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China
Seek Extended Collaboration With EU on Stem Cell Research
Wednesday, 26 January 2005
According to Xinhua.net, an official of the Ministry of
Science and Technology in China said on Monday this week, that China’s key
basic research projects (from the National Basic Research Program) are now
open to public bidding. This will allow research institutions in European
Union member countries to join these programs, in accordance with a new
Sino-EU science and technology co-operative treaty.
China’s National Basic Research Program (also called 973 Program) is the
national basic research program in progress, approved by the Chinese
government in 1997. It is organised and implemented by the Chinese Ministry
of Science and Technology. The 973 Program was created on the basis of
already existing research activities, supported by the Chinese National Nature Science Foundation,
to organise and implement basic research to meet China’s major national
strategic needs for the future.
Included in the health and life science sections, and singled out for
approval, are several of China’s more well-known stem cell research
projects. Applicants from EU countries must join at least two Chinese
research institutions, according to rules set by the ministry, to
participate in any of these Chinese State’s basic research projects.
Furthermore, Chinese scientists who are now foreign citizens and scientists
from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan can
play leading roles in such researches, the official said. The most
successful applicants could get funded with over 30 million yuan (3.63
million US dollars or 2.7M Euro's) and others might get financial support
valued at less than 15 million yuan (1.81 million dollars or 1.35M Euro’s),
the official said.
Applications should be made before mid- March 2005, and can be submitted
on-line at the 973 Program’s web-site.
In the life sciences and health section of this wide program, several of
China’s more well-known stem cell projects are included:
- Stem Cell
Research - Basic Science And Clinic Applications
Chief Specialist: Huizhen Sheng, Health Science Center,
Shanghai Institute of Biological Science, SIBS, CAS and Shanghai
Second Medical University.
Description:
Somatic stem cells found in various tissues and organs appear to have
a wider differentiation potential than previously thought. We will
isolate neural stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells and multipotent
adult stem cells, develop methods to expand them and to keep them
multipotent at the same time. Once those cells are proved to be
functional and harmless in animal models, they could be offered as
materials for autologous transplantation to treat diseases such as Parkinson’s, ALS, spinal cord damage et al.
To solve the problem of immune compatibility, we will create cells or
tissues for human autologous transplant therapy through a procedure
called "therapeutic cloning". Human somatic nuclei will be
reprogrammed by nuclear transfer (nt), and allowed to develop in
vitro to the blastocyst stage. Embryonic stem cells will be
isolated from the blastocysts and differentiate into a broad spectrum
of cell and tissue types. The in vivo function and safety of
ntES cells and their derivatives will be tested thoroughly in animal
models.
The system of somatic nuclear reprogramming, including nuclear
transfer, embryonic stem cells and directional differentiation of stem
cells, offers also a window for studying important questions such as
"the molecular basis of pluripotency", "epigenetic
modification of the genome", and "dialogues between
mitochondria and nuclei". To facilitate understanding the
molecular mechanisms controlling differentiation pathways, we are
going to characterise the function of Notch signalling pathway using a
mouse mutant. Meanwhile, we have also begun to create an ES cell
mutant library and screen for genes associated with differentiation
process of muscles and neurones.
- Differentiation
of Human Embryonic Germ Cells and the Plasticity of Adult Stem Cells
Chief Specialist: Lingsong Li,
Stem Cell Research Center, Peking University, Beijing.
Description:
Stem cells are primitive cells with self-renewing ability and
multi-differentiation potential. Under specific condition, stem cells
could be coaxed into different types of cells, to construct tissues
and organs. At present, different kinds of cytokines are used to
explore the mechanism of stem cell differentiation, but the method can
not lead to gain systematic information of the differentiation
mechanism.
In our project, we use IVF techniques to isolate human embryonic stem
cell, comparing several feeder cell layers to promote growth. We
created the first embryonic stem cell line in China. On the basis of
stem cell lines, we will construct cell models on embryonic stem cell
differentiating into neuron, stromal stem cell and neural stem cell
differentiating into other specialised cells. Then we will compare
systematically the protein expressed in embryonic stem cell, neural
stem cells and other adult stem cell, to find and clone membrane and
secretory proteins which could be the key signalling proteins in
regulating stem cell differentiation. We will also make monoclonal
antibodies of those proteins.
Furthermore, we will research the function and mechanism of those
proteins in regulating stem cell differentiation, and the relationship
between different signal pathways. This project would provide a
theoretic basis for curing diseases with stem cell.
- Applied
Basic Research of Nerve Injury Restoration and Functional
Reconstruction
HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei province.
Description:
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a major medical and social problem.
Paralysis and uncontrollable bladder and bowel result in a poor
quality of life and direct damage to the health of SCI survivors.
Related medical cost and loss of productivity have tremendous negative
impact on SCI patients, is serious and devastating for neural injury.
Further systemic investigation on neural injury, repair and
restoration of function is important and may lead to significant
progress. The proposed research will focus on the basic science of SCI
and peripheral neural injury. Special emphases will be on restoration
of bladder and bowel working function after SCI, as well as arm
function after peripheral neural injury. The most advanced technology
in molecular biology, morphology, neural electrophysiology, fMRI and
PET will be used.
The effect of stem cells and other factors on neural regeneration and
reinnervation will be jointly studied.
The goals of the project include:
1) Establishing a national network on advanced research of SCI and
peripheral neural injury,
2) clarifying further the mechanisms of the artificial
somatic-CNS-bladder reflex pathway for better treatment of neurogenic
bladder and bowel caused by SCI or other diseases,
3) improve further the treatment of the peripheral neural injury by
clarifying the CNS plasticity and developing new technology.
- Fundamental
Scientific Project of Tissue Engineering
Shanghai Second Medical University, Shanghai.
Description:
1. Experiment on Seed Cells:
a. Cultivation, induction of differentiation and identification of
embryo stem cells.
b. Study on the dissociation, purification, amplification and
induction of differentiation of marrow interstitial stem cells.
c. Establishment of allo-cell lines used in cartilage tissue
engineering.
d. Study of the role of aging of seed cells and way’s of delaying stem
cells aging.
2. Experiment on degradable biomaterials:
a. Surface modification to increase the affinity between cells and
materials
b. Study on the adjustment of the degrading ratio, scaffold formatting
of biomaterials.
3. Formatting and regenerating tissues and organs:
a. Formatting and regenerating the tissue and organ in vitro,
the condition is simulation that in vivo.
b. Formatting and regenerating the tissue and organ in immunity
animal.
Key questions to answer:
1. Getting the seed cells needed in tissue engineering
2. Improving the quantity of biomaterials used in tissue engineering
3. Formatting and/or regenerating tissues and organs in vivo
and in vitro.
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