The 2026 Symposium on Cell and Gene Therapy is held at XJTLU

Cell and gene therapy has progressed from being a plausible hypothesis to a life-saving practice for the biomedical field. Leading the conversation, over 100 senior scholars, clinical experts, industry leaders, and early-career researchers in cell and gene therapy (CGT) from around the world gathered at XJTLU from 21 to 22 May to attend the 2026 Symposium on Cell and Gene Therapy.

The event was jointly organised by the XJTLU-UoL Joint Centre for Pharmacology and Therapeutics (JCPT), XJTLU Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy, and Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre’s School of Pharmacy. The symposium focused on three major themes: technological frontiers, clinical translation, and industry collaboration.

China-UK collaboration pushes boundaries

In his opening remarks, Professor Simon Jones, Dean for XJTLU at the University of Liverpool (UoL), said that JCPT has been instrumental in advancing international collaboration in biomedicine. He described the partnership between the two universities as both advanced and strategic, especially in promoting end-to-end innovation in CGT, creating unique international development opportunities for students and staff at both institutions.

Professor Simon Jones

Professor Lei Fu, Executive Dean of XJTLU Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy, said that, with CGT at the forefront of the biomedical revolution, strong cross-disciplinary institutional development is critical. He highlighted how the University has always been committed to breaking down barriers between science, engineering and medicine, culminating in the establishment of the XJTLU Academy of Life and Natural Sciences in September 2026. It aims to accelerate research outcomes into real-life solutions that address societal needs.

Professor Lei Fu

Global experts address core challenges

One of the symposium’s coveted headlines was a presentation by Professor Ann Ager, Professor of Cellular Immunity and Immunotherapy at Cardiff University's School of Medicine, titled "Armoring T-cells with L-selectin in cellular therapies". The findings primarily focus on T-cell migration and mechanisms of immune regulation, with significant implications for cancer immunotherapy.

Professor Ann Ager

More than ten leading scholars and clinical experts from universities, hospitals, and research centres in China and overseas delivered thematic presentations and held roundtable discussions. These include representatives from Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool, Cardiff University, Duke Kunshan University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, UoL, and XJTLU.

The symposium featured three main forums: "Emerging immunotherapies and precision modalities in cancer treatment", "From discovery platforms to translation and commercialisation in cell and gene therapy", and "Challenges and opportunities for cell and gene therapies in China and worldwide".

The discussions covered the latest advances in cell therapy, optimisation of precision radiotherapy, discovery of novel biomarkers, safety and broader challenges in cell therapy, ways to overcome bottlenecks in clinical translation, and the strategic directions and collaborative models for the future development of CGT.

Cultivating the next generation

The symposium gave particular weight to the development of young scholars, pairing their work with perspectives from industry leaders at the forefront of CGT commercialisation. Dr Xiulian Sun, Co-founder and CTO of Ubrigene, shared her insights into the commercialisation process of CGT in China and globally, while Dr Richard Liqun Wang, Founder and CEO of Neukio Biotherapeutics, presented on next-generation cell therapy approaches using iPSC-CAR-NK and iPSC-CAR-T platforms.

Dr Xiulian Sun

Dr Richard Liqun Wang

Doctoral students Renrong Tao, Yajunzi Wang, and Danae Jessel from XJTLU and the University of Liverpool presented their research findings on tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases for therapeutic applications, immunotherapy for cholangiocarcinoma, and the identification of a novel IL-4-responsive T-cell subset.

The most telling moment of the symposium may have been the poster session. More than ten XJTLU doctoral students lined the room with work spanning CGT, AI-enabled drug discovery, intelligent manufacturing, biomaterials and drug delivery. It was one of the most talked-about sessions of the day.

Onsite industry engagement

A study tour of Suzhou BioBAY grounded the symposium discussion, giving participants a direct view of how one of China’s most active biomedical clusters operates and where the opportunities for collaboration are most immediate.

Professor Lei Fu drew the day's threads together plainly. "To overcome bottlenecks in the clinical translation of CGT, it is essential to build a more open collaborative ecosystem integrating industry, academia, research, and medical institutions." The symposium, he said, had begun that work. XJTLU Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy intends to continue this, leveraging the strengths of China-UK collaboration and Suzhou's industry ecosystem to build sustained international platforms and advance the innovation chain from discovery to clinical application.

Text and photos provided by XJTLU Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy
Edited by Vionna Fiducia Theja