Thanh Liem Nguyen

MD, Professor
Head of the Gynecology Department at Vinmec International Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam

GENERAL INFORMATION

Thanh Liem Nguyen

Nguyen Thanh Liem is a pioneer and innovator in pediatric endoscopic surgery and stem cell transplantation. He graduated from Hanoi Medical University in 1975 and completed medical residency program in Surgery at Viet Due Hospital in 1979. He defended his PhD. thesis in 1991 and was appointed as a Medical Professor in Surgery in 2009. He is internationally recognized inventor by his seven advanced operative techniques in the Pediatric surgery. Regarding the stem cell applications and studies, Prof. Liem is a pioneer of using stem cell therapy for cerebral palsy due to neonatal kernicterus children, autism, unmet diseases such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, liver cirrhosis. Throughout his career, he has been in charge of a number of important positions such as Director of Vietnam National Children Hospital from 2002 to 2012; Director of Vinmec International Hospital from 2013-2016; Vice president of Asian Association of Pediatric Surgery; President of Vietnam Association of Pediatric Surgery. Currently, Prof. Liem is the director of Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology. He has published 75 studies on the international journals and over 200 papers on domestic journals. He is also the co-author of surgery Pediatric textbooks such as Operative Pediatric Surgery and Ashcraft's Pediatric Surgery. Prof. Nguyen Thanh Liem has been invited to give lectures and performed demonstrative surgeries in many countries including the US, France, Netherlands, Italia, Australia, Japan, India and South Korea. By his dedicated and delightful contributions to the medical practices and research, he has been honored many prestige awards conferred by the Vietnam government such as Ho Chi Minh Award, National Labor Hero Medal, Award of Vietnam Talent; People's Physician. In 2018, he has been awarded the 2018 Nikkei Asia Prize in the Science and Technology category thank to his contribution to develop and popularize Pediatric endoscopic surgery in Asia and in the world.

Outcomes of Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cell Transplantation (BMMNCT)
for Cerebral Palsy and Autism

Sharing the Experience at International Conference in Moscow, Russia, November 2019

Aim:
Aim is to present outcomes of BMMNCT for children with cerebral palsy (CP) and autism.

Method:
Bone marrow were harvested from anterior iliac crests.
After processing, 5ml of solution contain mononuclear cells were intrathecally infused through the space between L4 and L5.

Result:
From 2015-2019, three clinical trials have been carried out.

Clinical trial 1:
30 patients with CP related to oxygen deprivation received BMMNCT.
Significant changes were observed in the children's gross motor function and muscle spasticity, as evidenced by the GMFM-88 total score, scores for each of its domains, the GMFM-66 percentile and the muscle tone (P < 0.001).
Six months after the transplantations, the QOL scores of children with CP were markedly increased (P < 0.001) for all the domains, except for the domain of access to services.

Clinical trial 2:
25 patients with CP related to neonatal kernicterus underwent BMMNCT.
In this trial, we observed significant improvement in gross motor function and a significant decrease in muscle tone values.
Total score on the 88-item GMFM (GMFM-88), scores on each GMFM-88 domain, and the 66-item GMFM (GMFM-66) percentile were significantly enhanced at 6 months and 12 months after the first transplantation compared with the corresponding baseline measurements (p-values < 0.05). In addition, a significant reduction was observed in muscle tone score after the transplantations (p-value < 0.05).

Clinical trial 3:
30 patients with autism received BMMNCT. There were no severe adverse events associated with transplantation.
After transplantation 18 months, social communication, language, daily skills improved significantly.
Repetitive behaviors, hyperactive manifestation significant decreased.
Severity of autism reduced significantly: CARS score from 49.9 to 45.2, ADOS scores from 10 to 8.
Adaptive capacity increased with change of Vineland scores from 52.4 to 60.4

Conclusion:
Autologous BMMCT is safe and effective for children with CP related to oxygen deprivation, to neonatal kernicterus, and autism.

References:

Liem Nguyen Thanh
Vinmec International Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam