Credit: Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology

Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health

Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health

A healthy baby boy was born in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (the affiliated hospital of Nanjing University Medical School ) on Jan 12, 2018. The birth of the baby was the fruit of the world's first clinical trial to treat premature ovarian failure (POF) with umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells combined with a collagen scaffold. This research was jointly conducted by the Reproductive Medicine Research Team of the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital. It represents a significant breakthrough in the application of China’s stem cell and regenerative medicine technology to the life sciences and health field.

World's first clinical trial to treat premature ovarian failure (POF)

The research team at CAS’ Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health developed a simple, efficient and standardized method for stem cell preparation. The method offers a new scientific perspective and solution for inducing pluripotent stem cells and optimizing their preparation. The "Automated Stem Cell Induction and Culturing System" is the first automated stem cell induction culturing equipment with its own proprietary intellectual property rights, and the first automated preparation equipment for inducing pluripotent stem cells for therapeutic purposes.

Automated Stem Cell Induction and Culturing System

Researchers from the Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health of CAS characterized the entire process of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) homing in vivo and discovered a novel subpopulation of macrophages, called "Usher cells," which can recognize and guide HSC into a vascular niche. This work was published as a cover story in Nature on Dec 6, 2018, and provides new insights into improving the efficiency of HSC transplantation.