News and Events

Academic Lecture: Professor Gong Chen of Jinan University on In Situ Neural Regeneration Technology and Clinical Translation

September 18, 2025

On 11 September 2025, Professor Gong Chen, Director of the Brain Repair Center at Jinan University, was invited to visit the School of Chinese Medicine and deliver a lecture entitled *In Situ Cerebral Neural Regeneration Technology and Clinical Translation*. Professor Li Min, Dean of the School of Chinese Medicine, chaired the lecture. Distinguished guests in attendance included Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, Associate Vice-President (Clinical Chinese Medicine), Professor Zhong Bu, Dean of the School of Communication, Professor Feng Guangchao, Associate Dean of the School of Communication, as well as HKBU neuroscience researchers.

During the lecture, Professor Chen shared his team's in situ neural regeneration therapy for nerve injury and neurodegenerative diseases, and elaborated on the breakthrough research demonstrating how the neural transcription factor NeuroD1 directly reprograms endogenous glial cells into functional neurons to reconstruct neural circuits and restore neurological function. His team successfully administered the AAV vector-based in situ neural regeneration gene therapy in the world's first gene therapy for patients with malignant glioma in 2024, marking a new milestone in translating basic research into clinical application.

The lecture was warmly received, with faculty and students actively raising questions and engaging in in-depth discussions with Professor Chen. Participants noted that they had benefited greatly and gained a deeper understanding of in situ cerebral neural regeneration technology. This event has not only promoted interdisciplinary integration and exchange, but also fostered a favorable environment for research innovation within the School.