Recently, the National Center of Technology Innovation for Biopharmaceuticals (National Innovation Center, NCTB) publicized the proposed "open competition mechanism to select the best candidates" project list for 2022 NCTB nucleic acid drug technology research. The project entitled Sulfonium-based and Stable Stapling Peptide Delivery System for Nucleic Acid Drug Delivery", which was led by Zigang Li (executive director of Pingshan Translational Medicine Center (PTMC) of Shenzhen Bay Laboratory) was shortlisted as an innovative project.

The National Center of Technology Innovation for Biopharmaceuticals is the first national technology innovation center in the field of biopharmaceuticals approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology in March 2021.

As the first key technology research of NCTB, the "open competition mechanism to select the best candidates" project of nucleic acid drug was organized by academician Weihong Tan to carry out the expert demonstration. This project was condensed into three key technology development directions, including the development of new efficient delivery systems, the discovery of new targets and new mechanisms of nucleic acid drugs, and the main raw materials, instruments and equipment development of nucleic acid drug stock solution production.

After the start of the project declaration, 169 applications were received, including 65 from Jiangsu province, 25 from Shanghai, 17 from Zhejiang province, and 62 from Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao, Chengdu-Chongqing and other regions in China.

According to the project management process, after the formal review and experts’ preliminary examination, 122 projects entered the on-site defense session. On July 23-24, the expert evaluations were completed for all finalized projects.

Project title: " Sulfonium-based and Stable Stapling Peptide Delivery System for Nucleic Acid Drug Delivery "

Project description:Based on the nucleic acid drug research and development requirements of China, this project proposes to develop a novel, safe, efficient and stapling peptide-based nucleic acid delivery system with independent intellectual property rights.

Responsible person:Zigang Li (executive director of PTMC)

Core members:

Feng Yin (leader of the division of biology and leader of the division of collaboration of PTMC)

Yaping Zhang (leader of the immunotherapy platform of PTMC)