Established in December 2019, the Xi'an Key Laboratory of Natural Product Development and Anti-Cancer Innovative Drug Research in the Qinling Mountains is a joint industry-university-research base founded by Xi'an University and Xi'an Xintong Pharmaceutical Research Co., Ltd. The lab leverages the abundant medicinal bioresources of the Qinling Mountains, focusing on the activity and function of natural medicinal substances. Its research aims to discover structurally novel and functionally unique active compounds, elucidate their molecular mechanisms, and conduct foundational research on diseases such as cancer and depression. Additionally, the lab develops monoclonal antibodies and detection kits, explores medicinal and edible products, and investigates their mechanisms of action in chronic diseases. The establishment of this laboratory holds great significance for promoting the biomedical industry in Xi'an, enhancing Xi'an University's capacity to serve the local economy, and improving students' comprehensive practical skills.
The lab currently has 14 part-time and full-time researchers, includingtwoprofessors,threeassociate professors,threeprofessor-level senior engineers, and 12 individuals with doctoral degrees. It occupies 350 square meters and houses facilities including a cell culture room, a molecular biology laboratory, a natural product extraction laboratory, and an animal housing room. It is equipped with 25 sets of instruments, such as a small animal irradiator and a flow cytometer, with a total value exceedingsixmillionyuan.
Since its establishment, the laboratory has achieved significant results. It has secured 30 projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and provincial/ministerial agencies, along with over 40 other research projects, obtaining total research funding exceedingsevenmillionyuan. The lab has published 30 academic papers (15 indexed in SCI and 30 in domestic core journals), releasedtwomonographs, and been granted 15 patents (9 invention patents). It has receivedfourawards at the departmental level. Industry-university-research collaboration has been notably successful, with signed agreements with companies including Xi'an Xintong, Xi'an Surgical Medical Technology Co., Ltd., Xi'an Zhipu Biotechnology Co., Ltd.,among others.
Key achievementsare as follows:
the Key Technologies and Application Promotion of Neuroprotective Drug Development Targeting the Nuclear-Cytoplasmic Transport Pathway, which won the Third Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress of Shaanxi Province;
the Study on the Relationship Between Social Behavior Abnormalities in Monogamous Animals and Related Hormone Receptors and Neurotransmitters Based on Bioinformatics Analysis, which received the Second Prize for University Science and Technology of Shaanxi Province in 2022;
the Study on the Pathogenic Mechanisms and Candidate Drugs for Neurodegenerative Diseases Targeting the Nuclear-Cytoplasmic Transport Pathway,which earned the Second Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Science and Technology Research at Shaanxi Provincial Universities.
