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Summary:Provides a new model for building proof-of-concept platforms across the country

Recently, a "Scientist Founder Training Camp" was held at the Xinze Zhixing Port Incubator. 29 scientists participating in the 2024 Global Life Science and Health Technology Concept Proof-of-Concept Competition gathered together to listen to speeches by experts from pharmaceutical CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization), protein drug preparation companies, and model biological service companies. These scientists came from Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shaanxi and other provinces and cities, all with scientific and technological achievements that need to be transformed into products. After listening to the report, they had in-depth exchanges with three corporate experts to discuss cooperation plans for concept proof.

"Product development is a weakness of many scientists. Through the training of the competition, I have a better understanding of product development." Li Runsheng, a researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Biomedical Technology, said, "For example, entrepreneurs told me that after the establishment of a company, they cannot just develop one product, but a series of products. The entrepreneurial team must also make patent layouts and cannot be satisfied with an invention patent that has been authorized."

Dr. Xu Rong (left) and Researcher Li Runsheng had an in-depth exchange at Xinze Zhixing Port.

Concept verification is an important part of the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. The "Decision of the CPC Central Committee on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reforms and Promoting Chinese-style Modernization" approved by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee pointed out that it is necessary to deepen the reform of the mechanism for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, strengthen the construction of the national technology transfer system, and accelerate the layout and construction of a number of concept verification and pilot verification platforms.

What should be verified in the concept verification phase? How can market-oriented entities carry out this work? Last year, after Xinze Zhixing Port was selected as one of the first batch of high-quality incubators in Shanghai, it conducted exploration under the guidance of the Municipal Science and Technology Commission. After investigation, Dr. Xu Rong, partner of Xinze Zhixing Port, believes that concept verification can be divided into five aspects: technical feasibility and prototype verification, product commercialization planning, investment transaction transformation planning, company establishment planning, and intellectual property planning. Completing these verifications and planning will provide important references for whether a scientific and technological achievement can be transformed into a product and how to transform it into a product.

5 aspects of proof of concept work

In terms of supporting funds, the incubator found that domestic concept verification funds are mainly funded by equity investment and institutional operating funds, which do not reflect the value of technical verification services well. After discussions between Shenze Zhixing Port and the Yangtze River Delta National Technology Innovation Center, they decided to jointly establish a special fund for concept verification to support scientists in purchasing concept verification services. At present, the first batch of funds has been in place, and the first batch of concept verification service providers in the biopharmaceutical industry have also been launched, including listed companies such as Medicilon, Nearshore Protein, and Nanmo Biotech. "The concept verification funds we set up are a bit like innovation vouchers, which are used to purchase technical services. The purpose is to help scientists obtain the technical parameters for the productization of scientific and technological achievements." Xu Rong explained.

After the funds were in place, Xinze Zhixing Port launched the 2024 Global Life Science and Health Technology Concept Verification Competition under the guidance of the Municipal Science and Technology Commission. This is the first competition in the country that takes "industry technology concept verification" as its entry point, with the main task of guiding participating projects to establish a "concept verification implementation plan" and the reward method of funding scientists to purchase technical verification services, providing a new model for the construction of concept verification platforms across the country.

At present, the 29 participating scientists have submitted the "Concept Proof-of-Concept Special Fund Project Application" after communicating with experts from incubators and concept proof-of-concept service providers.

Li Runsheng's project is a diagnostic kit for asthenospermia subtypes. A few years ago, he led his team to discover a new type of histone post-translational modification - H3.3 thiolation, whose modification level is positively correlated with sperm motility. They used a gene-edited mouse model to prove that downregulation of histone 3.3 thiolation levels can lead to a significant decrease in sperm motility. They also found that the level of H3.3 thiolation in the testis is regulated by the hydrogen sulfide signaling pathway.

This is an original discovery in reproductive science and has great clinical application value. There are already drugs on the market that can enhance the hydrogen sulfide signaling pathway, so as long as a diagnostic kit is developed to screen out asthenospermia patients with low levels of sulfhydrylation, precision medicine for this subtype of asthenospermia can be achieved. With this entrepreneurial idea, Li Runsheng participated in the concept verification competition.

Shanghai First People's Hospital Hematology Team

Talking about the value of the proof-of-concept competition, Wang Pengran, an associate researcher at Shanghai First People's Hospital, said: "I usually immerse myself in scientific research. After participating in the training, I have a better understanding of biomedical policies and markets." In recent years, his team in the Department of Hematology at the First People's Hospital of Shanghai has been developing TCR-T (engineered T cell receptor T cells) therapy, which has therapeutic potential for various solid tumors and blood tumors. They have established an efficient TCR-T cell technology platform, developed TCR-T cells targeting multiple high-frequency mutated tumor neoantigens, and applied for 7 Chinese invention patents and PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty) patents, of which 2 have been authorized.

The Hematology Team of the First Municipal Hospital hopes to find partners and funds through the proof-of-concept competition to achieve GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) production of TCR-T cells and promote the clinical application of scientific research results as soon as possible.