
In the bright spring of March, various flowers are blooming. The “13th National Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Academic Conference of the Chinese Medical Association,” hosted by the Chinese Medical Association and organized by the National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases – Peking University Institute of Hematology, was grandly held from March 1st to 2nd in Beijing. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is an important means of treating various hematologic diseases, and it is currently the most vigorous field in hematology at home and abroad. China’s hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has also achieved remarkable results internationally, especially the “Beijing Protocol” established by Academician Xiaojun Huang, Director of Peking University Institute of Hematology and one of the chairpersons of this conference, has made outstanding contributions to the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This conference focused comprehensively on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and conducted academic discussions from various aspects and forms. During the conference, Oncology Frontier – Hematology Frontier had the honor of inviting Academician Xiaojun Huang to share insights into the creation of the “Beijing Protocol” and point out the urgent problems and future directions in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Oncology Frontier – Hematology Frontier: The “Beijing Protocol” created by you for haploidentical transplantation has solved the world’s medical problem of inadequate transplant donors and made innovative contributions to this field. Looking back, the road of exploring the unknown has always been fraught with hardships and doubts. How did you and your team persist in innovation and move forward fearlessly?
Academician Xiaojun Huang: In fact, all innovations are arduous because innovation is the process of overthrowing old concepts and establishing new ones, so I think this is a common problem. As for why and how to persist? From a microscopic point of view, we believe that haploidentical transplantation must succeed, and we also believe in the facts we see—our patients have all survived, and the survival rate continues to improve, so we believe that the direction is correct. From a macroscopic perspective, it is to meet the needs of patients and relieve their suffering, which is the driving force for us to move forward. I think it takes firm willpower to keep going.
Oncology Frontier – Hematology Frontier: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a curative method for various blood diseases, including leukemia. In your opinion, what are the urgent problems to be solved in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and what are the future directions?
Academician Xiaojun Huang: From a macro perspective, I think there are three aspects: First, it is about the management of complications, including relapse, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) management, and precise diagnosis and treatment, to make the existing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation treatment better. The second is how to combine transplantation with current new technologies, such as CAR-T therapy, targeted drugs, to further improve the overall efficacy of leukemia treatment. The third is how to further expand the application scope of transplantation, including elderly transplantation, other diseases, and how to mobilize social forces to support hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, including support for blood sources, etc. I think these three aspects are important tasks we face in the future, and there is still much work to be done.

Academician Xiaojun Huang
Doctoral Supervisor, Chief Physician, Peking University Boya Chair Professor
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering
Director of Peking University Institute of Hematology, Director of the National Clinical Research Center for Hematologic Diseases
Member of the Academic Advisory Committee of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences
Foreign Member of the French National Academy of Medicine
Leader of the Innovative Group of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Responsible Person of the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology Innovation Team
Vice President of the Fourth World Association of Chinese Physicians Council
President of the Fourth and Fifth Hematology Physician Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association
Chairman of the Experimental Hematology Branch of the Chinese Society of Pathophysiology
Chairman of the Ninth Hematology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association
Executive Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Translational Internal Medicine, Deputy Editor of Core Journals such as Brit J Hematol, J Hematol & Oncol, Ann Hematol, Chin Med J, Editor-in-Chief of the Ninth Chinese Journal of Hematology
Lead investigator of national-level projects such as the National Key Research and Development Program, “863”, National Natural Science Foundation “Outstanding Youth”, National Natural Science Foundation Key Projects, etc.; published 118 SCI papers with IF>10 including Lancet Oncol as the corresponding/first author, with the highest single paper IF of 54.4, cited 10,867 times; obtained 22 patents; ranked first to win two national science and technology second prizes, four provincial and ministerial first prizes, and received the He Liang He Li Science and Technology Progress Award, Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award, CIBMTR Outstanding Service Award, etc.