Zhang Ying is the research and development director of Nuwacell Ltd, a biological technology company in Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone in East China’s Anhui province. Zhang is researching induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and the preparation of human functional cells. 

He is also the chief scientist of the cellular medicine joint laboratory of Nuwacell and the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), vice chairman of the Anhui Society for Stem Cell Research. 

Zhang joined the Nuwacell entrepreneur team after he came back to China in 2016 with an overseas PhD. The majority of Nuwacell staff members are researchers returning from abroad like him. “I feel that Hefei has lower living costs and stronger scientific and educational resources compared with other cities with the same level of payment and development conditions, and I can do my research attentively,” said Zhang.

Zhang Ying, the research and development director of Nuwacell Ltd, a biological technology company in Hefei National High-tech Industry Development Zone. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The preferential policies for innovation and entrepreneurship in Hefei high-tech zone attract lots of talents returning from abroad. Zhang said that the zone offered an office building rent-free for three years, followed by two years at half rent, together with a series of preferential policies. 

The first “super donor” iPSC line was born in Nuwacell this March, arousing widespread attention. The iPSC, which can differentiate into multiple functional cells, is called a universal cell, and is widely applied in drug screening and disease treatment. 

Zhang sensed the prospects of cell therapy when he was abroad. Mass and industrialized cell production, would, he knew, meet the demands of many research institutes in China. In Zhang’s view, widespread application of cell therapy and rare disease research is in urgent development due to China’s large population and various types of diseases. 

The technical principle of iPSC is to extract 5 ml of skin or blood cells from an adult, reprogram them through gene coding after decontamination, and then differentiate them into various human cells for heart, bone, eyes, nerves and so on after they have turned into iPSC in three to six months. In the future, people will recycle iPSC made from their own cells into their body for treatment or health care, according to Zhang.

Currently Zhang’s research team is concentrating on two cell medical products other than iPSC. One is dopaminergic neurons for Parkinson treatment, and the other is mesenchyma stem cell for tissue and organ repair. 

“What we hope to do is to make cell products become effective pharmaceuticals and turn cell therapy into a universal product, trying to lower the cell therapy price to where most patients are able to afford it, through independent research,” said Zhang. 

Nuwacell signed an agreement with the USTC’s School of Life Sciences for strategic cooperation in the Hefei high-tech zone in May 2016. The two sides carry out in-depth cooperation in human stem cell and functional cell research, commercialization of research achievements, and personnel training. 

Zhang said that through the cellular medicine joint laboratory, the USTC provided office space for the company and offered help in recruiting employees. 

Zhang described his study experience in USTC as “very challenging”, like in a “purgatory”. “There was almost no sleeping time during exam weeks, but thanks to my hard academic experience at the university it was a lot easier to study abroad,” said Zhang. 

These days more and more schoolfellows of the university return to China after overseas study. Zhang sees it as an inevitable trend. He said that the domestic research conditions and environment are getting better and better, and therefore for many people returning to China for future research is the best choice.