z-bio 2025-11-12 3443

　　Professor Hao Jihui, deputy secretary of the Party Committee and President of Tianjin Medical University, and deputy secretary of the Party Committee and dean of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, has been selected as an effective candidate for the 2025 academician class. He has long been deeply engaged in the field of clinical diagnosis, treatment and basic transformation of pancreatic tumors. Recently, his team has published six blockbuster studies in top international journals such as Advanced Science and Cancer Discovery, covering early tumor screening, targeted therapy, microenvironmental regulation, etc., with a cumulative impact factor of over 178, providing new solutions for the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors.

　　1. Advanced Science (IF=18.9): Unlocking new mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer

　　Thesis title: Targeting Mast Cell Activation and MIF-Mediated Remodelling Enhances Chemotherapy Response in Pancreatic Cancer

　　Core highlights: Pancreatic cancer has limited efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy due to strong tumor heterogeneity and significant immunosuppressive microenvironment. This study reveals for the first time a new mechanism of immunosuppression induced by AG treatment, and clarifies that macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) secreted by tumor-associated mast cells (TAMCs) is a key regulatory molecule, and the remodeling of the tumor microenvironment mediated by it will aggravate chemotherapy resistance. The study proposes a combined treatment strategy targeting the TAMCs-MIF signaling pathway, which provides a feasible target for optimizing neoadjuvant treatment for pancreatic cancer and is expected to significantly improve the response rate to chemotherapy.

　　Author: Hao Jihui (corresponding author), Yu Jun, Xie Yongjie, Zhou Tianxing (co-first author), Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital is the core completion unit

　　2. Cancer Discovery (IF=39.4): Breakthrough in non-invasive early screening technology, adding new tools for early detection of pancreatic cancer

　　Thesis title: Development and Prospective Validation of a Cell-free DNA-based Model for the Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer

　　Core highlights: The 5-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer is only 11%, and the lack of early screening is a key pain point. The team innovatively developed a multi-omics detection model based on circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA), integrating features such as gene mutation and methylation, and combining it with machine learning algorithms to achieve highly sensitive and specific early detection of pancreatic cancer. This technology overcomes the limitations of insufficient specificity of traditional biomarkers and has successfully verified its clinical applicability in prospective high-risk population cohorts. It provides strong evidence for expanding the scope of pancreatic cancer screening and optimizing screening pathways, and is expected to promote innovation in early diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer.

　　Author: Wang Xiuchao (first author), Hao Jihui (corresponding author), jointly completed by Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital and relevant institutions

　　3. Nature Communications (IF=17.7): Metabolites regulate new mechanisms of tumor metastasis, and targeting modification sites provides new treatment ideas.

　　Thesis title: β-Hydroxybutyrate promotes cancer metastasis through β-hydroxybutyrylation-dependent stabilization of Snail

　　Core highlights: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is highly aggressive, has a high metastasis rate, and has an extremely low survival rate. The study found for the first time that β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB) is closely related to the progression of pancreatic cancer clinically and can significantly promote the metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells functionally. Mechanistically, BHB induces β-hydroxybutyrylation (Kbhb) modification of the transcription factor Snail, thereby enhancing its protein stability and thereby activating the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program. This discovery reveals the key role of metabolite-mediated post-translational modifications in tumor metastasis and provides potential targets and novel therapeutic strategies for precision treatment of pancreatic cancer.

　　Author: Hao Jihui (corresponding author), Ren Li (first author), Gao Shan from Southeast University (co-corresponding author), jointly completed by Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital and Southeast University

　　4. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy (IF=38.1): Neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy is effective, adding a new option for the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer

　　Thesis title: Tislelizumab (anti-PD-1) plus chemotherapy as neoadjuvant therapy for patients with stage IB3/IIA2 cervical cancer (NATIC): a prospective, single-arm, phase II study

　　Core highlights: About 37% of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) are stage IB3/IIA2, and neoadjuvant treatment options still need to be optimized. The team conducted a prospective single-arm phase II clinical trial to verify the efficacy of neoadjuvant treatment regimen of tislelizumab (anti-PD-1 antibody) combined with chemotherapy. The results show that this regimen has encouraging anti-tumor activity, significantly improves the objective response rate, and has controllable safety. It provides a new treatment option for patients with stage IB3/IIA2 cervical cancer and is expected to improve the surgical resection rate and long-term prognosis of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.

　　Author: Liu Wenxin (first author), Hao Jihui (corresponding author), completed by the Gynecological Oncology Team of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital

　　5. Cell Research (IF=28.2): Pain-sensing neurons regulate tumor progression and cancer pain, targeting signaling pathways to open up dual-effect treatment pathways

　　Thesis title: Nociceptor neurons promote PDAC progression and cancer pain by interaction with cancer-associated fibroblasts and suppression of natural killer cells

　　Core Highlights: The role of the nervous system in tumor progression has gradually received attention, but the mechanism of sensory nerves in pancreatic cancer has not yet been elucidated. The study confirmed for the first time that pain neurons play a key role in the development of PDAC: by interacting with cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF), they secrete calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), inhibit the anti-tumor activity of natural killer (NK) cells, and at the same time aggravate cancer pain. This discovery reveals the regulatory network of "pain neurons-CAF-NK cells" and proposes a therapeutic strategy targeting pain neurons or CGRP signaling, which is expected to simultaneously inhibit tumor progression and alleviate cancer pain, achieving the therapeutic effect of "killing two birds with one stone".

　　Author: Hao Jihui (corresponding author), the team of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital is the core completion unit

　　6. GUT (IF=31.7): Identification of new subtypes of CAF, providing a new targeting direction for pancreatic cancer metastasis

　　Thesis title: Endothelial-like cancer-associated fibroblasts facilitate pancreatic cancer metastasis via vasculogenic mimicry and paracrine signaling

　　Core highlights: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a core component of the pancreatic cancer microenvironment, with strong heterogeneity and complex functions. The team identified for the first time a new subtype of CAFs - endothelial-like CAFs (endoCAFs), which have both endothelial cell characteristics and CAF functions. They can provide nutrient transport channels for tumor cells by forming vascular mimic structures, and at the same time promote the migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells through paracrine signaling. Research has identified endoCAFs as a key driver of pancreatic cancer metastasis, providing a new therapeutic target for this “king of cancers” and laying the foundation for the development of innovative treatment strategies that precisely target CAF subtypes.

　　Author: Hao Jihui (corresponding author), completed by the team of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital

　　Hao Jihui's team has always insisted on publishing results in top journals, which not only demonstrates my country's scientific research strength in the field of cancer, but also provides solid support for improving the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors and improving patient prognosis through innovative exploration focusing on clinical pain points, helping to further advance the Healthy China strategy.

Introduction to Professor Hao Jihui: