The Tam Anh General Hospital Group has become the first and only institution in Vietnam to be selected, on an exclusive basis, for the comprehensive transfer of core stem cell and immune cell technologies from a leading Japanese group, opening up new opportunities for treating cancer and chronic diseases and improving the health of people in Vietnam.
Mastering cell technology (stem cells and immune cells) to treat cancer, chronic diseases and intractable diseases is a national strategy approved by the Government for implementation from 2026 to 2030. The comprehensive and in-depth transfer of core cell technology from Japan is good news: Vietnam has its first strategic technology product to “reach the finish line” early, with the technology transfer completed.
Ngo Thi Ngoc Hoa, chief executive of Tam Anh general hospital system (in pink ao dai), and Dr Tsujimura Takahiro, director of the Grandsoul Nara Immunology Research Institute under Japan’s Grandsoul Medical Group (second from left in the front row), exchange documents confirming the completion of the exclusive transfer of stem cell and immune cell technology in the presence of senior Vietnamese and Japanese leaders (Photo: VNA).
Japan is among the world's leading countries in research and development of stem cell and immune cell technologies for regenerative medicine and cancer treatment. It has produced three Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine in this field. The technology transfer from Japan represents another step in Tam Anh's strategy to build a high-tech healthcare ecosystem, particularly in oncology.
After competing with dozens of leading institutions across Asia, Tam Anh General Hospital was selected by Japan's Grandsoul Medical Group as its sole partner in Vietnam for investment and the comprehensive transfer of advanced stem cell and immune cell technologies.
The Japanese group will also transfer its knowledge and practical expertise in applying these technologies to cancer treatment, serious chronic diseases and preventive healthcare.
Ngo Chi Dung, chairman of the board of Tam Anh General Hospital System, said completing the technology transfer was an important milestone not only in healthcare cooperation between Vietnam and Japan but also in connecting technologies and establishing a network of experts with the shared goal of improving public health.
The two sides have selected next-generation cellular technologies researched, developed and applied by Grandsoul Medical Group. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) has approved and licensed several of these technologies for official use in the country for a number of years.
The transfer focuses on two main areas: the isolation, cultivation and selective differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and the isolation, cultivation and selective differentiation of natural killer (NK) immune cells for cancer treatment.
MSCs are being researched and developed for potential applications in various conditions, including cardiovascular and neurological diseases, such as stroke and dementia, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and skin rejuvenation.
NK cell technology offers further opportunities in immunotherapy and may be combined with other multimodal cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy.
Professor Matsuo Yoshinobu, a leading scientist at Grandsoul Medical Group and senior technology expert at the Grandsoul Nara Immunology Research Institute, said stem cell and immune cell technologies required exceptionally strict professional standards and quality control.
Mastering these core technologies requires not only high levels of technical expertise but also the coordinated development of four key pillars: personnel, technical procedures, equipment systems and quality management.
Professor Yoshinobu praised Tam Anh General Hospital for its technological capabilities, qualified personnel and rigorous, systematic quality control procedures.
Professor Ta Thanh Van, chairman of the Professional Council of the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy at Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi and a leading Vietnamese expert in stem cells and immune cells, said the hospital had made substantial investments in developing high-tech healthcare.
In regenerative medicine and cell therapy, Tam Anh has established a tissue and umbilical cord blood bank, which received a licence from the Ministry of Health in 2019. The hospital has also continued to develop its Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy.
Pham Xuan Dung, director of the Oncology Centre at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, said immunotherapy was emerging as one of the most important advances in modern cancer treatment.
The approach is increasingly being used to treat cancer, helping transform treatment strategies and improve outcomes for patients with various types of the disease, including breast, lung, stomach, bladder, kidney and colorectal cancers.
Vietnam records approximately 180,000 new cancer cases and more than 120,000 cancer-related deaths each year. The country also has around 1.6 million people living with heart failure, while its stroke incidence stands at 1,541 cases per 100,000 people, among the highest rates in Southeast Asia.
In addition, approximately eight million people in Vietnam have diabetes, while more than 5 per cent of those aged over 60 are affected by dementia.
According to Prof. Ta Thanh Van, the cell technologies are intended to be applied at five facilities of the Tam Anh General Hospital Group in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which handle more than 10,000 patient visits a day.
The application of cellular therapies in Vietnam could give patients greater access to advanced treatments at home, reducing the financial costs and practical burdens of travelling abroad for medical care. It could also help attract international patients to Vietnam for medical examinations and treatment.
