A team of doctors recently performed the Ningxia Hui autonomous region's first stem cell transplant using a half-matched relative, a breakthrough that allows patients with severe blood disorders to receive advanced treatment locally instead of traveling elsewhere.

The haploidentical allogeneic hematopoietic transplant, often called a haplo transplant, was announced on Monday after a 28-year-old leukemia patient recovered and left the sterile transplant unit at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University.

Diagnosed in October 2025, the patient urgently needed a stem cell transplant. However, doctors were unable to find a fully matched donor among her relatives or through the national donor registry.

After a comprehensive evaluation, the medical team opted for a haplo transplant, a procedure that allows partially matched family members, such as parents, children or siblings, to serve as donors.

Following the procedure, the patient spent a month in a sterile laminar airflow ward under intensive treatment and monitoring. Her blood-forming cells successfully engrafted, and clinical indicators met recovery standards, the hospital said.

The procedure is considered highly challenging because partially matched transplants carry increased risks of immune rejection, infection, and other complications. To overcome these obstacles, the hospital's hematology team worked closely with experts from the Peking University Institute of Hematology on rejection prevention and precision treatment strategies, it added.

The successful operation fills a major gap in Ningxia's medical capabilities and offers new hope to patients with leukemia, anemia, and other serious blood diseases. Hospital officials said the achievement would help reduce treatment costs and travel burdens while expanding access to life-saving care across Ningxia and neighboring regions.