The China-Italy Joint Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Immunosafety has been launched in South China's Shenzhen, Guangdong province, aiming to promote international transformation of sci-tech achievements in the biopharmaceutical field.

The laboratory was jointly established by the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, and the Institute of Translational Pharmacology -- with the latter two forming part of the National Research Council (CNR) of Italy.

The laboratory will focus on two main research directions, namely immunotoxicity evaluation of natural and artificial substances and their related pathogenic or toxic mechanisms, and the development of immunomodulatory drugs and study of disease prevention and immunotherapy strategies, said laboratory director Li Yang.

Xu Jianbin, vice-president of the SIAT, said the founding of the joint laboratory has deepened the academic connection between China and Italy, providing an excellent platform for bilateral exploration in the biomedical field.