Professor Huang Zhen briefs the reporter on the development path and future plan of the Institute in Chengdu

Keyword 1

Probe-like

"Nucleic acid technology is like a probe, and can detect cancer virus and offer targeted solution."

Keyword 2

Industry-university-research cooperation

"Currently, initiated by the Institute, the large nucleic acid industry-university-research chain in Chengdu has basically taken shape, with a promising prospect."

Keyword 3

Cost reduction

"If large nucleic acid technology can be put into use, both the speed and accuracy of cancer diagnosis and treatment will be enhanced, and costs will be lowered greatly."   

Keyword 4

Curable

"Ideally, all cancers are curable."


SLNA Szostak CDHT Institute for Large Nucleic Acid

"Speed reading" of brain


Jack W. Szostak, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2009. On March 19, 2016, the Nobel laureate inaugurated the founding of SLNA Szostak CDHT Institute for Large Nucleic Acid in Chengdu Hi-tech Zone.

Nucleic acid, a kind of biological macromolecular compound, is the most basic substance of life, consisting of DNA and RNA. It stores and passes on gene information in the replication and synthesis of protein, and plays a crucial role in growth, heredity, mutation, and other major life phenomena, thus being called "the code of life".

"Unraveling the secret of nucleic acid molecule means that the secret of life is decoded." Szostak had explained that nucleic acid technology is like a probe, and can detect cancer virus and offer targeted solution. "If large nucleic acid technology can be put into use, both the speed and accuracy of cancer diagnosis and treatment will be enhanced, and treatment costs will be reduced by 10 times and even 100 times."

The SLNA Szostak CDHT Institute for Large Nucleic Acid, which settled down in Tianfu Life Science Park in Chengdu Hi-tech Zone, has pooled together top-caliber talents, research results, and other resources of Sichuan University, Harvard University, Georgia State University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and other research institutes. It aims to promote the R&D and industrialized development of large nucleic acid, and develop precision medicine based on nucleic acid testing and modification.

Yesterday, the reporter of Chengdu Economic Daily visited the Institute, Professor Huang Zhen, a student of Jack W. Szostak, a lifetime professor of Georgia State University, and a world-renowned nucleic acid expert, briefed the reporter on the birth and future plan of the Institute.


An industry-university-research chain for a promising future


"Decades ago, scientists found the functions of large nucleic acid in medical diagnosis and treatment. Yet limited by chemical technology, drug delivery means, and other problems, the technology had not been developed and spread on a large scale." At the signing ceremony of the Institute, Jack W. Szostak talked about the difficulties of nucleic acid technology. In recent years, as science and technology develops, new generation of diagnosis and treatment means, represented by gene technology, have been billed as a "Lunar Probe Project" for life. Meanwhile, the word "precision medicine" has become well-known. In many cases, gene sequencing is seen as the synonym of precision medicine. |

However, Jack W. Szostak explained, "Gene sequencing can only extract human biological information; yet in medicine design, we have to rely on research in large nucleic acid, and use base pairs complementation and recognition, and other interaction mechanisms among molecules, so as to realize targeted medicine and precision medicine in a real sense." Even cancer, which is seen as an incurable disease, can also be tackled by nucleic acid technology. "Nucleic acid technology is like a probe, and can detect cancer virus and offer targeted solution. If large nucleic acid technology can be put into use, both the speed and accuracy of cancer diagnosis and treatment will be enhanced, and costs will be lowered greatly."

Given the social significance, bright prospect, and huge market of precision medicine, there is hot competition in developing the core technology and industry both at home and abroad. And nucleic acid, the core of precision medicine, is what SLNA Szostak CDHT Institute for Large Nucleic Acid aims at.

As a student of Szostak and head of the Institute, Huang Zhen is optimistic of its cooperation with Chengdu. Having studied in Sichuan University, Huang Zhen said that the city has already brought in many outstanding talents worldwide; meanwhile, Chengdu boasts a sound environment for the development of biomedicine industry.

