On the afternoon of April 17, 2026, the 114th lecture of the “Chen Bangjie Lecture Series” was successfully held in the Round Conference Room on the third floor of Xingzhi Building. Invited by Professor Shixia Xu from the School of Life Sciences at Nanjing Normal University, Researcher Yifei Li from West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University—recipient of the National “Ten-Thousand Talents Program” (Young Top-notch Talent) and Sichuan Overseas High-level Talent—visited and delivered a wonderful academic report titled Development of Novel Therapeutic Strategies for Cardiovascular Diseases. Faculty and students from the school actively participated in the academic exchange.
During the lecture, Researcher Li systematically discussed cutting-edge research directions in hereditary cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular injury repair, presenting the team’s achievements in dissecting disease molecular mechanisms, constructing targeted delivery vectors, and developing combined gene and cell therapies. He first introduced the research background of developmental cardiovascular diseases caused by abnormal heart development, highlighting that functional congenital heart defects are associated with high disability and mortality rates. He further analyzed the molecular mechanism of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) caused by DSP mutations, clarifying the pathological chain of desmosomal linkage abnormalities, mitochondrial dysfunction, and calcium signaling disorders. He also presented a therapeutic strategy for DSP-related cardiomyopathy using the mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant drug Mito-TEMPO. Subsequently, he shared innovative progress in gene therapy vectors: establishing a novel AAV ectopic enhancer-driven gene expression system to optimize cardiac-targeted gene delivery efficiency; developing natural polyphenol-based gene therapy vectors to enable sustained release of pulmonary vascular-targeted siRNA for pulmonary fibrosis treatment; and creating a monocyte polyphenol modification system to construct a combined cell–gene therapy strategy for myocardial infarction, targeting the infarcted area to regulate inflammation and promote myocardial regeneration. Closely aligned with clinical needs, the report integrated mechanistic insights and translational applications, featuring rigorous logic and advanced perspectives, and provided new ideas for precision therapy of cardiovascular diseases.
After the lecture, Researcher Li engaged in lively discussions with the audience. Faculty and students actively raised questions about the targeting efficiency of gene vectors, the biosafety of polyphenol materials, and the selection of therapeutic targets for cardiomyopathy, which he answered in detail with experimental data and clinical application prospects. The academic atmosphere was intense and inspiring.
This lecture provided a valuable platform for direct interaction with outstanding young researchers, broadened academic horizons in the field of biotherapy for cardiovascular diseases, inspired in-depth thinking on disease mechanisms and targeted therapies, and encouraged students to delve into frontiers of life medicine and contribute to innovations in diagnosis and treatment of major diseases.