Plaque was unveiled for the Guangdong Organoid Research Center Joint Laboratory built by Zhuhai UM (University of Macau) Science & Technology Research Institute and Guangzhou-based Accurate International officially on Sept 23 at Macao-Hengqin Youth Entrepreneurship Valley.

The laboratory will focus on the research and application of organoid precision medicine, as well as promote the transmission of relevant research outcomes made by the University of Macau.

Plaque unveiling ceremony [Photo by Zeng Yao / Guanhai App]

Organoids are three-dimensional cell culture formed by the in vitro cultivation of individual stem cells. It shares highly similar histological features with the corresponding individual stem cells and can reproduce the physiological functions of the organ, which can be used as in vitro models for diseases. The technology is now widely applied in the areas of stem cells and development, regenerative medicine, disease research, medicine development, as well as tumor treatment.

Chen Guokai, deputy dean of UM's Faculty of Health Sciences, said that the current treatment therapy for cancers, which lets patients try out different medicine one by one based on doctors' experiences, is costly and will increase patients' pain. The organoid culture can carry out the selection of medicine to provide accurate treatment for patients.

The establishment of the joint laboratory will bring more breakthroughs in precision medicine, new medicine discovery, and regenerative medicine, said Wang Chunming, deputy head of Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute. 

Wang added that the institute will integrate UM's sci-tech R&D capacity and team with Accurate International to help increase the technical level and marketization degree of organoid culture in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Accurate International, an innovative bio-tech enterprise, has a completed organoid industrial chain. Its CEO Huang Min said that the enterprises will work with Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute to carry out more precise medicine selection and analysis based on an artificial intelligence analysis platform, set up a cancer biology big database based on patients' data, as well as develop new anti-cancer medicines and vaccines based on new cancer targets discovered through AI analysis. 

The joint laboratory is located in the second phase of Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute, which has 15 functional laboratories and 15 others for start-up teams, offering strong support for their R&D.