Shanghai conference showcases new pancreatic treatments

Shanghai hosted the 2026 academic conference of the Chinese Association of Pancreatology from Friday through Sunday, bringing together nearly 5,000 experts from around the world, including members of international pancreatic organizations.

The conference aimed to set a new direction for the high-quality development of pancreatic disease diagnosis and treatment in China, with the implementation of several new initiatives for disciplinary development.

Experts engaged in in-depth discussions on topics, such as multidisciplinary collaboration, industry-academia-research integration, talent cultivation, and targeted efforts on chronic diseases. Specialists from countries, including the United States, Germany, Japan, and South Korea, participated in international sessions conducted entirely in English.

The conference received nearly 1,300 academic submissions from nearly 200 medical institutions worldwide. Out of these, 34 studies were selected for oral presentations, and 160 papers were showcased as posters, highlighting the latest research achievements in the field of pancreatic diseases.

Moreover, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine announced a significant breakthrough in pancreatic cancer treatment last week. A team led by Shen Baiyong, vice-president of the hospital, in collaboration with an industry partner, has developed a postoperative preventive vaccine for pancreatic cancer.

Phase I clinical trial results were recently presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting held in Chicago, marking a major global advancement in pancreatic cancer therapy. Also, this achievement has positioned China's personalized mRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer among the global leaders.

The team stated that clinical trials for the vaccine are ongoing, with plans to complete Phase III research by 2028. They will be committed to accelerating the clinical translation of the vaccine to benefit pancreatic cancer patients as soon as possible.

Pancreatic cancer has a high malignancy and is very prone to recurrence after surgery. Standard adjuvant chemotherapy is the core treatment method after radical surgery, but the recurrence rate remains very high, about 50 percent within one year and about 80 percent within five years.