On February 19, 2022, the Organ Transplantation Innovation Forum was held at Binjiang Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, organized by the Medical Service Professional Committee of the Shanghai Federation of Modern Service Industry, the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, the Shanghai Immunology Society, and Fenglin Medical Innovation.
The meeting was chaired by Zhu Tongyu, Vice President of Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Director of the Medical Services Committee of the Shanghai Federation of Modern Service Industries, Director of the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Director of the Shanghai Medical Big Data Innovation Laboratory, and Professor in the Department of Urology at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University.
This conference focuses on cutting-edge knowledge in the fields of organ transplantation diagnosis, treatment, and the prevention and management of postoperative complications; additionally, the highly topical subject of xenotransplantation in organ transplantation was explored.
The keynote speeches were delivered by Prof. Xu Jianqing, Prof. Wu Nannan, Prof. Chen Zhonghua, Prof. Wang Xianghui, Prof. Huang Xingxu and Prof. . Wang Yi. → Keynote speeches were delivered by Professors Xu Jianqing, Wu Nannan, Chen Zhonghua, Wang Xianghui, Huang Xingxu, and Wang Yi.Participants included clinicians, basic researchers, representatives from pharmaceutical technology companies, and investment firms.
As Professor Zhu Tongyu stated in his address: This conference is a cross-disciplinary, integrated, and innovative event—not only a knowledge feast for organ transplantation but also a forward-looking gathering, as well as an opportunity to explore investment directions for the pharmaceutical technology industry.
Special Topics on Prevention and Management of Complications After Organ Transplantation
Achieving a balance between preventing rejection and infection post-transplantation remains a challenging and critical issue in the field of organ transplantation; keynote speeches on “Cell Therapy and Organ Transplantation,” “Development of BKV Vaccines and Antibody Drugs,” and “Progress in AMR Prevention, Treatment, and Immune Risk Monitoring and Assessment in Kidney Transplantation” were delivered by Professor Xu Jianqing, Distinguished Professor and Researcher at the Institute of Biomedicine, Fudan University; Wu Nannan, Associate Researcher at the Shanghai Municipal Clinical Center for Public Health; and Professor Wang Xianghui, Director of the Research Office at the Ruijin Hospital Organ Transplantation Center, presenting recent advancements in the prevention and management of post-transplantation complications.
Balancing the prevention of rejection and infection after kidney transplantation has long been a complex challenge; Wu Nannan presented the research progress on a BKV vaccine, developed collaboratively by the kidney transplantation team at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, and the Public Health Clinical Center, offering new perspectives for the clinical prevention and treatment of BKV in kidney transplant recipients.
Special Topics on Xenotransplantation
On January 7, 2022, a team of surgeons at the University of Maryland School of Medicine successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig heart into a 57-year-old male patient, marking the first pig-to-human heart transplant; this groundbreaking achievement holds transformative significance and fuels anticipation for the future of xenotransplantation.
Covering the history of xenotransplantation, gene-editing-driven xenogeneic organs, advancements in the field, and the pivotal role of gene editing in xenotransplantation development, this session featured three keynote speeches by Professor Chen Zhonghua from Tongji Medical College, Professor Huang Xingxu from ShanghaiTech University, and Professor Wang Yi, Director of the Hainan Institute of Transplant Medicine: “A Century of Xenotransplantation,” “Gene Targeting & Gene Editing,” and “Research Progress in Kidney Xenotransplantation.”This session intertwined humanistic history, scientific and technological innovation, and clinical practice, sparking lively discussions among attendees following the lectures.
Organ shortages have consistently been a bottleneck limiting the advancement of organ transplantation.Xenotransplantation offers hope in addressing this bottleneck issue.However, xenotransplantation still faces numerous challenges to overcome, with a long road ahead.
