Recently, the internationally renowned academic journal Cell published an online research paper titled "Peripheral nervous system microglia regulate neuronal soma size throughout evolution". This study provides the first evidence of a novel type of immune cell in the peripheral nervous system, namely the peripheral nervous system microglia (PNS microglia), opening up new avenues for research on neuroimmune interaction mechanisms and peripheral nervous system disorders. Sun Hua, a master's candidate jointly trained by the School of Life Sciences at Henan University (HENU) and the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, participated in this research as one of the first authors.

Since the discovery of microglia in 1919, the scientific community believed they existed only in the central nervous system. Under the guidance of Researcher Li Hanjie, Sun Hua's team identified this novel immune cell population, homologous to central microglia, in the peripheral nervous system, using single-cell transcriptome sequencing, epigenomics, and phylogenetic analysis. They further revealed its critical role in regulating neuronal growth and functional maturation. This discovery offers new perspectives for exploring mechanisms underlying chronic pain, peripheral neuropathy, and related disorders.

The team also found that the evolution of PNS microglia is closely related to species size and neuron size. Such cells are prevalent in large-sized animals (e.g., humans, pigs) but rare in small-sized animals (e.g., mice). Researcher Li Hanjie noted: "This explains why these cells remained undiscovered for so long and underscores the importance of cross-species research."

Sun Hua, a 2022 master's candidate supervised by Professor Wu Haigang at HENU's School of Life Sciences, conducted cutting-edge research in synthetic biology and single-cell omics within Researcher Li Hanjie's team through the joint training program between HENU and SIAT. Professor Wu highlighted Sun Hua's outstanding research performance, attributing her achievements to HENU's educational philosophy in biology, international research platforms, and guidance from Researcher Li's team.

The School of Life Sciences leverages key platforms like the State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization to advance industry-university-research collaboration. Sun Hua's publication in a top-tier international journal reflects both his individual capability and the success of university-institute collaboration.

Professor Zhang Lixin, Dean of the School of Life Sciences, emphasized that this academic breakthrough marks the university's progress in cross-institutional training and neuroimmunology research. HENU will deepen collaboration with elite institutions like the Chinese Academy of Sciences to optimize disciplinary development and provide young scholars with global platforms to make sustained high-level achievements.

Moving forward, the School of Life Sciences will enhance the integration and innovation of life sciences, medicine, and information technology, targeting major challenges such as neurological disorders and immune regulation to support the national "Healthy China" initiative.