Recently, cooperated with the research team of Academician Wang Hongyang from Shanghai Oriental Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital affiliated to Naval Military Medical University, the research team of Academician Tian He and Professor He Xiaopeng from the School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, and the joint research center of Feringa Nobel Prize Scientists, ECUST, developed a protein orthogonal chemical modification strategy, which achieved accurate visualization and photodynamic therapy of primary liver cancer by synergistically targeting the surface antigen of cancer cells and inhibiting phagocytosis of macrophages. The related research article was published in the Journal of American Chemical Society.

The article is first authored by postdoctoral fellow Dou Weitao (now a full-time associate researcher at East China Normal University) from the School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, ECUST. The article is co-corresponding authored by Professor Jonathan L. Sessler from the University of Texas at Austin, USA, Academician Wang Hongyang and researcher Tan Yexiong from Shanghai Oriental Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital affiliated to Naval Military Medical University, and researcher Li Jia and Professor He Xiaopeng from Shanghai Institute of Pharmacology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The research work was under guidance by Academician Tian He. The biological experiment was completed with the assistance from master candidate Qiu Peng, and doctoral candidate Guo Chen. The small-angle scattering experiment was guided and supported by Dr. Li Na from protein Scientific Research (Shanghai) Facility Line 5 and Station 6 (BL19U2). The computational simulation experiment was completed by Dr. Liu Tingting from Shanghai University of Science and Technology, and was guided by researcher Zhao Suwen. This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China’s Medical Department’s major research plan “Molecular Function Visualization of Tumor Evolution and Diagnosis and Treatment”, the major research plan of the Chemical Department's “Dynamic Modification and Chemical Intervention of Biological Macromolecules”, the Frontier Science Center of the Ministry of Materials Biology and Dynamic Chemistry, the Shanghai Science and Technology Major Project, and the Feringa Nobel Prize Scientists Joint Research Center.