Multi-omics Research Center for Brain Diseases

Founded in March 2021, the “Multi-omics Research Center for Brain Diseases” (hereinafter referred to as the “Center”) of the First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China is the host institution of the “Hunan Provincial Clinical Medical Research Center for Immune-Related Brain Diseases” and the “Translational Medicine Research Institute for Major Brain Diseases, University of South China”. Relying on multiple disciplines such as neurology, geneticsbioinformatics, the Center is a research hub that integrates clinical diagnosistreatment, scientific research,achievement transformation. It is committed to the clinical diagnosistreatment, mechanism research,drug development of neurodegenerative diseases, psychiatric disorders,neuroimmunological diseases, among others.

The center, located in Area C, 15th Floor of the Outpatient Building of the hospital, covers a total area of approximately 450 square meters. With scientificrational spatial planningclear functional zoning, it includes PI offices, omics analysis room, equipment room, cell incubation room,a spacious experimental operation area. At present, the center has established standardized biological sample bank, genetic resource bank, clinical database, disease cohort bank, multi-omics analysis platform,3D human brain organoid research platform. It is equipped with instrumentsequipment such as a multi-electrode array system (AXION Maestro MEA), cryostat microtomes, fluorescence microscopes, PCR machines, real-time quantitative PCR machines, microplate readers,electrophoresis systems, which can meet the needs of routine cellularmolecular biology experiments.

The center currently has more than 30 faculty membersstudents, including six professors, six doctoral supervisors, two on-the-job postdoctoral researchers, nine doctoral candidates, 12 master candidates,four research assistants. The PIs of the center include high-level talents such as “National Excellent Young Scholars”, “National High-Level Overseas Young Talents”,“Hunan Provincial Young Furong Scholars”. Together, they form a high-level research team led by high-level talentsdominated by young key researchers.

Since its establishment, the center has published more than 30 SCI papers in high-level journals such as Nature Communications, Molecular Psychiatry, and Movement Disorder. It has obtained one project under General Programthree projects under Youth Programs of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, one project under Postdoctoral Innovative Talent Support Program, two projects under Postdoctoral General Program,1 Key Project of the Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation for Universities (University of South China). The center has won the Hunan Provincial ScienceTechnology Award - Youth ScienceTechnology Awardthe Hunan Provincial Biomedical Engineering Youth Talent Award. It has also guided students in winning honorsawards such as the Gold Awardthe Best Academic Award in the “10th National Final of Undergraduate Basic Medical Innovation Research Competition”, the first prize in the Hunan Divisionthe third prize in the National Final of the 7th Smart Medical Innovation Competition, .

II. Research Focus

The brain is the most complexsophisticated structure in the body. Brain diseases have always been a major health challenge for human beings. With the increasing aging of the populationchanges in the social environment, the number of people suffering from brain diseases is rising year by year, bringing growing economicsocial burdens. In response to the current situation of brain health, China has launched major research initiatives such as the “14th Five-Year Plan”, “Healthy China 2030 Plan”,“China Brain Project”, which are aimed to advance the diagnosistreatment of major brain disorders, promote the development of brain health carerelated industries,improve the health of the nation. In line with these national strategies, the Center focuses on the mechanismsprevention of major neurologicalpsychiatric disorders, conducting clinicalbasic research on neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Parkinson’s disease), immune-related brain diseases (e.g., autoimmune encephalitis),psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, autism). Three main research directions are as follow:

(i) Neurodegenerative Diseases: Neurodegenerative diseases, like Parkinson’s disease, are a group of disorders characterized by the progressive loss of neuronal structurefunction, which are associated with genetic factors, immune inflammation, aging,other contributors. Currently, these diseases are incurable. Therefore, it is particularly important to find early diagnostic markers for the diseasesdevelop new diagnostictherapeutic methods. The Center employs multi-omics data to explore the risk genesgenetic loci of Parkinson’s disease,investigate the pathogenesis of the disease. It is committed to the screening, verificationapplication of biomarkers for early diagnosistreatment of the disease.

(ii) Immune-Related Brain Diseases: Autoimmune brain diseases encompass a spectrum of disorders caused by immune dysfunction, exhibiting significant clinical heterogeneitysevere conditions. Current treatments primarily rely on hormone shock therapy, lacking targeted, specific,few side-effect options. The Center aims to establish clinical cohorts for immune-related brain diseasesutilize multi-omics data to uncover disease pathogenesisdiscover novel therapeutic targets and medicines.

(iii) Psychiatric Disorders: Psychiatric disorders arise from the interplay of geneticenvironmental factors, leading to brain dysfunctions in emotion, thinking,cognition, etc. Common conditions include depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder,autism, which are characterized by high prevalence, disability,recurrence rates. The Center employs 3D human brain organoid modelsmulti-omics data to examine the pathogenesis of psychiatric disordersidentify biomarkers for early risk prediction of diseasesnew therapeutic targets.

Ⅲ. Research Teams

Building on its existing research achievementsfuture development plans, the Center has established three research teams:

(i). NeurodegenerativeImmune-Related Brain Diseases Team, led by Professor Tang Beisha

Professor Tang, Director of the Center, is a Professor of NeurologyGeriatrics, first-class Chief Physician, doctoral supervisor,an expert enjoying the State Council Special Allowance. Recognized as a “YoungMiddle-Aged Expert with Outstanding Contributions” by the Ministry of Healtha leading talent at the Hengyang Medical College of University of South China, he guides his team to focus on clinical cohort studies, high-throughput sequencing,multi-omics analysis to study the pathogenesis of neurodegenerativeimmune-related brain diseases.

(ii). PsychiatricImmune-Related Brain Diseases Team, led by Professor Meng Qingtuan

Professor Meng, Deputy Director of the Center, is a doctoral supervisorrecipient of the “Hunan Youth Furong Scholar Award,” “Hunan Outstanding Young Scholar,” and “Hunan Youth ScientificTechnological Innovation Talent.” His team mainly employs 3D human brain organoid models to analyze the pathogenesis of psychiatricimmune-related brain diseases.

(iii). Two-Photon ImagingNeurological Diseases Team, led by Professor Liu Yong

Professor Liu is a national overseas high-level young talent, a doctoral supervisor,jointly-appointed professor at the Center. His team employs in-vivo two-photon imaging, neuroelectrophysiology,opto/chemogenetics to explore the operating mechanism of the nervous system, focusing on neuroimmunology in neurodegenerative diseases.