Two Research Projects from GIBH Won Guangdong Provincial Award of Science and Technology 2019

The Guangdong Province Science and Technology Innovation Congress was convened in Guangzhou on 25^th March, honouring the laureates and organizations bestowed with the Provincial Award of Science and Technology 2019. Two awards have been conferred on the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences for its research achievements, including 1 first class award and 1 second class award. 

The project Urine-induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Technology and Somatic Cell Reprogramming Mechanism completed by the research team led by Miguel Esteban and Qin Baoming from the GIBH won the first-class award of natural science category. What is worth mentioning is that Miguel is the first winner after foreign scientists are eligible for the first time in Guangdong to be nominated for the natural science award. This award-winning project initiated the research from two perspectives, namely “identify new cell sources for human iPSC establishment” and “identify new reprogramming mechanism to improve induction efficiency”, and scored a series of original achievements: (1) It is found that uric cell is an ideal source for human iPSC establishment; (2) Three new speed-limiting regulations in reprogramming mechanism are identified and eliminating these steps will lead to a significant increase of induction efficiency; (3) The key function and mechanism of cell and mitochondrion reshaping in the early stage of reprogramming is elaborated. This project has published 6 papers on journals including Nature Protocols, Cell Stem Cell, Cell Research and Nature Cell Biology. The research results have positively spurred the development of the field in question. Especially the technology of urine iPSC has been quickly applied and developed both at home and abroad. 

Miguel Esteban, the first non-Chinese chief scientist in “Project 973” of China, comes from Spain. He resolutely decided to go to China in 2007 after detecting the huge potentials of life science basic research in China. During the ensuing 10 odd years, he has been based in the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and led his own team to explore the mystery of stem cell and solve the conundrum of cytopathic effect. 

The project Humanized Mice and the Establishment and Utilization of Assessment Platform Prior to Clinical Application completed by Li Peng’s research team from GIBH won the second-class award of science and technology progress category. This project is based on NOD-SCID mice. By knocking out IL2rg gene with TALEN technology, the team has acquired mice with high immunity deficiency NSI (NOD/SCID IL2rg-/-) strains. NSI mice are further developed into numerous humanized mice models. By simulating human physiopathological environment, scientists have finished efficacy and safety assessment of several newly-developed drugs prior to their clinical application. This project has published 7 papers on journals including Mol Cancer and J Hematol Oncol and got 5 patents. The humanized mice technology service platform established in this project has greatly facilitated the clinical pipeline of new drugs development in China, creating prominent socioeconomic benefits.  

Li Peng is a scientist born in the 1980s. In 2011, he introduced the then most advanced gene-knockout technology from the Sanger Institute of the University of Cambridge. The IL2rg gene could be knocked out from NOD/SCID mice and the first third-generation immunity deficiency mice NSI strains were successfully bred in China, which has smashed the technology blockade imposed by developed countries and filled the void of humanized mice research in China. 

GIBH Award-winning Project List for the Guangdong Provincial Award of Science and Technology 2019   

Project name: Urine-induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Technology and Somatic Cell Reprogramming Mechanism 

Organization: Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences 

Team member: Miguel Angel Esteban Barragan, Qin Baoming, Bao Xichen, Liu Longqi, Xu Yan, Wu Haitao, Zhu Xihua, Guo Xiangpeng, Wu Yasong, Li Yuan, Zhuang Qiang, Qing Xiaobing, Luo Zhiwei, Huang Yinghua, Zhanghui 

Level: First-class award 

Project name: Humanized Mice and the Establishment and Utilization of Assessment Platform Prior to Clinical Application 

Organization: Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences 

Team member: Li Peng, Jiang Zhiwu, Yao Yao, Wang Suna, Li Boheng, Zhao Ruocong, Lin Shouheng, Qin Le, Wu Qiting, Lin Simiao 

Level: Second-class award