Dr. Le Duc Dung, a researcher specializing in leukemia treatment at Wuerzburg University Hospital in Germany, has set his sights on introducing modern immunotherapy methods to Vietnamese hospitals. After nearly 20 years of research and exposure to advances in medical science, Dr. Dung has become determined to transfer these treatments to Vietnam.
Through his work in the biomedical field, Dr. Dung has been exposed to new cancer treatment methods, particularly immunotherapy methods. The goal of modern cancer treatment methods is to turn cancer from acute, malignant to chronic or completely cured, thereby prolonging the patient’s life. Dr. Dung shares that immunotherapy is a promising approach that can help patients with leukemia achieve long-term remission and even complete cure.
There are three main methods of immunotherapy used to treat leukemia: bispecific antibodies, CAR-T cells, and allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Bispecific antibodies use artificial antibodies to simultaneously bind cancer cells to immune cells such as T cells, helping immune cells identify and destroy cancer cells effectively. CAR-T is a gene-editing therapy for T cells to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that enhances the recognition and destruction of cancer cells. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is a therapy that replaces a patient’s bone marrow with healthy hematopoietic stem cells from a donor.
These anti-cancer immunotherapy methods have shown high effectiveness and have been tested on many leukemia patients in Germany. Dr. Dung is determined to introduce these treatments to Vietnamese hospitals and began planning this project in 2018 by organizing online meetings with professors at Wuerzburg University Hospital and Vietnamese hospitals. In March 2023, German medical experts led by Professor Einsele and Professor Schlegel visited Vietnam and exchanged training plans and transferred new cancer treatment methods.
In July 2023, Dr. Dung facilitated a delegation visit to the Wuerzburg University Hospital in Germany where the two sides signed an official memorandum of cooperation between the two countries to transfer German cancer treatment technology to Vietnam. All three key methods of immunotherapy are gradually being transferred, including bispecific antibodies, CAR-T cells, and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation
