Three-Year Milestone! First Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patient at Xiangya Third Hospital Recovers and 'Graduates'

Background

In September 2025, a child known as Xiao Ni (a pseudonym) returned to the pediatric hematology and oncology outpatient clinic at The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in Changsha. Three years after undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, she was assessed by experts and found to meet clinical cure standards. This milestone visit marked the successful long-term follow-up of a patient who had been diagnosed with extremely severe aplastic anemia (SAA), a life-threatening condition in which the bone marrow largely fails to produce blood cells.

What was achieved

Xiao Ni was the hospital's first pediatric patient to receive hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and the first case independently completed by the pediatric team as a haploidentical allogeneic transplant. Professor Yang Minghua of the pediatric team led the effort. The successful three-year outcome represented a 'from 0 to 1' breakthrough for the hospital in treating pediatric blood disorders with this approach.

In the three years following the initial procedure, the children's hematopoietic stem cell transplantation team completed nearly 30 cases of HSCT for children with severe aplastic anemia, reporting a 96% success rate described as at an advanced domestic level. The team provided customized post-discharge follow-up, including regular monitoring of blood parameters, chimerism status, immune function and organ function; management of potential long-term issues such as chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD), infection and growth/development concerns; vaccination planning to rebuild immunity; and guidance on nutrition, lifestyle and psychological support.

How it works

Extremely severe aplastic anemia involves near-total failure of the bone marrow to generate essential blood cells, resulting in severe anemia, heightened infection risk and bleeding tendencies. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation addresses this by introducing healthy stem cells from a donor to repopulate the marrow and restore blood cell production.

In a haploidentical allogeneic transplant, the donor is typically a half-matched family member such as a parent. This expands donor options compared to fully matched donors. The procedure begins with a conditioning phase, often high-intensity chemotherapy, that eradicates the patient's defective marrow and suppresses immunity to prevent rejection. Donor stem cells are then infused intravenously; they migrate to the bone marrow niches, engraft and begin producing new blood and immune cells.

Patients require care in a sterile transplant unit during the critical period of low immunity while awaiting engraftment. Post-transplant, systematic follow-up tracks donor cell integration (chimerism), immune reconstitution, and complications. In Xiao Ni's case, the pediatric team designed a multi-year plan focused on preventing cGVHD and infection while supporting overall development and immunity recovery through scheduled vaccinations and holistic guidance.

What it means for international patients

The Third Xiangya Hospital formally opened an International Medical Department in May 2024. It has received foreign patients, providing dedicated nursing coordinators, English-language outpatient records in documented cases, independent examination areas with expedited services for blood tests, ultrasound and electrocardiograms, and consultation across specialties. This infrastructure aims to improve accessibility and comfort for non-Chinese patients seeking higher-demand or complex care.

International patients exploring options for pediatric blood disorders or stem cell transplantation in China should contact the hospital directly to confirm current program availability, eligibility criteria and suitability for haploidentical HSCT or related follow-up care. Individual medical assessments determine appropriateness, and patients must verify all details with the institution as capabilities and protocols evolve.

About the hospital

The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, also referred to as Xiangya Third Hospital or New Xiangya, is located at 138 Tongzipo Road in the Xiangjiang New Area of Changsha, Hunan Province. Founded in 1989, it operates as a large comprehensive Class A tertiary (Grade 3A) hospital under direct supervision of the National Health Commission and serves as an affiliated hospital of Central South University.

It has received A+ ratings in national performance appraisals of tertiary public hospitals for seven consecutive years, with a highest national ranking of 38th. The hospital emphasizes transplantation medicine, including CAR-T cell therapy for refractory adult and pediatric hematologic tumors, organ transplantation, and xenotransplantation research associated with the Changsha Communiqué. It also maintains strengths in minimally invasive techniques and health management, with approximately 2,200 beds and around 3,500 staff. An International Medical Department was established in 2024 to support foreign and high-end domestic patients.