Ji Weizhi, Academician of the CAS Member and Dean of the Institute of Primate Transformational Medicine of Kunming University of Science and Technology: Exploring the mysteries of life in primate research

Tech 2023-07-19 12:35:32 Source: Network

Ji Weizhi, academician of the CAS Member. Image provided by Yunnan Zhongke Primate Biomedical Key LaboratoryAfter 40 years of intensive cultivation of primate reproduction and Developmental biology, Ji Weizhi, an academician of the CAS Member and president of the Institute of Primate Transformational Medicine of Kunming University of Science and Technology, has frequently made research achievements, which has aroused considerable waves in the industry

Ji Weizhi, academician of the CAS Member. Image provided by Yunnan Zhongke Primate Biomedical Key Laboratory

After 40 years of intensive cultivation of primate reproduction and Developmental biology, Ji Weizhi, an academician of the CAS Member and president of the Institute of Primate Transformational Medicine of Kunming University of Science and Technology, has frequently made research achievements, which has aroused considerable waves in the industry. In 2010, his research team successfully cultivated China's first genetically modified macaque; The gene editing monkey paper published in Cell in 2014 was rated as a milestone in the establishment of human disease models, and was selected as one of the top ten technological advancements in the world in 2014, the best paper in Cell in 2014, and one of the eight most successful events in the world in 2014; The world's first human monkey chimeric embryo published in 2021 was selected as the "Best Scientific Picture of 2021" by Nature and Cell magazines.

Successfully cultivated China's first genetically modified monkey

Ji Weizhi is a pioneer in the field of primate reproduction and Developmental biology. In the 1970s, the older generation of scientists proposed the importance of primate research for life sciences. This has had a significant impact on Ji Weizhi, who is currently attending university. After graduation, he chose to work at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, which was the earliest macaque base established in China, and began researching primate reproductive biology.

Compared with rodents and other experimental animals, primates have a long reproductive cycle, and no one in Kunming Institute of Zoology has done such research, so the research work is difficult. Despite pressure and difficulties, Ji Weizhi started with the basic work of raising monkeys and firmly chose this research path. Through long-term efforts, we have gradually clarified the mechanisms by which seasons, hormones, age, and embryo culture components affect the development of primate embryos, and established an in vitro culture system, "Ji Weizhi said.

Primates are highly similar to humans in terms of physiology and behavior, and primate models of human diseases are of great significance in exploring the pathogenesis and treatment of diseases. However, due to the complex physiological mechanisms of primates, the application of gene modification techniques in primates is difficult. Starting from 2005, based on long-term research on the reproductive physiology of primates and the establishment of a systematic reproductive technology system, Ji Weizhi's team successfully obtained the gene editing monkey in three years, becoming the first laboratory in China and the third international laboratory to achieve primate gene editing at that time, laying the foundation for the subsequent application of targeted gene editing technology in primates.

On the basis of this achievement, Ji Weizhi's team collaborated with other laboratories to initiate research on the establishment of primate models using targeted gene editing technology. In 2014, the gene editing models of crab eating monkeys and macaques were first reported internationally. China is in a leading position in the fierce international competition in this field and is rated as a milestone breakthrough. The gene editing monkey model solves the pathogenic mechanism problem that cannot be answered in other animal models.

Building animal models to solve complex human diseases

In 2012, after retirement, Ji Weizhi established the Yunnan Zhongke Primate Biomedical Key Laboratory to continue conducting primate research. Supported by previous research results, after 2014, Ji Weizhi's team focused on some major events in the early development of primate embryos and the establishment of primate models for complex diseases, providing a reliable foundation for exploring and treating disease mechanisms.

Rett syndrome is a female disease caused by deletion of MECP2 gene on X chromosome. After the discovery of this pathogenic gene in 1999, multiple rodent models have been established. However, due to the significant differences between rodent and human species, the obtained model phenotype differs significantly from that of patients. Using gene editing, Ji Weizhi's team established an RTT monkey model with a phenotype highly similar to that of patients. The discovery of the deletion of MECP2 gene leading to early developmental abnormalities in multiple brain regions has important reference value for the pathogenesis and early treatment of RTT syndrome.

There are still many such cases. In view of premature aging, a rare genetic disease, Ji Weizhi's team successfully constructed a monkey model of premature aging for the first time based on single base gene editing technology, which well represents the clinical and cellular molecular characteristics of patients, and can analyze the process and mechanism of how Cellular senescence causes body aging from the molecular, cellular and tissue organ levels, effectively promoting the research of human premature aging pathogenesis and gene therapy.

In addition, Ji Weizhi also led the team to develop a three-dimensional culture system for human embryos in vitro, and for the first time drew a panoramic map of the development of human gastrula embryos; For the first time, a 20 day in vitro culture of crab eating monkey embryos has been achieved, and an important scientific event in primate gastrulation has been discovered.

Since 2006, Ji Weizhi has published more than 100 SCI papers in famous magazines such as Cell, Nature and Science. In 2017, he was elected as an academician of the CAS Member, and in 2021, he was elected as an academician of the Academia Europaea. His series of research achievements have played an important role in the internationalization of Chinese primate research and ranking among the Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation. He stated that basic research has no endpoint, and in the future, the team will continue to improve and break through the cutting-edge theories of reproductive development, finding new treatment methods for complex diseases. At the same time, we will play the role of "mentoring" and encourage young talents to boldly innovate, making new and greater contributions to scientific research. (Kunming Daily/Zhang Yi)

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