On November 30, 2024, the Gene and Cell Innovation Technology Forum of the 2024 China BioMed Innovation and Investment Conference was successfully held in Guangzhou. Experts, scholars, and industry elites in the field of gene and cell therapy gathered to explore cutting-edge technologies and the latest achievements, creating a grand feast of ideas and technological exchange.

Tian Zhigang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Academician of Academia Europaea, Professor of University of Science & Technology of China, delivered a keynote speech on “NK Cell-Based Immunotherapy”. He introduced the latest advancements in cell therapy, especially the potential applications of NK cell therapy. By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of NK cells and T cells in immunotherapy, he highlighted NK cell’ unique value, such as their natural killing ability and receptor diversity. He pointed out that NK cells have broad application prospects in treating cancer, autoimmune diseases, and age-related diseases, and may play a key role in the future of immunotherapy.

Zhang Zongjiu, Deputy Dean of Tsinghua Medicine, Tsinghua University, presented a report on “Innovation in Medical Services Driven by Cutting-Edge Technology and the Establishment of Personalized Healthcare Systems.” He discussed the application and development trends of cutting-edge technology in the medical field. He emphasized that the medical technology sector is experiencing explosive growth, and personalized healthcare has become a major trend. He suggested that clinical demand should guide research, platform development, and the translation and promotion of research findings, while integrating next-generation information technologies with healthcare services to elevate China’s medical technology to a world-leading level.

Han Weidong, Director of Department of Biotherapeutics, Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, gave a keynote speech on “Strategies to Enhance Cellular Immunotherapy in Cancer Treatment,” focusing on the T-cell immunotherapy field, particularly the exploration and practice of CAR-T therapy. While China has made significant progress in CAR-T cell therapy, many challenges remain. He stressed the need for strengthened collaboration in basic research, clinical trials, and capital investment to further advance CAR-T cell therapy in cancer treatment.

Zhang Wenjie, Executive President of Fosun Pharma, Chairman of Fosun Kairos, Chairman of the board of Henlius gave a keynote speech titled “The Development of Cell Therapy: Science, Technology, and Clinic.” He discussed the history, current status, and future directions of cell therapy. Zhang analyzed breakthroughs in cell therapy from the scientific, technological, and clinical perspectives, bringing hope to cancer treatment. Despite challenges such as high treatment costs, technical complexity, and limitations in clinical application, he suggested that with the discovery of new targets, continuous technological advancements, and expansion into new disease areas, cell therapy may become a widely used treatment modality in the future.

Jenny Zheng, SVP and GM of Greater China at Illumina, delivered a keynote speech on “NGS Technology Drives the Innovation in Drug Discovery.” She highlighted the role of genomics in drug discovery and future developments. Zheng pointed out that genomics can help lower drug development costs and increase the success rate of drug discovery. She also emphasized the importance of data collaboration and innovation mechanisms, urging China to enhance the application of genomics in drug discovery to achieve original innovation and industrial growth.

Ye Kai, Director of Bioinformatics Institute, Xi’an jiaotong University, presented on “AI-empowered Structural Variation Detection.” He discussed the types of genomic variations, particularly complex structural variations, and explored the challenges and solutions in using AI technology for detecting these variations.

The forum concluded with a panel discussion titled “Exploration of the Future of Cell Therapy and Biotechnology,” moderated by Zhang Wenjie, Executive President of Fosun Pharma, Chairman of Fosun Kairos, Chairman of the board of Henlius, and featuring Ye Kai, Director of Bioinformatics Institute, Xi’an jiaotong University, Jenny Zheng, SVP and GM of Greater China at Illumina and Wang Hanming, Vice President of Binhui Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Panelists from the fields of cell therapy, bioinformatics, gene sequencing equipment, and oncolytic virus development discussed how AI is transforming the biomedical research paradigm. They explored the shift from univariate analysis to complex systems modeling, using big data and AI algorithms to predict protein structures and assist in drug development. The panelists agreed that China, with its vast data resources and talent advantages, has the potential to make breakthroughs in the biomedical field through the introduction of advanced technologies, strengthening international cooperation, and focusing on innovation and value creation. This would help drive the growth of the entire pharmaceutical industry. 

The forum was moderated by Zheng Xiaoyu, Vice President of GoBroad Healthcare Group, CEO of GoBroad Clinical Research Center, and Dean of Beijing GoBroad Boren Hospital and Beijing GoBroad Hospital, along with Zhang Wenjie, Executive President of Fosun Pharma, Chairman of Fosun Kairos, Chairman of the board of Henlius.

In recent years, with the continuous development of frontier technologies such as molecular biology and genomics, gene and cell therapy applications have made a series of groundbreaking advances. The number of clinical pipelines has been increasing annually, and gene and cell therapy has become one of the most attention-grabbing and promising fields in the global pharmaceutical industry.