UCI Health completes 400th successful stem cell procedure
One of the few U.S. programs to transplant hematopoietic stem cells for autoimmune diseases
Orange, Calif. — The UCI Health Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program has successfully performed its 400th procedure.
This milestone reflects the increasing number of patients in need of lifesaving stem cell transplants and cellular therapies for cancer and, more recently, for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, myasthenia gravis and stiff person syndrome.
It’s the latest achievement for the program, which was accredited for achieving the national standard of excellence for cellular therapy programs less than two years after its launch in May 2020. By 2024, it had conducted 200 transplants.
“This is an incredible accomplishment,” said Dr. Richard A. Van Etten, director of the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and a member of the transplant team. “We launched this program to provide Orange County patients with access to these treatments close to home. Now we are serving patients from all over the region and the country.”
Access to leading-edge care
Led by internationally regarded stem-cell transplant specialist Dr. Stefan O. Ciurea, the program treats a wide range of malignant and non-malignant diseases. It also offers access to leading-edge cellular therapy clinical trials, including dual CAR T-cells and novel investigator-initiated studies to customize transplant conditioning for a patient’s individual disease and comorbidities.
“It is truly exciting to be able to provide this critically needed care to our patients in Orange County and beyond,” said Ciurea. “We are now able to offer unique clinical trials and newly FDA-approved treatments.”
The 400th patient, a 43-year-old man who received a stem cell transplant for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, is doing well, Ciurea said.
The program is Orange County’s first adult bone marrow and hematopoietic stem cell transplant service. It also is one of a handful of U.S. programs to successfully transplant hematopoietic stem cells in patients with multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune conditions.
”Our goal is to expand these treatment options for as many patients as possible," Ciurea said.
Prolonging survival, curing patients
Transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells — immature cells found in bone marrow and blood — can prolong survival and even cure many patients with high-risk blood cancers, including leukemia, lymphomas and myeloma. The complex and challenging procedure requires considerable expertise and specialized facilities.
A growing number of patients are also receiving U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved CAR T cell treatments, which can involve genetically modifying the patient’s own immune cells then returning them to the patient. In addition, the team is enrolling numerous patients in promising early phase clinical trials using investigational CAR T cells to target autoimmune diseases as part of the UC Irvine Alpha Clinic, the clinical trial arm of the university’s Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center.
“There is a tremendous interest in using CAR T-cell therapy for autoimmune diseases,” Ciurea said. “We also find that autologous transplants with a reduce-intensity conditioning can be extremely effective and safe. We plan to submit updated results at this year’s American Society of Hematology meeting.” Autologous transplants use the patient’s healthy blood-forming cells rather than donor stem cells used in allogeneic transplants.
New, larger spaces
The program moved to UCI Health — Irvine in December 2025 with the opening of the 350,000-square-foot acute care hospital. Its dedicated stem-cell transplant wing on the top floor has increased inpatient bed capacity by 200%, enabling it to meet the growing patient demand.
This summer, the stem-cell transplant program will open its own state-of-the-art lab dedicated to processing all cell therapy products infused at UCI Health. Located near the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center in Orange, the Cell Therapy Laboratory will facilitate providing cellular therapies to patients as well as enable the development of novel cell treatments for early-phase clinical trials, Ciurea said.
About the Alpha Clinic: The UC Irvine Alpha Clinic is one of nine California Institute for Regenerative Medicine clinical research centers in the state. The clinical trial arm of the UC Irvine Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, It specializes in leading-edge stem cell clinical trials and gene therapies. It also seeks to accelerate the development of new treatments through partnerships with patients, medical providers and clinical trial sponsors. Visit stemcell.uci.edu to learn more about regenerative medicine research and stem-cell clinical trials.
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,461-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Health — Orange, its flagship hospital, the UCI Health — Irvine acute care hospital and medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Health — Orange provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).