electra-supply.comOn October 16, the inaugural China (Neijiang) Innovative Conference on Xenotransplantation Development was held in Neijiang, Sichuan Province, themed “Wings of Life through Xenotransplantation.” The event brought together over 100 leading experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs, including Chinese Academy of Engineering Fellow Yin Yulong, Chinese Academy of Sciences Fellow Dou Kefeng, former President of the International Xenotransplantation Association Leo Buhler, and Executive Committee Member Hidetaka Hara. Participants gathered to exchange insights on the clinical pathway for xenotransplantation.
During the conference, experts engaged in in-depth discussions covering various topics such as the current state and future prospects of preclinical and subclinical research in xenotransplantation in China, interpretations of expert consensus on brain-dead donor xenotransplants, advancements in clinical research guidelines, regulatory pathways, industry standards for xenotransplantation, and patient concerns regarding the procedure. Sichuan Zhongke Aoge Biotechnology Co., Ltd. announced strategic partnerships with notable medical institutions, including the Xijing Hospital of the Air Force Military Medical University, Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Xiangya Second Hospital of Central South University. They also signed a strategic cooperation agreement focusing on “industry, academia, research, and application” with five other units, collaborating to drive the innovation and development of xenotransplantation technology.
As a critical solution to the global organ donor shortage, xenotransplantation is gradually entering the clinical application phase. China is a pioneer in xenotransplantation research, having led numerous subclinical studies involving gene-edited pig kidneys, livers, lungs, and red blood cells on a global scale.
In 2018, attracted by Neijiang’s advantageous location and favorable talent environment, Dr. Pan Dengke relocated his gene-edited pigs to establish Sichuan Zhongke Aoge Biotechnology Co., Ltd., aiming to build an “organ factory” to address clinical organ shortages. The company has successfully cultivated six gene-edited pigs that reproduce naturally and have stable lineage, with preclinical trials on gene-edited pig-monkey xenotransplants widely validated. The firm has also achieved mass production of ultra-clean gene-edited donor pigs. Several of its research outcomes have been published in prestigious journals, including a landmark paper in the subclinical xenotransplantation field in the journal “Cell Reports Medicine,” marking a significant breakthrough for China.
“The new era of xenotransplantation has begun,” said Leo Buhler, who traveled from afar to attend. He emphasized that the conference served as an excellent platform for interaction, which is crucial for the advancement of the xenotransplantation field.
According to Yin Yulong, the immune systems and anatomical structures of pigs closely resemble those of humans. He noted that gene-edited donor pigs have versatile applications for medical research and can act as bioreactors for producing medical-grade albumin, thereby reducing costs for patients while also providing organ donors for xenotransplantation. “The prospects for application are vast and promising,” he asserted.
Professor Li Dianyuan from Suzhou Hospital affiliated with Nanjing Medical University, a specially invited expert in Neijiang, has had a relationship with the city for three years. Last December, his team, in collaboration with Sichuan Zhongke Aoge Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and local hospitals, successfully performed Sichuan’s first gene-edited pig-monkey heart transplant. The recipient monkey, named Jiangjiang, survived for 46 days, setting a new record for survival time in domestic xenotransplantation of hearts. Li highlighted that the gathering of renowned experts, both domestic and international, at this conference signifies recognition of Neijiang’s development in xenotransplantation and is crucial for promoting advancements in this field.
On the same day, the Sichuan Provincial Market Supervision Bureau released local standards for medical donor pigs, encompassing specifications for environmental facilities, digitalized breeding management, pathogenic microorganism monitoring, and genetic identification protocols. The implementation of these standards fills a critical gap in the technical standards for the xenotransplantation industry in Sichuan, laying a foundation for future development in the sector.
