Southeast University and bringer Ingelheim: jointly develop a new therapy for hearing impairment

On November 28, bringer Ingelheim and the Institute of life sciences of Southeast University of China jointly announced the launch of a joint research project to develop a new type of therapy for hearing impairment through the regeneration of hair cells of inner ear stem cells The new cooperation combines the world's leading professional technology of Professor Chai Renjie in the field of hearing impairment of Southeast University with the professional technology of bringer Ingelheim in drug discovery and clinical research and development, which paves the way for the development of new therapies in great demand under the current conditions According to the data of the World Health Organization, there are more than 360 million people around the world with disabling hearing loss, 32 million of whom are children under the age of 15 With the increase of age, the prevalence of hearing impairment increases gradually, which seriously affects the ability of communication and quality of life of the elderly This situation is expected to increase dramatically due to the aging of the global population One common feature of these hearing impaired people is the degeneration of inner ear hair cells "We are very excited to work with Professor Chai Renjie and his team They are at the world's leading level in this emerging research field More importantly, we have started our first cooperation in China." Dr Clive R wood, senior vice president, discovery research, bringer ingelham "The field of hearing impairment is the focus of cross-border research, which is our second cooperation in this field Through these special cooperation with the most innovative scientists in the frontier research field of biomedicine, we can promote our research and development This cooperation is an outstanding example " This new research cooperation in the field of hearing impairment is an initiative of the newly established research beyond borders (RBB) This study is a supplement to the cooperation with Kyoto University in the field of hearing impairment research at the beginning of this year Through the cooperation with Southeast University, bringer Ingelheim will find the key signaling pathways and proteins in the process of hair cell regeneration, and through these findings, formulate the strategies for making drugs Finally, through regenerative medicine to achieve the ultimate goal of the treatment of hearing impairment, to solve the unmet medical needs "We hope to promote the progress in the field of hair cell regeneration through this project, and promote the clinical transformation and application of the latest research results of the laboratory through cooperation with world-class pharmaceutical enterprises such as bringer Ingelheim," said Dr Xie Wei, President of the Institute of life sciences, Southeast University of China Professor Chai Renjie, director of the research project of Southeast University, said: "this project will clarify the regulatory mechanism of inner ear stem cells, hoping to locate the key signal pathway by screening out small molecular compounds that promote hair cell regeneration, and develop a new therapy together with bringer Ingelheim." "I am very proud of this frontier research project jointly founded by Brigitte ingelham and Southeast University of China We very much hope to promote more cooperation with Chinese scientists I believe it will pave the way for more projects in the future " Mr Pan Dawei, CEO and greater China of Boehringer ingelham, said RBB is one of the pillars of Boehringer Ingelheim's R & D strategy Through exploring and researching new science, new indications and new technologies, RBB will supplement the company's five core treatment areas (cardiovascular system, respiratory system, central nervous system, immune system and tumor), so as to expand the R & D opportunities RBB currently focuses on new technologies such as regenerative medicine, microorganism and gene therapy RBB will provide new innovation opportunities for the company in and outside the core treatment field, and ensure that bringer Ingelheim can take the lead in the next innovation tide of biomedical research Asia is rapidly becoming an innovation hotspot in the field of biomedical research, occupying a leading position in the field of regenerative medicine research Boehringer ingelham will continue to expand RBB's scientific research activities and is expanding cooperation in Asia With a long-term vision and cutting-edge science, the company expects to achieve a new generation of medical breakthroughs, solve unmet medical needs, and constantly improve the lives of patients.