Immunologist at Shanghai hospital is honored
Researches conducted by medical experts from Shanghai's Renji Hospital were named as two of the top 20 milestone studies in immunology in the past 20 years. The award selection celebrates the 20-year anniversary of the founding of the world-leading journal Nature Reviews Immunology.
Dr Dong Chen from Renji Hospital published an article titled "A distinct lineage of CD4 T cells regulates tissue inflammation by producing interleukin 17" in Nature Reviews Immunology, breaking the mold of a traditional understanding of T cells. Dong and Professor Casey T Weaver found a new T cell – the Th17 cell, which was found to have a close relationship with autoimmune disease.
Clinical studies confirmed therapies targeting Th17 cells can treat diseases like psoriasis and ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory disease affecting the spine.
The discovery greatly boosts understanding of autoimmune disease and new drug development, industry insiders said.
To enhance medical research, the Shanghai Immune Therapy Institute was established at Renji Hospital in April, which will focus on basic and clinical research in three fields – cancer immunotherapy, chronic inflammatory disease, and transplant immunity, and infectious diseases and vaccines. Dong Chen is the director.
Dong Chen (right) discusses with his students at the lab.
