In hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), infection, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and disease relapse remain the three major barriers to long-term survival and quality of life. The global goal is no longer limited to survival, but to achieving durable remission with a high quality of life.

Over the past five years, Professor Chunfu Li's team at GoBroad Institute of Hematology has treated nearly 500 patients using an optimized TCRαβ T-cell depletion transplantation approach (TDH protocol). Through continuous refinement, this strategy has demonstrated the ability to rebalance transplantation risks and benefits at a fundamental level.

Core Principle: Precision Cell Selection

HSCT aims to reconstruct a healthy hematopoietic and immune system through donor stem cells.

The key innovation of the TDH protocol lies in ex vivo precision cell selection. Before infusion, αβ T cells — the main drivers of severe GVHD — are selectively removed. This process reduces the risk of post-transplant immune complications at the source.

At the same time, beneficial immune cells such as γδ T cells and NK cells are preserved. These cells act as “natural immune effectors,” providing both anti-infective and anti-tumor activity.

Clinical Benefits: From Survival to Recovery

1. Low GVHD — Enabling Drug-Free Survival

A major advantage of TDH is the significantly reduced incidence of GVHD. In conventional transplantation, patients often require long-term immunosuppressive therapy, leading to multi-organ toxicity.

With TDH, many patients can avoid prolonged immunosuppression and GVHD-directed interventions, reducing treatment burden and enabling earlier return to a drug-free, higher-quality life.

2. Rapid Immune Reconstitution

The TDH protocol allows infusion of high-quality, high-dose CD34+ stem cells, leading to faster hematopoietic recovery.

Clinically, this results in:

• Shortened neutrophil and platelet engraftment time
• Reduced infection risk window
• Lower dependence on blood product transfusions

3. Reduced Relapse Risk

By preserving NK and γδ T cells, TDH maintains strong graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects.

Importantly, the reduced need for immunosuppressants allows these immune cells to function more effectively, improving disease control and reducing relapse risk.

Expanding Clinical Applications

TDH transplantation has demonstrated strong outcomes across multiple complex clinical scenarios:

• Severe β-thalassemia

EBMT 2024 reported >90% GVHD-free survival

• Relapsed/Refractory Pediatric ALL

OS 90.1%, LFS 83.2% (CAR-T followed by TDH)

• Elderly and High-Risk AML Patients

Successful cases up to 75 years old

• Primary Immunodeficiency (IEI)

100% OS and DFS in DBA cohort

Looking Ahead

From pediatric to adult patients, from benign to malignant diseases, TDH transplantation is redefining HSCT outcomes through its three core advantages: low GVHD, rapid immune recovery, and reduced relapse.

The experience of nearly 500 cases over five years is not the endpoint, but the foundation for further innovation aimed at meeting increasingly complex patient needs.