The Fusion Conference, the highest-level academic conference in fibroblast growth factor (FGF) research, was held from May 8 to 10 in St. Julian's, Malta. Originating from Fusion Conferences, a premier European academic conference brand, the event is on par with the Gordon Research Conferences (GRC) and brings together the world's leading professors, founders of disciplines, principal investigators from top international research institutions, R&D executives from multinational pharmaceutical companies, and leading experts in clinical medicine.

Li Xiaokun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Wenzhou Medical University (WMU), actively promotes global academic exchange and industry collaboration in FGF research, serving as co-chair of the conference, participating extensively in academic discussions, and leading efforts to advance multiple international cooperation initiatives.

The Fusion Conference is held from May 8 to 10 in St. Julian's, Malta. [Photo provided by Wenzhou Medical University]

During the conference, the WMU team conducted academic exchanges and in-depth discussions with experts worldwide on cutting-edge topics, including FGF and metabolic regulation, research and development of long-acting fusion proteins, wound repair, and disease treatment. Professor Moosa Mohammadi, Professor Huang Zhifeng, and Professor Zhang Jinsan delivered thematic academic presentations on new theories and discoveries concerning growth factors in kidney disease, metabolic diseases, and pulmonary diseases, respectively. Team members, including Xiao Jian, Wang Xiaojie, Cong Weitao, Chen Gaozhi, and Wang Zhouguang, also shared their latest research findings. Several international scholars held in-depth individual exchanges with the WMU team, leading to multiple cooperation intentions.

Academician Li Xiaokun delivers a keynote report at the development seminar of the International Cell Growth Factor Alliance (IGFA). [Photo provided by Wenzhou Medical University]

More than 20 internationally renowned professors from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, and the Czech Republic attended the development seminar of the International Cell Growth Factor Alliance (IGFA), convened by Li, who noted that FGF research has entered a critical stage in its transition from basic science to clinical translation, making it imperative to establish an open and sustainable international collaboration platform.

Experts held in-depth discussions on issues such as equality and openness, scientific integrity, translational collaboration, and sustainable governance, reaching a broad consensus that the alliance will be open to FGF researchers worldwide, break down barriers related to geography, institutions, and seniority, and support the participation of young scientists. At the same time, it will uphold academic ethics and research standards, accelerate the translation of basic research findings into clinical applications and industrial development, and establish new mechanisms for research collaboration across national borders.

Professor David Ornitz of Washington University said, "The FGF family comprises numerous members with complex functions, while research efforts across countries have long been relatively dispersed. An organized international alliance will greatly advance collaborative innovation among us."

Another important item on the agenda was the launch of the editorial board of Cytokinology, an international English-language academic journal sponsored by WMU. Published by KeAi, the journal covers the full spectrum of cytokine science, from molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways to disease applications and translational medicine. The launch brought together leading experts from more than 20 countries, including authoritative scholars such as David Ornitz, Sabine Werner, and Chiara Francavilla. Professor Sabine Werner of ETH Zurich in Switzerland noted that the journal responds to the trend of multidisciplinary integration and is of great significance to the development of the growth factor field. Professor Mohammad K Hajihosseini of the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom said that by building an open and shared academic platform, the journal will help draw greater attention from the international academic community to advances in this field.

WMU also released its open research projects for the Cell Growth Factor Peak Discipline to the global community. The initiative supports high-level research teams and outstanding young talents worldwide in conducting joint research on major scientific issues, with complementary support for graduate training and international exchange. The projects will focus on AI-based development of FGF agonists and antagonists, exploration of novel regulatory factors, investigation of new disease mechanisms, and development of new signal transduction technologies, to advance collaborative research among domestic and international teams, promote the translation of research outcomes, and foster joint talent cultivation.

Drawing on its strengths in disciplines such as pharmaceutical sciences, WMU has long maintained an internationally leading position in basic FGF research and translational applications. Through more than three decades of dedicated work, Li's team has enabled China to become the first country to develop growth factors into clinical drugs. During the visit to Malta, WMU established an integrated international cooperation network in the global FGF research field through academic presentations and exchanges, alliance development seminars, the launch of an international journal, and the release of open research projects, bringing together mechanisms, platforms, and resources.

The university will continue to advance frontier research in biomedicine and make greater contributions to promoting scientific and technological progress in life and health and serving the country's overarching strategic priorities.