Yesterday, Huang Zhen led the reporter to visit the Institute, which was under decoration. "We have established cooperation alliance with researchers of Sichuan University, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, and other institutes. Once the laboratory is completed, they will bring projects here for incubation. We have also engaged in cooperation with some nucleic acid enterprises in Chengdu, and are considering the establishment of "nucleic acid industry fund". According to Huang Zhen, currently, the industry-university-research chain, initiated by the Institute, has basically taken shape and will enjoy a promising prospect.


Technological breakthrough, a small box can test HPV


While building the industry-university-research chain, the Institute has carefully selected three projects among 100-plus quality overseas projects, which will be put under accelerated incubation in the Institute. Huang Zhen told the reporter that the three projects are under review in Chengdu Hi-tech Zone. Among those, HPV diagnosis and testing reagent box project, once carried out and put onto market, promises to transform the way HPV is detected.

HPV, namely human papilloma virus, is seen as the main factor causing cervical cancer. Data show that China's incidence of cervical cancer ranks 2nd globally, with the number of the infected accounting for 28% of global total. Meanwhile, cervical cancer is one with the second highest incidence for Chinese female. At this point, efforts for vaccine control are well underway. Yet HPV testing can only be conducted in hospital. The HPV diagnosis and testing reagent box project, now pushed by the Institute, will realize "home-based" HPV testing.

"It will be as easy as using a home blood glucose tester." Huang Zhen showed a sample of the reagent box to the reporter, a palm-sized square box containing pen point-sized rubber tube, which contains reagent used to test virus. He shook the tube and stressed, "This is the reagent box." Then he turned on and heated it. "If there is virus, the reagent box will lighten." A whole set of testing can be finished within 30-40 minutes, while previously it took at least half day to make a testing in hospital, he said.

"After screening, we found that HPV has 200-plus varieties, including 18 kinds of high-risk ones. According to the ranking of risk degree, the box can test the top 30 kinds of HPV virus." Huang Zhen told the reporter that the accuracy of the box is not lower than that of hospital. What's more, it also has advantages like simplifying sampling process, protecting the privacy of patients, saving the time of queuing in hospital, and much lower costs than that of huge machines in hospital. Therefore, the box can help push for the popularization of HPV testing and enable patients to identify the virus on an earlier date and seek timely treatment. "If things proceed smoothly, the box can enter screening market by late this year. After clinical experiment, it is estimated to enter hospital market within 2-3 years and get popularized."


The urgency of getting industrialized The market price of one milligram selenium nucleic acid: USD 1,000


While the HPV diagnosis and testing reagent box remains to be improved technically, the selenium nucleic acid project, led by Huang Zhen over the past 20 years, will get industrialized in Chengdu.

"Selenium is added to nucleic acid and selenium fixed positioning is used to analyze and test the structure of nucleic acid." The professional explanation of Huang Zhen can be understood simply as: enhancing the accuracy of nucleic acid recognition to decode "the secret of life". "While we can identify 100 thousand kinds of protein structures, we can only identify about 5% of total nucleic acid structures." According to Huang Zhen, since we have a poor knowledge of nucleic acid structures, the inaccuracy of base complementation always cause off-target."Higher testing accuracy will enhance the accuracy rate of targeted medicine."

Targeted medicine is commonly used in the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases. Therefore, the accuracy of targeted medicine affects cancer curing to a large degree. "Ideally, all cancers are curable," said Huang Zhen with great confidence.

Thanks to 20 years of research, currently selenium nucleic acid technology is mature and its products are "much sought-after". There are huge demands in overseas market, and the product is in short supply even at a price of USD 1,000 per milligram, said Huang Zhen. "We have to get it industrialized now."

Huang Zhen talked while walking in the courtyard in F3 of the Institute. A small platform stands between the bookshelves over 4-meters high on the two sides. "It is my favorite place. The shelves will be filled with books and a table will be put on the platform. Our research team can discuss things and business with enterprises." You can see expectations on his face. When the some 30 labs on the two sides of the courtyard are filled with instruments, you will hear a hubbub of voices here. The place will become "the strongest brain" for nucleic acid in Chengdu's biomedicine industry.  

Chengdu Economic Daily Reporter: Yin Qintong