3,000th stem cell transplant success

A 33-year-old woman suffering from leukemia underwent a successful hematopoietic stem cell transplant using umbilical cord blood on December 6.

The procedure at Shanghai General Hospital took place after the hospital received the blood from the China Stem Cell Group, which had flown it from Xi’an in Shaanxi Province.

It was the 3,000th such transplant conducted with blood supplied by the Jiading-based China Stem Cell Group, which works with more than 100 hospitals across China and is able to supply umbilical cord blood to about 800 patients in need of stem cell transplants every year.

In May, the woman was found to have acute myelogenous leukemia, and later underwent five chemotherapy sessions.

With the help of the Shanghai General Hospital, Cao found a matching donor. But the prospective donor refused to take further blood tests or to donate stem cells.

Shanghai General Hospital later helped Cao find hematopoietic stem cells by matching umbilical cord blood at the China Stem Cell Group. Its branches in Shanghai, Chongqing, Shaanxi and Suzhou each delivered a sample, with Shaanxi’s sample found to be the best match.

Doctors said Cao’s hematopoietic system would recover normal function soon.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with the use of umbilical cord blood is one of the most effective ways to treat leukemia. It has also been used to treat many other diseases, such as aplastic anemia, according to Wang Chun, director of Hematology at Shanghai General Hospital.

Early next year, China Stem Cell Group plans to put an affiliated stem cell hospital into operation at Bo’ao in Hainan Province. The hospital will have 100 wards and is expected to carry out more than 1,000 hematopoietic stem cell transplants each year.