Source: Shenzhen Economic Daily
May 11, 2021, Page A08
An adult is composed of approximately 40 to 60 trillion cells, which can be classified into more than 200 different types. As human research on cells deepens, cell therapy technologies — primarily based on stem cells and immune cells — are developing rapidly and have become a hot research area in life sciences. Cell technology is expected to become one of the effective means of extending human lifespan and improving human health.
Founded 16 years ago, Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Beike Biotech") is a company dedicated to basic cell research and clinical translation, and is a representative enterprise in Shenzhen's life and health industry. The "Key Technology Innovation and Clinical Application Research of Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Refractory Lupus Erythematosus", in which it participated, won the National Technology Invention Award (Second Prize). The technology achieves an effective rate of 60% and has reduced the 5-year mortality rate of refractory lupus erythematosus from 45% to 16%, opening up a new therapeutic pathway for refractory autoimmune diseases.
In addition to autoimmune diseases, cell therapy has demonstrated enormous potential in malignant tumors, regenerative medicine, biopharmaceuticals, and many other fields. In recent years, many countries have made cell therapy a priority area and major direction for biopharmaceutical industry development. Internationally, more than 40 cell therapy products have been approved for marketing. In China, 111 stem cell clinical research institutions and 100 stem cell clinical research projects have been filed with the National Health Commission, covering a wide range of refractory diseases including type 2 diabetes, myocardial infarction, pediatric cerebral palsy, and Parkinson's disease. As a leader in the cell field, Beike Biotech has, in cooperation with five hospitals, applied for and obtained filing as stem cell clinical research institutions, and has supported five stem cell clinical research projects in being filed, including Peking University Shenzhen Hospital's "Randomized, Parallel, Controlled Clinical Study of Safety and Efficacy of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells via Different Transplantation Routes for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes". This project began clinical research recruitment in 2020.
During the fight against COVID-19, stem cells were also seen as holding great promise. Zhang Xinmin, Director of the Center for Biological Research at the Ministry of Science and Technology, said at a State Council joint prevention and control mechanism press conference: "Stem cell therapy for COVID-19 patients is safe and effective, and can quickly relieve dyspnea in severe and critically ill patients or stop its worsening. Improvements have been seen in clinical manifestations, respiratory function, and imaging examinations, with cure typically achieved in 8 to 10 days. In addition, stem cells block the progression of pulmonary fibrosis and promote repair of lung damage, demonstrating unique advantages in preventing pulmonary fibrosis and improving the long-term prognosis of patients." Beike Biotech also worked at the front line of the pandemic response, swiftly answering the national call and committing research resources to treat severely ill COVID-19 patients. The "Clinical Study of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Coronavirus-Induced Severe Pneumonia", jointly submitted by Beike Biotech and the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen, was approved by the Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology under the 2020 Guangdong Emergency Special Project for Scientific and Technological Research on the Prevention and Control of Novel Coronavirus. At the same time, Beike Biotech-led "R&D of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Drugs for the Treatment of COVID-19" was successfully selected for the Ministry of Science and Technology's "Science and Technology to Boost the Economy 2020" key special project, contributing to the fight against the pandemic.
The Shenzhen Comprehensive Cell Bank, operated by Beike Biotech, was established under the Shenzhen Development and Reform Commission's approval document "Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Builds the Shenzhen Comprehensive Cell Bank" (Shen Fa Gai [2014] No. 1717), based on the "Shenzhen Life and Health Industry Development Plan (2013–2020)". It is a large-scale platform that handles cell resources and their applications. Following the new industry development model of "Shenzhen Comprehensive Cell Bank + Regional Cell Preparation Center + Cell Quality Testing Platform", it provides every family with cell preparation and cell-resource preservation services on par with international standards. Currently, the cell storage services available include neonatal stem cell storage and adult peripheral blood immune cell storage. The Shenzhen Comprehensive Cell Bank, as part of Shenzhen's health industry infrastructure, regularly hosts public-welfare science popularization activities aimed at the general public; visits can be arranged via the Shenzhen Comprehensive Cell Bank WeChat official account.
