Stem cell medical research, development ready to take off

Shanghai’s Zhangjiang National Innovation Demonstration Zone, home to one of the largest pharmaceutical industrial clusters in China, is reporting outstanding results in promoting the development of the stem cell treatment industry.

Stem cell therapy refers to the use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition. Bone marrow transplants are currently among the most widely used forms of stem cell therapy.

Liu Zhongmin, president of a hospital in the zone and an expert in the treatment of heart disease, believes that the application of stem cell therapy technologies will initiate a “disruptive revolution” in the medical industry in the next five to 10 years.

He said traditional medical research has reached a bottleneck in treating some complex diseases, which has led to rapid development of stem cell technologies.

Over the past few years, Zhangjiang has seen huge investments pouring in for the development of a stem cell therapy industrial hub.

It launched a stem cell engineering center construction project in 2015 by partnering with Tongji University-affiliated East Hospital, Tongji University, the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute at the Chinese Academy

Liu Zhongmin, president of a hospital that has cooperation with the demonstration zone

of Sciences and an investment company. An investment total of 255 million yuan ($37.01 million) was announced for the project. Of that total, Zhangjiang is providing 105 million yuan.

In this partnership, East Hospital is responsible for integrating resources from the world’s medical practice and research sectors with research and development, while Zhangjiang is playing a leading and exploratory role in providing all necessary support to the center.

In the past three years, the center has become one of the most well-equipped stem cell research and development, commercialization and public service platforms in China. Service platforms for the generation and testing of stem cells, and the production and promotion of stem cell products, have been established in the center.

The center is also helping set industrial standards for products in the field. Liu said the facility will pay closer attention to developing new clinical applications and production standards in the next few years.

“We need to have some reliable stem cell therapy results and set up standards, so as to strengthen China’s role in the stem cell sector in the world,” Liu said.

“A new thing does not always mean new content — it can also be a new system or mechanism,” he added.

Liu said that in the construction process of the industrial center, the hospital serves as a platform that can rapidly attract premier resources along the industrial chain, which can speed up the commercialization of research results.

In addition, the center has also successfully expanded the talent pool of those working in the stem cell industry. Currently, more than 100 of the field’s leading experts, including two academicians in stem cell research, work at or for the center.

Recently, construction began on the center’s second phase, which will include functions such as project incubation, product development and the establishment of ethics systems to ensure proper use of stem cell technology.

The new phase will provide yet more support for Zhangjiang’s goal of becoming a world-leading stem cell research and development and production hub, which will in turn further boost Shanghai’s competitiveness in the pharmaceutical industry, according to the zone.

A new thing does not always mean new content — it can also be a new system or mechanism.”