million (US$19,000). The announcement came during the opening of three concurrent international and national conferences on transfusion, transplantation, and cell therapy, which are scheduled to run from Tuesday to Saturday.

More than 2,000 delegates, including nearly 350 from abroad, are attending these events, showcasing the global interest in advancements in medical treatments.

Understanding CAR-T Cell Therapy

CAR T-cell therapy involves genetically modifying a patient's own T-cells, which are a type of immune cell, to express a synthetic receptor known as a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). This allows the modified T-cells to recognize and bind to specific proteins, or antigens, on the surface of cancer cells, enabling them to destroy the cancerous cells.

The process begins with collecting T-cells from a patient's blood. These cells are then modified in a laboratory setting to create CARs that target specific antigens found on cancer cells. Once a large number of CAR T-cells are produced, they are infused back into the patient to seek out and eliminate the cancer cells.

A Pioneering Case in Vietnam

The first Vietnamese patient to receive CAR-T cell therapy was a 12-year-old girl diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-cell), a severe form of blood cancer. With the hospital's assistance, she traveled to Taiwan for the infusion and has since returned to Vietnam, where she is undergoing monthly maintenance therapy. She has remained stable for over a year.

Initially, she underwent chemotherapy, but the cancer quickly recurred. Subsequently, she had a haploidentical stem cell transplant from her father, but the disease again recurred rapidly. This case highlights the importance of innovative therapies like CAR-T cell treatment in overcoming the limitations of traditional approaches.

The Impact of CAR-T Cell Therapy

Dr. Dung emphasized that CAR-T cell therapy is among the most complex techniques in hematology but is considered one of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine. According to numerous international studies, this therapy targets and destroys cancer cells, reduces the risk of relapse, prolongs survival, and improves the quality of life for patients.

However, the cost of this treatment remains extremely high, often reaching tens of billions of dong. While treatment in Taiwan is relatively cheaper compared to other countries, it still incurs costs in the billions. To address this issue, the hospital has been upgrading its facilities, sending medical staff for training in Taiwan, and collaborating with international experts to move toward local production of CAR-T cells.

Future Prospects and Research

The hospital is also conducting a research project aimed at developing a national study on CAR-T cell therapy. If successful, this initiative could significantly lower treatment costs, making advanced therapy more accessible to blood cancer patients without requiring them to leave the country.

HCMC's Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital is a top-tier specialty facility and the leading referral center for southern Vietnam. It is also one of the country's foremost institutions in transfusion medicine and hematology. The hospital has pioneered many complex techniques and is now the largest bone marrow transplant center in Vietnam, offering nearly all of the world's advanced treatments, including stem cell transplantation, the latest chemotherapy protocols, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.