Opening up a new track in the field of life sciences

The New Journey of Strengthening China with Talents On October 18th, Professor Wang Fuding from South China University was invited by the University of Cambridge, Oxford, King's College London, and the University of Bath to conduct a 4-day academic exchange in the UK, giving a specially invited academic report on "Metal Ions and Iron Death". Ferroptosis was discovered as a unique programmed cell death mode in 2012

The New Journey of Strengthening China with Talents

On October 18th, Professor Wang Fuding from South China University was invited by the University of Cambridge, Oxford, King's College London, and the University of Bath to conduct a 4-day academic exchange in the UK, giving a specially invited academic report on "Metal Ions and Iron Death".

Ferroptosis was discovered as a unique programmed cell death mode in 2012. The series of diseases caused by the steady-state imbalance of metal ions such as iron are major nutritional and medical challenges that plague the world, such as iron deficiency anemia. Currently, about 2 billion people worldwide are threatened by anemia, and nearly 200 million people in China are suffering from anemia. The number of "disability adjusted life year losses" caused by anemia ranks second in the world.

Facing people's lives and health, Wang Fuming led a team to delve into the forefront of metal ion homeostasis research for more than 30 years, pioneering the theory of metal ion spatiotemporal homeostasis regulation, creating a precise disease prevention and control technology system for targeted regulation of metal ions, developing new drugs for targeted metal ion homeostasis, proposing a public health and safety China plan, and striving to contribute to the Healthy China strategy.

1. Unveiling the Mysterious Mask of Metal Ions

Interpret profound science with popular knowledge, so that ordinary people can understand scientific research, "said Wang Fuding.

Twenty one years ago, Wang Fuying went to Harvard University in the United States to further her studies, studying advanced research systems for metal ions and cutting-edge experimental technologies in life sciences. Five years later, he led his team to discover a new gene, Mon1a, that regulates macrophage iron recycling. The results were published in the journal Nature Genetics, and were hailed by the academic community as a "groundbreaking discovery".

In 2008, he quit his excellent job abroad and returned home full time. He has successively set up scientific research teams in the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, and Nanhua University, and continues to carry out in-depth exploration of iron, zinc, manganese and other metal ions.

In the past decade or so, although the path of scientific research has been arduous, it has yielded fruitful results. The team took the lead in discovering key genes for iron death in heart diseases such as FTH and HMOX1 in the world. It also discovered that SLC39A14, TXNRD and other genes are the core mechanisms regulating iron death in the liver, subversively discovered the side effects of metformin induced iron dependent kidney damage, and provided scientific basis for the traceability of high incidence diabetes nephropathy, and took the lead in analyzing the structure of xCT-4F2hc, the most important protein complex for iron death, And pioneered drugs and animal models of iron death damage to heritable organs in the world.

Wang Fuding led his team to work tirelessly, compiling and publishing "Zinc and Human Health", "Iron and Human Health", and "Selenium: Molecular Biology and Human Health". He also authored and published "Iron Death". These four works constitute the "Metal Ions Quartet" of Wang Fuding's team, establishing the most complete metal ion science and education system in China, greatly promoting the high-quality development of the field of metal ion homeostasis in China.

In 2022, Wang Fuying took the lead in proposing the new disciplinary concept of "Ferrology" globally, which attracted high attention from the international academic community. He believes that research on iron ions has already developed from a single discipline and perspective to interdisciplinary and interdisciplinary fields, and iron science will become a new research track for exploring the laws of major human diseases, diagnostic interventions, and new drug research and development.

2. Strive for Time to Climb "Science Everest"

In August 2023, Wang Fuming was elected as a member of the board of directors of the International Bioiron Society with the highest number of votes, becoming the first Chinese scientist to join the board of directors of the society in its 50 year history. After decades of effort, Chinese scientists have become leaders in the field of iron science and iron death.

Wang Fuding often encourages team members to have the spirit of "sitting on the bench for ten years cold" as a researcher in the fields of basic medicine and public health. Under his leadership, more and more young scientists have become the backbone of this field.

