Speaker

Professor Xu has made profound contributions in the research and treatment of GI cancer, advancing both theory and practice in the field. His pioneering work has elevated China's GI cancer early diagnosis and precision treatment to an internationally advanced level. His contributions have redefined the immunotherapy strategy for GI cancer. Prof. Xu,as the leading PI, has conducted a series of global or domestic multi-center clinical trials in GI cancer. These new regimens have also been widely applied in clincal practice worldwide, and significantly prolonged the overall survival of patients. His clinical research on Toripalimab, an innovative PD-1 antibody developed domestically, received FDA approval in the United States in 2023 and EMA approval in Europe in 2024.

The main academic contributions of Prof. Xu can be summarized into the following three aspects:

1.Innovated the liquid biopsy of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) technology, improving the accuracy of early diagnosis and therapeutic efficacy prediction in GI cancer.
2. Developed new treatment regimens with high efficiency and low toxicity for advanced GI cancer patients, which have become the current standard therapies.
3. Promoted the scientific research of tumor metastasis and drug resistance, discovered novel strategies of tumor immunotherapy and its combinatorial treatments, thereby contributing to enhanced effectiveness of immunotherapy.

Prof. Xu has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers in top international journals such as NEJM, JAMA, Cell, BMJ, Cancer Cell, Nature Medicine, Nature Materials and Lancet Oncology. His standing as a "Highly Cited Researcher" by Clarivate Analytics underscores his influence and recognition within the scientific community. He was awarded 2 times of Prizes of the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award, the National Innovation Competition Award.