A research team led by Prof. TAO Kaixiong from Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), received the First Prize of the 2025 Science and Technology Innovation Awards. The award was presented at the 17th China Industry-University-Research Cooperation Innovation Conference held in Beijing.

The winning project, titled “Establishment and Clinical Application of a Precision Treatment System for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST),” addresses a long-standing challenge facing gastrointestinal surgery. GIST represents the most common mesenchymal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract, and despite complete surgical resection, up to 40 percent of patients experience recurrence. Preserving organ function while reducing recurrence has remained a subject of active research.

After more than two decades of collaborative effort involving industry and academia, Prof. TAO’s team made several major breakthroughs. They developed minimally invasive surgical techniques that prioritize organ preservation without compromising treatment efficacy, established an individualized targeted therapy system that allows for precision treatment for GIST, and created the first precision diagnostic kit for early detection and recurrence monitoring of the condition.

Union Hospital has been endeavoring to foster an environment that encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and the translation of research into clinical practice. The hospital has put in place a series of policies to support technological transfer and innovation, including detailed regulations for managing and incentivizing the commercialization of scientific achievements, and the initiative has yielded a great many innovative results in medical technology.