Zhang Zhuzhen, currently a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Life Sciences at Wuhan University, was the first doctoral student to join Wang Fuding's team. Faced with Zhang Zhuzhen, who has a relatively poor foundation in interdisciplinary doctoral studies and scientific research, Wang Fuding taught experimental skills such as mouse breeding and genotype identification hand in hand. In the end, Zhang Zhuzhen won the highest graduate student award and the highest paper achievement award of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Teacher Wang never denies our ideas and encourages us to verify their correctness through practice. In 2013, graduate student Fang Xuexian questioned some literature conclusions in nutrition, and Wang Fuding encouraged him to conduct experimental verification. Although the results showed that Fang Xuexian's "discovery" was not valid, his enthusiasm for research became increasingly strong. Nowadays, Fang Xuexian has become an outstanding researcher in the regulation mechanism of cell iron death metabolism, and has won multiple honors such as the title of Outstanding Youth in Zhejiang Province.

We are climbing 'Mount Everest of Science' and racing against the world's top teams. It is normal for experiments to fail and paper submissions to temporarily fail. Every month, the team selects laboratory heroes based on their innovative achievements. Whether on weekends or during winter and summer vacations, Wang Fuming's team is always in an urgent and efficient state of work, conducting experiments, brainstorming, and writing papers. Everyone is racing against the clock.

After joining the team, Dr. Liu Yang from the Hengyang School of Medicine at Nanhua University conducted research on the design, preparation, and application of iron death targeted drug carriers. In just two years, Liu Yang has won two provincial-level funding projects and published 8 high-level papers, of which two have become highly cited papers in the ESI (Basic Science Indicator Database). Dr. Tao Liang has the nickname "Desperate Sanlang" in Wang Fuying's team, and his project often got stuck at the beginning. Wang Fuding organized a team to conduct research and argumentation, helping him sort out his ideas and adjust his research direction, often discussing until early morning. That is a process where the truth becomes clearer as it is debated, with a pleasant surprise of clearing away the clouds and seeing a clear day, "said Tao Liang.

3. Innovative Achievements Help Healthy China

Iron overload and iron deficiency anemia are hidden killers of health. It is our team's mission to explore their incidence patterns and develop economic, efficient, and suitable prevention and treatment measures for China's national conditions. "Wang Fuding said, and the team has been committed to transforming basic research into clinical applications.

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia. After exploration, Wang Fuding's team discovered the first human anemia gene TMPRSS6, which has become a globally applied clinical diagnosis and treatment indicator and provides important scientific basis for anemia prevention and treatment. They also pioneered the "Black Bean Anemia Prevention China Program", which combines basic research with traditional food and is considered a "major achievement in medical nutrition".

Hemochromatosis is a human hereditary iron overload disease with high incidence. It has a high incidence rate in China, and its disability rate and mortality rate are also high. In 2018, Wang Fuding, as the chief scientist, led a key research and development project of the Ministry of Science and Technology, conducting in-depth research on hemochromatosis and thalassemia. He found that the anti rheumatoid arthritis drug Jinnufen has a therapeutic effect on iron overload and can be used to treat various iron overload diseases such as hemochromatosis and thalassemia. Wang Fuding's team also collaborated on the development of a new Class I iron relieving drug, with stable synthesis and formulation processes and controllable quality. Phase II clinical trials showed good iron relieving efficacy, high safety, and few side effects, which is expected to become a new drug for treating iron overload diseases.

Like iron, zinc is also an essential trace element for the human body. Wang Fuding led a team to conduct in-depth research on zinc ion metabolism, overcome difficulties, and achieve a series of major breakthroughs. The team has provided authoritative scientific basis for oral zinc supplementation to effectively prevent and treat diabetes for the first time in the world; It was first revealed that SLC39A10 is a macrophage zinc transporter protein, mediating macrophage zinc ion uptake, providing a new target for the prevention and treatment of diseases such as inflammation and sepsis; For the first time, the fundamental cause of intestinal acrodermatitis in human genetic diseases has been elucidated, that is, the SLC39A4 gene mutation hinders the absorption of zinc in the small intestine of patients, leading to zinc deficiency and death

The amino acid zinc new drug developed under the leadership of Wang Fuding's team has obtained the national new drug certificate and been promoted in 2000 hospitals, with an annual sales revenue of 300 million yuan, benefiting over 10 million patients; As an expert of the project team, I participated in and completed three strategic consulting projects, including the "strategic research on the development of a century science and technology power" of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Metal ions are the primary driving force and lubricant of life, with very little content, but their effects are extremely powerful. Interpreting the mysteries of metal ions is an important breakthrough in conquering diseases. We must bravely climb 'Mount Everest of Science', contribute Chinese strength to maintaining human health, and provide Chinese wisdom and solutions, "said Wang Fuying.

(Reporter Long Junyu Aihua, Correspondent Xia Wenhui)

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