Sechenov University and Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital join forces to fight cancer
The Institute for Personalized Oncology at Sechenov University and the Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in the field of oncology. The partnership aims to establish a joint "mirror" technology laboratory. This lab will focus on developing and implementing cutting-edge cellular technologies and genome editing methods to create personalized anti-tumor drugs.
The signed memorandum is a logical progression from a visit by scientists from Sechenov University's Institute for Personalized Oncology to China in the fall of 2025. During that visit, the researchers studied the experience of their Chinese colleagues in producing anti-tumor vaccines based on patients' T-lymphocytes and agreed to conduct clinical trials of an innovative Chinese targeted drug for the treatment of nasopharyngeal and esophageal cancer. This drug is already being used to treat patients in China and has now been introduced at the Clinical Health Sciences Center of Sechenov University. In the future, by combining this data, researchers will be able to compare the effectiveness of the therapy and develop optimal treatment protocols for different population groups.
"We have obtained the first positive results in study participants with advanced nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma," told Professor Marina Sekacheva, Director of the Institute for Personalized Oncology. "This is a very rare disease in the Russian population, but quite common in the Chinese population. Patients who received the innovative targeted drug felt better after just the first course of therapy. We hope that further treatment will help improve their quality of life and allow the tumor to shrink enough to perform radical surgery."
The memorandum, signed during a return visit by the Chinese colleagues to Sechenov University in February 2026, expands the scope of scientific cooperation between the two countries. The parties will establish a mirror laboratory at Sechenov University for joint research in CAR-T therapy, TIL therapy, and mRNA technologies. The partners' immediate plans include developing targeted cellular anti-tumor therapies for the treatment of sarcoma and lung cancer. Their first joint scientific article, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of sarcoma development and its immunotherapeutic treatment, is being prepared for publication in a leading international oncology journal. Furthermore, the parties will launch joint educational programs for students and physicians in oncology, surgery, hematology, and other fields. The project leader from the Chinese side, Professor Heiyang Hu, Head of the Oncology Department at the Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, will become a visiting professor at Sechenov University in 2026.