Recently, He Tongchen, an eight-year clinical medicine student at Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, published significant research as a co-first author in the prestigious journalCancer Cell(2024 IF: 48.8). During his time as a visiting scholar in Professor Arul Chinnaiyan's lab at the University of Michigan Medical School, He contributed to the paper titled “Targeting the mSWI/SNF complex in POU2F-POU2AF transcription factor-driven malignancies.”
This study, using multi-omics analysis, discovered that both POU2F3-driven small cell lung cancer and IRF4-driven multiple myeloma heavily rely on the mSWI/SNF complex. By targeting the ATPase proteins SMARCA2/4 of the mSWI/SNF complex, abnormal tumor cell proliferation can be indirectly inhibited. This reveals the critical role of mSWI/SNF in tumor progression and offers new therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.
He's domestic mentor, Professor Zu Xiongbing from the Department of Urology, guided him during his participation in the joint training program between Central South University and the University of Michigan from 2022 to 2024. Under Professor Chinnaiyan's supervision at Michigan, He focused on cancer epigenetics. To date, he has published or had accepted two first-author or co-first-author papers in Cancer Cell and PNAS.
Xiangya School of Medicine continues to enhance its international joint training programs for medical students through initiatives like the “Eight-Year Medical Student Leadership Talent Training Innovation Drive Program.” This program aims to comprehensively improve the quality of medical training. To date, 477 eight-year medical students have been sent to world-class universities, including Yale University and the University of Michigan, for exchange and study. By collaborating with top international medical schools, Xiangya School of Medicine is developing future medical leaders and supporting the construction of a strong, healthy China.
(First Review: Zhou Xingcan Second Review: Li Ruijun Third Review: Li Xuejun)
