On March 4, Nanjing Jiangbei New Area (Pilot FTZ) kickstarted the construction of a laboratory of genes and cells. Harnessing the existing technological equipment resources and services possessed by Jiangbei New Area Biotech and Pharmaceutical Public Service Platform, the lab recruited its first batch of scientists including Shen Hongbing, Academician of CAE and President of Nanjing Medical University and seven others, and released seven key research projects including the “world’s latest generation of gene targeting technology”. It aimed at equipping Jiangbei New Area with more leading advantages that were conducive to the construction of the “gene city” by gathering global quality innovative resources and cutting-edge technological projects, and accelerating the commercialization of research results.

At present, the new medical industry led by gene and cell technology has proved highly applicable in treating diseases like cancer, hemopathy, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The cell therapy product, first of its kind in China, is set to be approved and hit the market. 2021 is believed to be the beginning year for gene and cell therapy in China. Nanjing boasts a complete biomedical industrial chain, rich innovation resources and quality medical resources. Jiangbei New Area (Pilot FTZ) has pooled a raft of international high-end project resources, such as King’s College London—Nanjing Biomedicine Institute, China Swede Life Science Innovation Research Institute and Cambridge University—Nanjing Center of Technology and Innovation. It is against such a backdrop that the laboratory of genes and cells mainly guided by the government came into being.

According to Chen Hong, Director of Life and Health Office of Jiangbei New Area, thanks to support of the Jiangbei New Area Biotech and Pharmaceutical Public Service Platform and co-construction departments, the lab with more than 300 professional service qualifications of eight major categories at present has a carrier space of 15,000 m² and houses 5,000-plus sets of genes and cells-related scientific equipment. Providing Another 20,000 m² of carrier space for the lab is on the working agenda of Jiangbei New Area in 2021.

The mission of the lab lies in quickening the application and commercialization of medical science and technology achievements. Jiangbei New Area (Pilot FTZ) is now home to a bunch of key enterprises with independent IPR in the field of genes and cells. In the launching ceremony, a number of companies signed biomedical innovation project cooperation agreements with the lab. Among them were Simcere, Luye Pharma, Geneseeq Technology, 1Globe Biomedical, IASO Bio, Bioheng and Leads Biolabs. New R&D institutions and enterprises including Nanjing Transformation Research Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, GemPharmatech, Tripod CRO, China Australia Transformation Institute of Medical Science and Singleron Biotechnologies signed cooperation agreements on the biomedical innovation platform with the lab. They rely on the laboratory of genes and cells for sharing cutting-edge technologies and resources in their own specific fields.

In addition, the lab signed collaboration agreements with five key universities: Nanjing University, Southeast University, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing Medical University and Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, and collaboration agreements with five key medical institutions: Jiangsu Provincial People’s Hospital, Drum Tower Hospital, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Zhongda Hospital Southeast University and General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command.