The Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion has opened Vietnam’s first free stem cell bank which gathers and stores donations of umbilical cords for the purposes of treating blood conditions and diseases. Doctor Nguyen Anh Tri, head of the institute, said the umbilical cord cells can be used in compatible patients to treat malignant blood diseases that require stem cell transplants. Leukemia patients, for example, have seen remarkable recoveries from the process. The institute sends experts to the Hanoi Ob-Gyn Hospital every day to collect the best-quality cords from over 100 deliveries there, with the mothers’ permission, Dr. Tri said. Stronger cords provide more blood and more stem cells, he said, adding that the cells can be stored for 15 to 17 years. Suitable cords yield between 160 milligrams and 280 milligrams of blood. Donor mothers must test negative for sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis B and C, HIV, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and autoimmune disorders. Deputy Head Bach Quoc Khanh of the institute said they have successfully used stem cells to cure nine patients of severe blood diseases. Some have already recovered and are leading normal lives at home. Vietnam has several other umbilical cell banks but “depositors” usually pay fees of roughly VND25 million ($1,180) per year. Vietnamese doctors have used stem cell transplants to treat blood cancer, marrow tumors and other marrow disorders like paralysis. Last March, doctors treated a baby with cerebral palsy using stem cells. Foreign experts are studying their chances of curing autism, diabetes, Alzheimer, Parkinson, and strokes with the technology. Currently, a similar bank in Japan maintains 3,000 stem cell deposits and treats around 10 patients a month. (Thanh Nien – Young People Sept 26)
