On the morning of October 8, local time, TANG Zhouping, the Party Secretary of Tongji Hospital signed a framework cooperation agreement with Medical Center for Rare Diseases of the University of Heidelberg. The signing ceremony marked the creation of the ‘Tongji-Heidelberg Rare Diseases Medical Center’. The center is designed to promote innovation and progression of basic and clinical research, patient management and therapeutic methods in the field of rare diseases through the concerted effortsang of Tongji Hospital and the University Hospital of Heidelberg. Such cooperation will bring more accurate and effective medical services to patients suffering from rare diseases.

According to the agreement, the two sides will jointly build the ‘Tongji-Heidelberg Rare Disease Medical Centre’, which aims to exploit the resources of the two hospitals in the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases and research to push forward the cooperation and exchanges between the two institutions. Under the agreement, the two sides will focus on research on genetic metabolic diseases, rare liver diseases, rare kidney diseases and complex rare diseases, jointly carrying out cutting-edge scientific research, academic exchanges in clinical technologies and medical personnel training. Tongji Hospital, as one of the top general hospitals in China, is strong at the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases. This cooperation will help two institutions draw on their respective strengths, promote translation of scientific research results into clinical applications, and develop more accurate and efficient treatment solutions for patients with rare diseases.

At the beginning of the sign ceremony, Prof. Weller, Vice Chancellor of University of Heidelberg, and Prof. Michael Boutros, Dean of Heidelberg School of Medicine, made warm speeches. They all believed that the setting up the centre would be a new starting point for achieving mutual achievement and enhancing the cooperation between the University of Heidelberg and Tongji Hospital, and looked forward to the further cooperation between Tongji Hospital and the University of Heidelberg in the field of rare diseases.

Professor Hoffmann, Director of the Medical Centre for Rare Diseases of the University of Heidelberg, said, ‘We are very pleased to establish a cooperative relationship with Tongji Hospital. Through the joint efforts of both sides, we are confident that we will make more breakthroughs in the field of rare diseases and bring hope to more patients.’

Professor LUO Xiaoping, Director of Rare Disease Diagnosis, Treatment and Research Center of Tongji Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, mentioned the development in the research of rare diseases in Tongji Hospital and put forward a framework proposal for the future cooperation. He suggested that, in the future, the two sides will work together to set up a sharing mechanism for the study of rare disease cases, strengthen case discussion and experience exchange, and promote joint diagnosis and treatment of complex cases. At the same time, on the strength of the academic advantages of the Heidelberg University Medical Center in the fields of diagnosis and individualized precise treatment, the two side will work on innovative treatments for rare diseases and look into the pathogenesis of various rare diseases and promote the formulate of the diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines guidelines for rare diseases, elevating the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases to a higher level.

Prof. TANG Zuping stated that this cooperation represents an important step taken by Tongji Hospital in the field of rare disease diagnosis and treatment, and Tongji Hospital will work intimately with Heidelberg University Medical Centre to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases, contribute to the research of rare diseases in China and beyond, and bring greater hope to patients inflicted by rare diseases.

Founded in 2011, the University of Heidelberg Medical Center for Rare Diseases is one of the most influential medical centers of its kind in Europe. Armed with strong resources in diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases, and actively involved in multidisciplinary cooperation in the field, the Center not only is not experienced in clinical management of rare diseases, but also has developed a number of European registry networks on rare diseases. It has accomplished a lot in the multidisciplinary research of rare diseases and precision medicine, and has been a highly prestigious institution across the globe.