The “Chinese Gut Motility Program” Launch Meeting Successfully Held in Wuxi

      Gastrointestinal motility disorders are highly prevalent gastrointestinal conditions that impose a substantial healthcare burden worldwide. According to epidemiological data associated with the World Health Organization (WHO), the prevalence of such disorders in China is as high as 10%, affecting approximately 140 million people, with annual direct medical costs exceeding RMB 50 billion. As research into the relationship between the gut microbiota and human health continues to advance, a growing body of evidence suggests that patients with gastrointestinal motility disorders exhibit marked alterations in the gut microbiota. However, China still lacks large-scale, standardized, and representative cohort data on disease-associated microbial signatures and specific biomarkers. Systematic collection and integrated analysis of clinical phenotypes and gut microbiome data from Chinese populations are therefore essential to filling this gap in evidence-based medicine and represent a critical prerequisite for translating basic research findings into precision diagnosis and treatment.

      From December 2 to 3, 2024, the “Symposium on Engineering Science and Technology for Precision Nutrition and the Gut Microbiome & the 5th International Symposium on Probiotics, Gut Microbiota and Human Health” was held in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. The conference was jointly organized by the Division of Environment and Light & Textile Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Jiangnan University, and Higher Education Press, and co-organized by the Center for Strategic Studies of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, and other institutions.

      During the conference, the “Chinese Gut Motility Program”, led by the team of Academician Chen Wei and jointly initiated by Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, and other participating institutions, was officially launched. Following the launch, academicians and experts held a closed-door discussion on frontier perspectives of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and potential topics for strategic consulting research