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New Phage Center Inaugurated: Jiahui Health Partners with CreatiPhage to Advance Clinical Translation of Phage Therapy
Date：2023-02-15
Shanghai, June 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and clinical applications of bacteriophages (phage) have spanned over a century, contributing revolutionary biotechnological tools such as T4 ligase and the CRISPR system while driving advancements in molecular biology, genetics, and synthetic biology. Shanghai has emerged as the birthplace of phage therapy in China and one of the world's largest regional hubs for phage therapy. To further promote clinical translation, on June 29, 2022, the strategic cooperation signing ceremony between CreatiPhage and Jiahui International Hospital (Jiahui Health), along with the inauguration of the "Clinical Application Technology Center for CreatiPhage," was held at Jiahui Health.
The event was attended by distinguished experts in phage therapy, including Professor Zhu Tongyu, founder of the Shanghai Institute of Phage; Professor Guo Xiaokui, Deputy Director of the National Tropical Disease Research Center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Professor Hu Bijie, Director of the Infectious Disease Department and Hospital Infection Management Department at Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University; Professor Li Xiaoyu, Director of the Pharmacy Department at Zhongshan Hospital; Professor Li Wenwei, Director of Neurology and Emergency Medicine at Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center; Professor Bao Juan, Director of Urology Department at Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center; and Professor Qin Jinhong from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Representatives from both parties, including Dr. Wu Nannan, CEO of CreatiPhage, and Dr. John K. HSIANG, Chief Medical Officer and Medical President of Jiahui Health, as well as Dr. Mei Yongyi, Director of Medical Informatics and Deputy Chief Medical Officer, were present at the signing ceremony.
Phages are viruses that infect bacteria. With a simple structure, they must parasitize live bacteria and are found in nearly every corner of the world. Through lysis, lysogeny, and horizontal gene transfer, phages influence the life cycle and evolution of their hosts, playing a vital ecological role. Their inability to infect eukaryotic cells and their specificity in killing bacteria ensure minimal impact on normal flora, making them highly safe. Phage therapy is unaffected by bacterial resistance, offering a groundbreaking solution against drug-resistant bacteria while self-amplifying during bacterial predation—truly the perfect predator.
China's earliest phage therapy dates back to the 1950s. In 1958, Professor Yu He from the Shanghai Institute of Immunology conducted the country's first successful personalised phage therapy case, saving Qiu Caikang, a severely burned patient with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, who was hailed as a "steel hero." Six decades later, teams led by Zhu Tongyu and Guo Xiaokui achieved China's second successful phage therapy case. In March 2020, Zhu Tongyu and Wu Nannan's team initiated clinical trials for phage therapy against COVID-19-associated secondary bacterial infections, publishing the world's first clinical study results in Emerging Microbes & Infections in 2021 and contributing a review in Current Opinion in Virology. In September 2020, the U.S. FDA approved Adaptive Phage Therapeutics' PhageBank for emergency use on COVID-19 patients with bacterial co-infections, highlighting the vast clinical potential of personalized phage therapy. Beyond treatment, phages are also used clinically for bacterial typing, hospital infection tracing, and prevention.
This collaboration between CreatiPhage and Jiahui Health marks the first entry of phage clinical research into China's non-public healthcare system. "Since its inception, Shanghai Jiahui International Hospital has been committed to building an integrated 'medical-education-research' ecosystem. Our clinical trial programs already span oncology, imaging, cardiology, and other fields, exploring innovative therapies for patients. We are honored to partner with leading clinical experts to translate research into advanced treatments," shared Dr. HSIANG.
Professor Zhu Tongyu remarked, "Each phage is a precision weapon against bacteria. Our clinical practice over the past five years has demonstrated their safety and efficacy, reinforcing our confidence in phage therapy. We are thrilled to witness the collaboration between China's most promising phage research team and a top-tier private hospital, paving the way for broader clinical applications to benefit patients threatened by antimicrobial resistant infections."
Moving forward, the two parties will focus on personalized phage therapy, rapid screening of lytic phages, and related research, aiming to advance phage therapy development nationwide and globally, ultimately benefiting more patients.
Source: Jiahui Health
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