Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy and University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital receive the Vietnam Talent Award 2023

Ngày 20/12/2023, the project “Deep brain stimulation surgery for treating Parkinson’s disease” of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy and “The value of biological markers hTERT mRNA, AFP, AFP-L3, DCP in detecting hepatocellular carcinoma” of University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, were honored at the Vietnam Talent Award ceremony, held at the Hanoi Opera House and broadcast live on VTV2 – Vietnam Television.

These are two of three projects in the medical‑pharmaceutical field awarded for high creativity, scientific‑technological value that have been successfully applied in practice, achieving high effectiveness in diagnosis and treatment and having great socio‑economic significance.

Project “Deep brain stimulation surgery for treating Parkinson’s disease”

“Deep brain stimulation surgery for treating Parkinson’s disease” is a project by Dr. Phạm Anh Tuấn – Head of the Department of Extracranial Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, carried out in collaboration with a team of associates from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, including: Dr. Trần Ngọc Tài – Deputy Head of the Department of Neurology; Dr. Nguyễn Minh Anh – Head of the Department of Extracranial Neurology, Deputy Head of the Department of Extracranial Neurology – Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City; Dr. Lê Viết Thắng; Associate Professor Dr. Đào Duy Phương; Associate Professor Dr. Nguyễn Thanh Lâm; Associate Professor Dr. Võ Thành Nghĩa – Lecturer at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City and a team of associates from Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital, including: Associate Professor Dr. Nguyễn Anh Diễm Thúy and Associate Professor Dr. Lê Thái Bình Khang.

Deep brain stimulation surgery is a neurosurgical technique that implants finely engineered electrodes into specific structures deep within the brain. It is one of the most advanced methods worldwide recommended for treating Parkinson’s disease and many other movement disorders.

Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital and Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital are the first and largest centers in the country to apply this modern technique. The project “Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery for Treating Parkinson’s Disease” is the first research work carried out on a group of Parkinson’s patients undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery. The study evaluated the accuracy of the electrode placement technique, therapeutic efficacy, as well as reduced surgical complications and side effects when delivering electrical stimulation.

Study “The Value of Biological Markers hTERT mRNA, AFP, AFP-L3, DCP in Detecting Hepatocellular Carcinoma”

The study “The Value of Biological Markers hTERT mRNA, AFP, AFP-L3, DCP in Detecting Hepatocellular Carcinoma” was conducted by Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hoang Bac – Director of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Project Leader, and collaborators including Dr. Tran Cong Duy Long – Deputy Head of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Bang Suong – Head of the Laboratory Department; Ms. Nguyen Huu Huy, Ms. Le Thi Xuan Thao, Researcher Do Nguyen Minh Thien, Researcher Nguyen Trung Gan – Laboratory Department, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital.

Liver cancer progresses silently, so most patients are diagnosed late, and the early stage often has no specific symptoms. Therefore, the need to find biological markers that can detect cancer early, before a tumor appears, for early diagnosis is extremely urgent, with high applicability in hospitals, helping to detect liver cancer early and provide better treatment for patients.

Based on the research project “Value of the biological markers hTERT mRNA, AFP, AFP-L3, DCP in detecting hepatocellular carcinoma”, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital has implemented the quantitative PIVKA assay (AFP, AFP-L3 and PIVKA-II) in the Laboratory Department to support the clinical diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

At Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy and its University Hospital, in addition to treatment and training, the scientific research activities of faculty, physicians, and healthcare staff play an important role in providing optimal treatment solutions for patients. In recent years, the University and its Hospital have carried out many highly applicable scientific research projects, receiving recognition in numerous national and international awards.