By Ron Chen, Bureau Chief, Asia
Recently, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Key Project entitled “Chemical Partial Reprogramming of Aged Airway Basal Stem Cells,” led by Chief Scientist of Regend Therapeutics and Professor at Tongji University, Professor Zuo Wei, has been officially approved and funded.
This project addresses critical scientific questions in regenerative therapy for chronic pulmonary diseases against the backdrop of an aging population, with a focus on elucidating the mechanisms underlying the senescence and diminished regenerative capacity of aged airway basal stem cells, and attempting to achieve “rejuvenation” of senescent stem cells through chemical partial reprogramming.
The NSFC Key Project represents a top-tier major research initiative within China’s national science funding system. It aims to support researchers in conducting in-depth, systematic, and innovative studies on well-established research directions, facilitating breakthroughs in key fields while aligning closely with major national strategic needs. These projects are highly competitive to secure and carry significant academic prestige, serving as a core benchmark for evaluating the original innovation capabilities, disciplinary development, and overall team strength of research institutions and individual investigators. With funding levels reaching several million yuan and research periods extending up to five years, the review process places great emphasis on the originality of the scientific questions and the uniqueness of the proposed solutions. Given that the national average funding rate has persistently remained below 17 per cent, the competition is exceptionally fierce.
Airway basal stem cells are an important cell source for maintaining airway epithelial homeostasis and facilitating regenerative repair following injury. Our team’s previous studies have revealed that with increasing age, the proliferative and regenerative capacities of patient-derived airway basal stem cells progressively decline, posing a major bottleneck for the broader application of autologous cell therapy in elderly patients.
This project will conduct systematic investigations encompassing the assessment of airway basal stem cell senescence, chemical partial reprogramming, and the functional and safety evaluation of rejuvenated cells, aiming to establish novel strategies for in vitro rejuvenation of autologous stem cells from elderly patients. Our team has already built a solid research foundation in the isolation and culture of lung stem cells, lung tissue regeneration and repair, and clinical translation, and has initiated clinical studies on autologous airway basal stem cell therapy for diseases such as COPD, IPF, and bronchiectasis.
The successful execution of this project is expected to further unravel the regulatory mechanisms governing lung stem cell senescence and rejuvenation, overcome the key bottleneck of compromised autologous stem cell quality in elderly patients, provide new theoretical foundations and technological pathways for regenerative treatment of chronic lung diseases including COPD and pulmonary fibrosis, and offer valuable references for senescence intervention and regenerative medicine research involving adult stem cells from other tissues.
