Huang Xiaojun examines a patient at Peking University People's Hospital/Photo: Xinhua

Peking University, March 5, 2024:  When Prof. Huang Xiaojun was recently honored with the prestigious Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) Distinguished Service Award, he had already dedicated 37 years of service at Peking University People's Hospital. At 60, he continues to work diligently, attending the outpatient department twice a week and visiting three separate wards to see patients.

Prof. Huang holds an array of titles — an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, director of the Institute of Hematology at Peking University, a doctoral advisor, a researcher... But the label that can best encapsulate Huang's achievement is – to borrow his own words – the "engine" propelling the development of treating diseases through blood and bone marrow transplants.

Huang was recognized for his groundbreaking work on the "Beijing Protocol," currently the world's most widely used and effective hematopoietic stem cell transplantation system, which has significantly elevated the 3-year survival rate for leukemia patients from 20% to an impressive 70%.

Huang's innovative techniques revolutionized haploidentical transplantation (a haploidentical transplant uses healthy, blood-forming cells from a half-matched donor to replace the unhealthy ones), gradually evolving into the novel G-CSF/ATG-based Beijing Protocol. Adopted by more than 190 centers across China, this protocol has increased haploidentical transplantation rates from nearly zero to 65% by 2022. His contributions also extend to fostering global cooperation in hematology, with the protocol's influence reaching countries such as South Korea, Italy, and France.

Recognized as the most widely used system globally, the Beijing Protocol, according to CIBMTR, is highly effective. (Read more)

Huang Xiaojun (L) speaks after receiving the prestigious annual Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) Distinguished Service Award during the 2024 Tandem Meetings in San Antonio, Texas, the United States, on Feb. 23, 2024. (Xinhua/Xu Jianmei)

Bone marrow transplantation is one of the most effective treatments for leukemia, lymphoma, aplastic anemia, and other malignant blood diseases. For a long time, this procedure demanded a perfect 100% match in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) between donor and recipient, a chance deemed nearly insurmountable (given that only about 25% of siblings are fully compatible).

Huang's motivation to tackle the scarcity of bone marrow donors traces back to his master's studies, where he witnessed firsthand the struggles endured by numerous families in China due to the stringent requirement of complete HLA compatibility for traditional transplantation methods.

"Ever since I started graduate school, a single concern has persistently occupied my thoughts: the urgency to address the donor scarcity challenge," Huang recalled in a recent interview.

Departing from conventional approaches of T-cell removal, Huang's team modified these cells to mitigate graft-versus-host disease. Their explorations began around 1998, culminating in the world's first successful non-T cell depleted haploidentical transplantation in 2000, with the patient still alive today. By 2004, they had performed 58 similar transplants.

Despite initial skepticism, successful patient outcomes bolstered Huang's confidence. His team extensively researched hemi-compatible transplantation, conducting multi-center, evidence-based studies through nationwide collaborations in Tianjin, Suzhou, and Guangzhou. Through international hematology forums, publications, and academic exchanges, they demonstrated the efficacy of hemi-complementary therapies, potentially offering an improved quality of life for patients.

Highlighting the importance of national collaboration and international exchanges in sustaining innovation, Prof. Huang stressed the need to share scientific standards and methodologies and the fresh need to address bone marrow donor scarcity through exploration and innovation.

As a professor and advisor at Peking University, Huang encourages young doctors to engage in frontline clinical work, face challenges head-on, and contribute to global progress.

Despite his achievements, Prof. Huang remains dedicated to clinical duties at Peking University People's Hospital. For Huang, his role as a clinician is central to his professional identity.

"I spend most of my time in the clinic every day," he said, "and being a clinician is always my foremost position."

Written by: Aden Tan
Edited by: Dennis Meng
Source: Xinhua News