时间：5月23日星期二16:00-17:30

Time：4:00-5:30 PM，Tuesday, May 23th，2023

主持人：西湖大学生命科学学院特聘研究员 雷凯

    Host：Dr. Kai Lei, PI of School of Life Sciences

    地点：云谷校区E9-109

    Venue：E9-109, Yungu Campus

主讲嘉宾/Speaker:

Chunyi Li, professor, Institute of Antler Science and Product Technology, CSTU

Professor of Changchun Sci-Tech University (CSTU); Head of Institute of Antler Science and Product Technology, CSTU; Director of Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Deer Antler Biology; Director of Jilin Provincial Engineering Research Innervation Centre for Deer Products; Director of High-Tech Expert Committee of Deer Farm Industry; Vice Chairman of Jilin Provincial Society of Stem Cells; and Part-time Doctoral Supervisor of Jilin Agricultural University. Prof. Li has been working in the field of antler biology for over 40 years: 1982-1985, obtained master degree from Postgraduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science (CAAS); 1993-1997, obtained doctor degree from Medical School of Otago University of New Zealand; 1997-2013, worked at Invermay Agricultural Centre, AgResearch New Zealand as a senior research fellow; 2013-2019, worked at Institute of Special Economic Animals and Plants, CAAS, as the executive deputy director of State Key Laboratory for Molecular Biology of Special Economic Animals; 2017-2023, took charge of the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (7 million for 6 years); 2021-2024, took charge of the Regional Joint Fund of National Natural Science Foundation of China (3.5 million). In total, so far Prof. Li published over 130 papers in SCI journals and over 150 papers in Chinese core journals (mainly as a first or correspondent author). In year 2023, in collaboration with Western Polytechnic University, we published a research article about mechanism underlying deer antler regeneration in the journal “Science” (2nd correspondent author). Prof. Li received “China Youth Science and Technology Award” by China Association for Science and Technology in 1990, “Eminent Scientist” by International Research Promotion Council in 2003. In total, Prof. Li received three Jilin Provincial Second Prize for Technological Progress (all at first position); one Jilin Provincial First Prize in Natural Science (first position); and one State Second Prize for Technological Progress (3rd position). Prof. Li have given 10 times of plenary lecture in the relevant international congresses so far, and supervised 15 doctor degree students and over 50 master degree students.

讲座摘要/Abstract:

Deer antlers at the growing phase, known as velvet antlers, are very popular and precious traditional Chinese medicine. Besides, antlers have some very peculiar biological characteristics, such as 1) antlers are the only mammalian appendage that once lost can fully regenerate. Therefore, it offers a unique opportunity to explore how nature has solved the problem of mammalian organ regeneration. 2) Antlers are arguably the fastest growing tissue in animals, the highest record during rapid antler growing season is 2.75 cm/day including bone, cartilage, skin, blood vessels and nerves. Surprisingly, antlers do not go cancerous under such an exaggerated growth speed and form well structured tissues, thus unveiling the mechanism underlying this well-controlled astonishing growth rate may give insights into effective treatment of certain types of cancers. 3) Antler stem cells have some unusual attributes, as adult cells they express some key marker genes of embryonic stem cells such as Oct4, Nanog and SOX2; can be induced to differentiate into multiple lineage cells etc; and launch ectopic and even xenogeneic antler formation. 4) Antler regeneration starts from healing a giant wound (can exceeds 10 cm in diameter) over the pedicle stump, which is caused by casting of the hard antler. Notably, healing such a big wound can be achieved within a week of time, left almost no scar, and inflammation and swelling not observed. 5) Total calcification of a large pair of growing antlers (can be over 30 kg, equivalent to 1/6 bodyweight) requires formidable amount of minerals in the very short period (around 2-3 weeks), research finds that majority of minerals comes from deer skeleton. Therefore, each year male deer suffers severe physiological osteoporosis, some types of non-bodyweight supporting bone can demineralize up to 30%. Astonishingly, once antler calcification completed, these severe osteoporotic bone quickly reverse the process and get back to normal bone density within a month. It is reported that the current effective drug for treating osteoporosis can only slow down the osteoporosis progress but cannot halt it, not event mention “reverse” it. Unveiling the mechanism underlying the rapid reversal of severe osteoporosis in deer skeleton will help to devise the effective treatment of human osteoporosis. 6) Each year antlers die and skin shed due to complete calcification, unexpectedly, the dead antler can peacefully attach to the living pedicle for as long as 7 months without inflammation, swelling and fester. Research finds that the hard antler base, the part that is connected to the pedicle, contains very rich anti-inflammatory substances, which may be the reason why dead antler can firmly attached to the living pedicle without being jettisoned. Late on we found that extracts of the antler base can be used to effectively treat mastitis, prostatitis and mumps etc without causing side-effects. Therefore, it has the potential to be developed into drugs for clinical use.

In summary, it can be confidently stated that deer antler is a nature’s wonder, if not been evolved it may not be imaginated even by science-fiction writers. Deer antler, the nature’s wonder, deserves us to investigate with the ultimate aim to benefit health of mankind. 

联系人/Contact：

生命科学学院

于文越 yuwenyue@westlake.edu.cn