The Liver Surgery Institute at Dongfeng Hospital Affiliated with Hubei University of Medicine was established in 1989 by Professor Dai Zongqing, the well-known surgeon and one of the National Hundred best doctors. The Liver Surgery Institute is a laboratory research base at Dongfeng Hospital. Its current director is Professor Zhang Youshun, a postgraduate from Department of Immunology at Shanghai Second Medical University. Since graduation in 1987 he has been dedicated himself to curing liver cancer by using biological treatments. He has completed the provincial project CD3AK, used tumor vaccinations to treat liver cancer, and studied on the effect of CIK by inducing patients with liver cancer on the cytotoxicity of hepatocarcinoma, drug-induced liver cancer cells, and studied RNA inhibition through the expression of MDR1. Professor Zhang Youshun has also been awarded for his major technological achievements in the Hubei Province. Studies of correlation between telomerase, heparanase, P16, C-myc, survivin, TNF, IL-8, MDR1 and immune-related genes have been conducted in recent years. Also included are studies on RNAi inhibition of MDR1 expression, studies on RNAi inhibition of heparanase expression, and study of liver cancer related gene LAPTM4B.
The Liver Surgery Institute has already formed the following research divisions to treat of liver cancer:
A study that began in 1987 suggest that a comprehensive treatment for liver cancer is cryotherapy. The results of the project entitled “series of studies on liver cancer cryotherapy’ gained recognition when it was awarded the 2nd prize of Science and Technology Progress Award by China Association of Refrigeration in 2007. The “full cryotherapy machine” that was developed through this research has been given two national patents (1997, 2004), whose direction of the discipline is headed by Professor Dai Zongqing, vice chairman of Hubei Provincial Medical Association General Surgery Branch, standing editor of Journal of Clinical Surgery and many other journals. The academic leader Professor Yuan Fangjun is a member of China Refrigeration Professional Committee, “ standing editor of Journal of Modern Surgery”.
Biological treatment of liver cancer: in the early stages the treatment of liver cancer was were handled by the application of LAK, Til, and tumor vaccinations . Beginning in 2000 a research team led by Professor Zhang Youshun launched a CIK (cytokine-induced killer cells) for liver cancer therapy. In 2001 this method was approved for clinical trials by the Health Department of Hubei, today more than 100 patients have been treated with this method. The results of study on the effect of CIK induced patients with liver cancer and the cytotoxicity of hepatocarcinoma was awarded 2nd prize for the 2004 Science and Technology Progress Award by Dongfeng Motor Corporation, first prize of Shiyan City Science and Technology Progress Award in 2005 and the prize of outstanding contribution of 2006 Shiyan Municipal Health Bureau Technology Award.
Study of liver cancer related genes :
1. In the early time, the study of P16, telomerase, C-myc, ras, other related genes and liver cancer.
2. Beginning in 2002, the research direction for liver cancer causes gradually turned to the study of RNAi of MDRi, this research has been awarded several times; the results are identified internationally and advanced.
3. In 2006, Stem cell research for liver cancer causes focused how stem cells may be used to prevent and treat liver cancer. This research project is funded by the Education Commission of Hubei Province.
