On the morning of June 24, the 2023 National Science and Technology Awards Ceremony was grandly held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The Hematology Translational Medicine Research Innovation Team from Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, was awarded the First Prize in the National Science and Technology Progress Award (Innovation Team), while the team led by Professor Sun Kun from Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, won the Second Prize for their project on the "Creation and Promotion of the Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment System."

National Science and Technology Progress Award (Innovation Team) – First Prize

Project: Hematology Translational Medicine Research Innovation Team, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

First Completion Unit: Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

Team Leaders: Chen Saijuan, Chen Zhu, Zhao Weili

The Hematology Translational Medicine Research Innovation Team, led by Academicians Chen Saijuan and Chen Zhu, and Professor Zhao Weili, was established in 1987. In 2001, the Ministry of Science and Technology approved the establishment of the National Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, which received continuous excellent evaluations in 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016. In 2023, it was restructured and renamed the "Omics and Disease" National Key Laboratory. Additionally, the National Development and Reform Commission approved the construction of the Translational Medicine National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure in 2013.

For over 30 years, the team has made groundbreaking achievements internationally, particularly in the induction differentiation treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), where they elucidated the molecular mechanisms of the disease. They pioneered the "Shanghai Method" for the combined targeted therapy using retinoic acid and arsenic agents, making APL the first curable form of acute myeloid leukemia, once considered the most lethal leukemia. Their success in cell immune therapies for lymphoma and multiple myeloma represents another significant breakthrough. Innovations in gene therapy for thalassemia and hemophilia have also provided new avenues for curing genetic blood disorders.

The team has continually developed and innovated multi-omics technologies to provide technical support for molecular typing and individualized precision treatment of complex blood diseases. They have achieved numerous milestones in the application of molecular markers and drug targets. The team also mapped the world's first hematopoietic system new gene chromosome localization map and extended omics technologies from hematology to public health, contributing to the prevention and control of parasitic diseases and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leveraging the platform advantages of the "Omics and Disease" National Key Laboratory and the Translational Medicine National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure, the team has led the national multi-center research system for blood cancers (MHOPES), specialist medical alliances, and leukemia registry big data systems. They have established a world-leading translational medicine research center that has elevated China’s blood translational medicine research to international advanced levels, helping to achieve the great goal of a Healthy China.

National Science and Technology Progress Award – Second Prize

Project: Creation and Promotion of Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment System

First Completion Unit: Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

First Contributor: Professor Sun Kun

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect and one of the leading causes of death in newborns and children under the age of five. The project team pioneered interventional diagnosis and treatment of pediatric congenital heart disease in China, with the overall goal of "establishing an interventional diagnosis and treatment system suitable for Chinese children with congenital heart disease." The team developed key technologies to create an integrated diagnostic and treatment system covering the "fetal, neonatal, and pediatric" stages and promoted its application.

(1) Creation of Non-invasive Diagnostic Models for Pediatric CHD

The team was the first to establish a non-invasive sequential diagnostic protocol for congenital heart disease using two-dimensional echocardiography, innovating key technologies for three-dimensional echocardiography and establishing a standardized diagnostic scheme. This innovation reduced the use of invasive cardiac catheterization from 90% to below 5%. The team also developed the world’s first cardiac virtual endoscopy system, establishing a three-dimensional diagnostic protocol that provides dual perspectives (inside and outside the heart) for diagnosing complex congenital heart diseases.

(2) Creation of Minimally Invasive Interventional Treatment System for Pediatric CHD

The team innovated a series of key interventional technologies and established a comprehensive, standardized system for the interventional treatment of CHD. They authored China’s first book on pediatric congenital heart disease catheterization and led the creation of China’s first pediatric congenital heart disease interventional treatment guidelines. They also founded the Pediatric Cardiology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and spearheaded the shift from open-heart surgery to minimally invasive interventional treatments in China.

(3) Development of New Devices to Improve Prognosis for Pediatric CHD

The team developed a reduced-stress design to solve the delayed endothelialization issue in traditional occluders. They also pioneered biodegradable occluders to address the permanent retention issue of metal occluders and invented biodegradable large vascular stents to adapt to children’s growth. Furthermore, they introduced new treatment paradigms, such as "immediate post-birth intervention" and "intrauterine treatment," significantly improving the prognosis for critical congenital heart disease.

Between 2002 and 2021, the team increased the annual number of interventional treatments in China by 35.76 times, reducing surgical mortality and severe complication rates from 0.09% and 1.8%, respectively, to 0.01% and 0.12%. They have hosted the China Pediatric Heart Disease Conference and expanded the system to 313 institutions nationwide. As the president of the Asia Pacific Pediatric Cardiology Association, they have promoted the "Chinese Model" for pediatric heart disease treatment across Asia and globally. The team has authored four guidelines and expert consensus documents, edited six books, published 745 papers, obtained 65 patents, and achieved a transformation value of 310 million yuan. They also received the First Prize in the Shanghai and Guangdong Science and Technology Progress Awards.