From lab to life: Why cell and gene therapies need global efforts

From repairing faulty genes to reprogramming cells to fight disease, cell and gene therapy, also known as CGT, is pushing medicine into a new frontier and opening new possibilities for people living with cancer, rare genetic disorders and diseases once seemed unbeatable.

At the 2026 Annual Meeting of China Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (CSGCT), scientists and industry experts from China, the United States and Canada shared their views with CGTN on where CGT is heading.

In this episode of Health Talk, they underline the growing potential of CGT while pointing to something that may matter just as much as scientific innovation: diseases recognize no borders, thus we need collaboration across borders.

Patients, data, technologies and ideas rarely exist in one place. By pooling patient resources, sharing research and technological advances, and drawing on different strengths, countries can help accelerate clinical trials and drug development – and potentially make these groundbreaking therapies more accessible and affordable.

Supervisor: Zhang Jingwen

Producer: Yang Sha

Director: Wang Yuxin

Copy editors: John Goodrich, Xu Wen, Zhang Yuying

Cover: Sha Yunjin