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The announcement ceremony of the exclusive transfer of Japanese stem cell and immune cell technologies for cancer treatment took place in Tokyo, Japan, on November 9, under the witness of General Secretary and President To Lam.
It marks an important milestone for Viet Nam’s healthcare sector, as the country has fulfilled ahead of schedule its target of developing a national strategic technology product in the medical field. It also opens up new opportunities for treating cancer and various chronic diseases, improving public health domestically and paving the way for the development of medical tourism.
New milestone for Vietnamese medicine
Japan is a world leader in research and development, as well as the application of cell and immune cell technologies in healthcare, health enhancement, cancer treatment and the management of various chronic diseases. As of 2026, Japan has won three Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine for research achievements directly related to stem cells and immune cells.
Having outperformed dozens of leading institutions across Asia, Tam Anh General Hospital was selected by Japan’s Grandsoul Medical Group as its sole partner in Viet Nam for investment cooperation and comprehensive transfer of core stem cell and immune cell technologies meeting Japan’s high standards.
The two sides have selected next-generation cell technologies developed and applied by Grandsoul Medical Group in Japan. These technologies have received approval and official licensing for application in Japan from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, and have been in use there for many years.
The transfer focuses on two major areas: technologies for isolating, culturing and selectively differentiating adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and technologies for isolating, culturing and selectively differentiating natural killer (NK) cells for cancer treatment.
Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) technology is currently being researched and developed for a wide range of applications related to cardiovascular and neurological conditions, including stroke and dementia, as well as diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and skin rejuvenation.
Meanwhile, natural killer (NK) cell therapy offers new prospects for immunotherapy and can potentially be combined with other multimodal cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy.
Professor and Doctor of Science Matsuo Yoshinobu, a leading scientist at Grandsoul Medical Group and Senior Technology Expert at the Grandsoul Nara Institute of Immunology, said stem cell and immune cell technologies require particularly stringent professional expertise and quality control.
Tam Anh General Hospital system has a solid foundation in technology and human resources, together with rigorous and well-structured quality control procedures, providing favorable conditions for the hospital to receive and develop advanced Japanese technologies in a professional and timely manner, he noted.
From technology acquisition to self-reliance in Viet Nam
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tam Anh General Hospital System Ngo Chi Dung said, the completion of the stem cell and immune cell technology transfer from Japan represents an important milestone not only in bilateral healthcare cooperation but also in connecting technologies and establishing a network of experts with the shared goal of improving public health.
Meanwhile, Professor and Doctor of Medicine Ta Thanh Van, Chairman of the Professional Council of the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ha Noi said the hospital had made substantial, comprehensive investments in developing high-tech healthcare.
In medicine and cell therapy, Tam Anh has established a tissue and umbilical cord blood bank, which was licensed by the Ministry of Health in 2019. Alongside this, the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapy has also been established and significantly expanded, underlined Prof. Ta.
According to Associate Professor and Doctor of Medicine Pham Xuan Dung, Director of the Oncology Centre at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, immunotherapy is emerging as one of the major advances in modern cancer treatment.
This technology is being increasingly widely applied in cancer treatment, helping reshape treatment strategies and improve outcomes for patients with various types of cancer, including lung, stomach, colorectal, bladder, kidney, liver and breast cancers. One of its key advantages is its ability to recognize cancer cells and help the immune system selectively destroy them, he shared.
Viet Nam 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, eight million with diabetes, and more than five per cent of people aged over 60 suffering from dementia.
Access to mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) and natural killer (NK) cell technologies will provide Viet Nam with another cutting-edge, world-class tool for preventing and treating cancer and chronic diseases, as well as improving public health at home.
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, helping reduce the costs of seeking treatment abroad while contributing to the development of medical tourism.
