At the Zhangjiang Pharmaceutical Valley International Innovation Conference, leading scientists and industry veterans gathered to map out the next phase of China’s stem‑cell industry. Academician Gao Shaorong opened the event with a forward‑looking talk on pluripotent stem cells, declaring that China is moving from simply keeping pace with global research to leading it. New government policies—known as Decrees 818 and 828—were unpacked by French Academy member Han Zhongchao, who explained how the rules will reshape biotech firms, offering fresh incentives while tightening compliance. Cutting‑edge anti‑aging research took center stage when Russian Academy fellow Zhang Dan described how tiny exosome particles could power the next generation of age‑defying products. Clinical translation was demystified by Liu Zhongmin, who laid out a step‑by‑step roadmap from lab discovery to market‑ready stem‑cell therapies. Other highlights included: - Longevity medicine and its business models (PLA General Hospital’s Wang Xiaoning); - Data‑driven precision health using biosample analytics (Shanghai’s biochip center, Wang Weiye); - Progress and hurdles in mesenchymal stem‑cell drug development (Sun Yat‑sen University’s Xiang Peng); - Tissue‑regeneration and universal organ‑transplant strategies (West China Hospital’s Tian Weidong and Tongji University’s Zhang Xiaoqing); - Metabolism‑focused health monitoring (East China University’s Zhao Yuzheng); - Heart‑repair prospects using human pluripotent‑derived cardiac cells (CAS’s Yang Huangtian); and - International insights on mitochondrial rescue for cardiometabolic disease (Singapore’s Soh Boonseng). The conference underscored a four‑track ecosystem—policy, basic research, clinical translation, and industrialization—aimed at turning stem‑cell breakthroughs into everyday medical solutions and supporting China’s “Healthy China” vision.
Read moreResearchers from Beijing Chaoyang Hospital have highlighted a wave of breakthrough results for bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) presented at the 2025 ASH meeting. These engineered drugs can bind two different proteins at once, helping the immune system hunt down stubborn multiple‑myeloma cells. In single‑agent trials, the BsAb LBL‑034 (targeting GPRC5D and CD3) produced response rates above 75% even in patients who had already failed five other therapies. Another antibody, Cevostamab, showed a 94% rate of deep, MRD‑negative remissions when used after CAR‑T treatment, and a 38‑43% overall response when given alone. Combination approaches are even more striking. The Phase 3 MajesTEC‑3 study found that adding teclistamab to the standard daratumumab regimen lifted three‑year progression‑free survival to 83% (versus 30% with standard care) and boosted complete‑response rates to over 80%. A dual‑BsAb regimen of talquetamab plus teclistamab achieved a 61% overall response in heavily pre‑treated patients, with especially strong results in those without extramedullary disease. Early‑line trials are also under way. Linvoseltamab given as first‑line therapy reached a 79% overall response and a 26% complete‑response rate, with most patients clearing detectable disease. While infection rates remain a concern, the data suggest BsAbs could soon become a cornerstone for both relapsed and newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, offering deeper, longer‑lasting remissions than many existing options.
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