Source: News Center
Written by: News Center and Guangzhou Zhongda Holdings Co., Ltd
Photo by: Kai Saer

On the morning of September 6, “the press conference of the successful development of world advanced level artificial nerve conduit for the repair of peripheral nerve defect--- 'Shen Qiao’in Sun Yat-sen University” was held in SYSU. The press conference was co-hosted by Guangzhou Zhongda Holdings Co., Ltd and the Publicity Department of SYSU Party Committee, co-organized by Guangzhou Zhongda Medical Equipment Co., Ltd and The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Academician Zhong Shizhen, member of Guangdong Provincial Scientific and Technological Achievements Appraisal Meeting and professor of Southern Medical University, Prof. Zhu Jiakai, Prof. Liu Xiaolin and Director Gu Liqiang, members of “Shen Qiao” scientific research team, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Gu Xiaofeng, General Manager of Guangzhou Zhongda Holdings Co., Ltd, Yang Yuexiong, General Manager of Guangzhou Zhongda Medical Equipment Co., Ltd, and journalists from many media organizations attended the conference. The press conference was chaired by Xie Manhua, Director of the Publicity Department of SYSU Party Committee.

"Acellular nerve allograft artificial nerve conduit for the repair of nerve defect" --- "Shen Qiao” (meaning “Magic Bridge”) is used for bridging nerve defects as an alternative to nerve autografts in peripheral nerve repair. “Shen Qiao” has been approved by State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), granted production registration certificate and approved for clinical use and sale on the market. Independently developed in China with completely independent intellectual property right, “Shen Qiao" is the only officially approved artificial nerve conduit for the repair of nerve defect in the country since worldwide similar product made in the US was first approved for clinical use and sale on the market in 2008. In the scientific appraisal co-organized by Guangdong Provincial Department of Science and Technology and Department of Health of Guangdong Province, and made by top experts in the same field in China, the “Shen Qiao” series of research achievements is said to be “on the whole at the advanced level in the world and some of its technologies have reached the world’s leading level”.


At the press conference, Prof. Liu Xiaolin described the development background, research process and research achievements of “Shen Qiao” and briefly introduced the future upgrades of the product. Prof Zhu Jiakai compared “Shen Qiao” with a similar product manufactured by an American company in specifications, storage and clinical test process, demonstrating that “Shen Qiao” is superior to the similar product in these aspects and achieves the world’s top level. General Manager Yang Yuexiong introduced the benefits brought by the combination of production, study and research.

Academician Zhong Shizhen, clinical anatomy authority and leader of the expert group of the achievement appraisal meeting, affirmed the result of “Shen Qiao” in the appraisal meeting: “it is on the whole at internationally advanced level, and in part reaches international leading level”, and said that it is also a major breakthrough in translational medicine in China. He pointed out that “Shen Qiao” meets the requirement of “2011” Collaborative Innovation Program proposed by General Secretary Hu Jintao, and it will promote the organic integration of social benefits and economic benefits. The launch of “Shen Qiao” is a great inspiration to academic researchers and good news for people with nerve injury.
 

It is learned that “Shen Qiao” is mainly developed by Guangzhou Zhongda Medical Equipment Co., Ltd and the scientific research team led by Prof. Liu Xiaolin of The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. The team also includes researchers from School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Sun Yat-sen University. Since Guangzhou Zhongda Medical Equipment Co., Ltd is affiliated to Guangzhou Zhongda Holdings Co., Ltd, therefore, Sun Yat-sen University has completely independent intellectual property right. It is a beneficial attempt and an excellent achievement of collaborative innovation in the university.

Up to now, the repair of peripheral nerve injuries caused by all kinds of accidents, natural disasters and even wars is still a worldwide challenge, especially the repair of nerve defects caused by injuries. In the recent two centuries, medical scientists and material scientists have attempted various methods and selected various materials to repair nerve defects, but the ideal results have not been achieved. The “rob one’s belly to cover one’s back” style of using nerve autografts in the repair is a common clinical approach and a helpless choice because even if autologous nerve grafting is performed for reconstruction, in addition to donor site morbidities that are hard to accept, the therapeutic outcome is still not ideal. Worldwide the first acellular nerve allograft artificial nerve conduit for the repair of nerve defect is Avance® Nerve Graft manufactured by AxoGen Inc. in the US, which was officially introduced to the market in 2008. The research team in Sun Yat-sen University started to develop the product at the same time with their fellow scientists in the US at the beginning of the century. In 2008, the research team led by Prof. Liu Xiaolin developed a similar product --- "Shen Qiao", however, Sun Yat-sen University follows the strict requirements of SFDA and makes an official announcement after nearly 3 years of clinical research observations. “Shen Qiao" shows that China ranks among the first in the world in tissue engineered nerve grafts and product development and it fills a domestic blank.

"Shen Qiao" is an acellular nerve graft obtained through extracted treatment of native peripheral nerves, it is mainly composed of extracellular matrix, and it does not contain any cells but preserves the intact structure similar to native nerves. When it is bridged at the nerve stumps, its unique three-dimensional structure and rich extracellular matrix provide good physical and biological environment for the growth of the regenerated nerve. It can lead and support the regenerated nerve to grow from the proximal to the distal stumps of nerve, enable the regenerated nerve to reach the distal end through the defected area, and finally restore innervation of the target organ. “Shen Qiao” can meet the physical, chemical and biological needs of artificial nerve conduit for the repair of nerve defect, avoid a variety of complications caused by autologous nerve grafting to repair defected nerves, and it is the most ideal product at the present. In our country, every year about 400,000 to 600,000 people have nerve defects due to injuries in industrial accidents, natural disasters and individual accidents, and at least 450,000 centimeters of artificial nerve conduit for the repair of nerve defect are needed. The launch of “Shen Qiao” on the market will directly benefit tens of thousands of patients who are disabled due to nerve defects, and help them to regain ability to live and work, and reduce the economic and ethical burdens of their families and the society. In particular, it has great strategic significance in natural disasters and war.