Introduction

Dr Jian Guan completed her Bachelor of Medicine in China in 1982. After eight years of practice as a Paediatrician she obtained a PhD in Paediatrics at the University of Auckland in 1996. Throughout her career, she has pioneered research in insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and its role in brain function and metabolism.

Dr Jian Guan serves as the Chief Scientist at The cGP Lab. She is also an Honorary Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand's highest ranking university.

With an esteemed career spanning numerous collaborations—including with Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, former Principal Science Adviser to the Prime Minister, Jian has published more than 80 high impact peer-reviewed research papers. Jian's publications can be downloaded HERE.

Her academic research career primarily focused on the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical development of cGP and related molecules for treating neurodevelopmental, cerebral vascular and metabolic diseases. She was instrumental in the pre-clinical development of the world's only FDA-approved drug for Rett Syndrome, a synthetic analogue of cGP called Trofinetide.

A recent breakthrough in identifying natural cGP in food sources resulted in the development of a standardised cGP food ingredient called cGP-PRo® for human health applications.

Research

An internationally recognised scientist, Dr Guan continues to lead her research field.

Dr. Guan’s research is distinguished by her discovery of the protective effects of IGF-1 and its metabolites, cGP and a related molecule called GPE in acute brain injury, chronic neurological conditions and metabolic conditions such as diabetes.

Over the past 20 years, she has collaborated with academics worldwide. In New Zealand, she has worked with institutions such as the University of Otago, the University of Canterbury, and Auckland University of Technology on a wide range of topics, including brain ageing, cognitive impairment, and the development of biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease. Additionally, she partnered with the National Institute for Stroke & Applied Neurosciences to investigate biomarkers for long-term stroke recovery and brain injury prognosis. A list of Dr Guan’s research publications can be found HERE

Internationally, Dr. Guan's cGP-related research spans collaborations with leading academics from Sweden, the United States, Spain, China, and Russia.

Her specific research topics on cGP include:

  • The role of cGP in improving brain development.

  • Biological interactions of cGP and binding proteins (IGFBPs).

  • The effects of cGP on recovery from peripheral neuropathy.

  • The mechanism of cGP on regulating IGF-1 function.

  • Effects of cGP in cancer.

  • Association of cGP with cognitive function in the elderly.

  • The role of cGP in stroke recovery in humans.

  • The role of cGP in pregnancy-associated hypertension and obesity.

  • Mechanism of cerebral radiation-induced brain injury.

  • The effect of cGP on mood (depression and anxiety)

  • The effect of cGP in Rett syndrome.

  • The function of cGP in vascular remodelling (rebuilding the microcirculation)

  • The role for IGF-1 in vascular degeneration of PD brains.

Timeline

1990 - 1995
Dr. Jian’s research journey began by understanding IGF-1 and its role in neuroprotection and neurorepair. During her quest to uncover the brain-made mechanisms to reduce damage after suffering a brain injury, she discovered GPE (Glycine-Proline-Glutamate).

GPE is a metabolite that is yielded by the enzymatic breakdown of IGF-1 and further research into GPE suggested that it has neuroprotective benefits that helped in recovery from stroke. Thus, highlighting its therapeutic potential.

1995 - 2000
With the aim of focusing on GPE rather than IGF-1 as a much simpler model for protection against brain injury, NeuroNZ, the first university-based pharma company was formed to translate these findings into commercial research. NeuroNZ was later privatised to become Neuren Pharmaceuticals, a company that is now developing therapies for highly debilitating neurodevelopmental disorders that emerge in early childhood.

2000 - 2005
During her time at Neuren, Jian studied the effects of GPE on recovery from stroke. A deeper investigation into GPE suggested that it is unstable and therefore its structural analogue was used for the development of a drug by the company (now known as Daybue and recently been approved by FDA as a treatment for Rett Syndrome).

Continued research into IGF-1 metabolites led to the discovery of cGP (cyclic-glycine-proline), a small yet stable compound responsible for maintaining cognitive health. Jian conducted extensive studies in understanding this molecule, its mode of action and pharmacological profile.

She then conducted studies for the preclinical development of a cGP analogue on treating cognitive impairment (NNZ2591 - currently under trial by Neuren Pharmaceuticals).

2005 - 2010
Jian left her role at Neuren Pharmaceuticals to continue her work as an academic researcher. She focused on understanding the mechanism of cGP in normalising IGF-1 function and then studied broader clinical applications of cGP in age-related conditions affected by IGF-1 such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia.  Concurrently, she conducted nutritional interventional studies to improve mental well-being in aged and developing brains and was involved in the development of an infant formula.

2010 - 2015
Jian continued her research of cGP in lactating mothers and spent time understanding the role of complex dairy lipids in brain development. Studies in animal models suggest the importance of cGP during early postnatal development.

2015 - 2020
Early in 2015, Jian discovered cGP in natural foods – NZ blackcurrants. A clinical trial using natural cGP supplement in Parkinson’s Disease patients suggested its bioavailability and efficacy in improving mood (anxiety/depression)

Later, using this information and with the aim of creating a range of nutraceuticals that deliver natural cGP- The cGP Lab Limited was founded.

2020 - 2025
In 2025, Dr Jian published two clinical papers showing that natural cGP can improve key vascular complications in type 2 diabetes, including foot sensation, blood pressure, HbA1c and kidney albumin leakage. These benefits were linked to lowering vascular stress markers such as p53, VEGF‑A, endothelin‑1 and TNF‑α, consistent with restoring healthy IGF‑1–mediated capillary function

1990 - 1995

1995 - 2000

2000 - 2005

2005 - 2010

2010 - 2015

2015 - 2020

2020 - 2025

The Breakthrough

In 2017, Dr Guan’s research led to her breakthrough discovery of finding cGP in a natural source - New Zealand blackcurrants. This discovery was an unexpected finding from a clinical trial with Parkinson’s Disease patients using blackcurrant supplements. Testing of blood samples found that the patients had increased cGP levels in their plasma and cerebral spinal fluid and reported improvements in mood (anxiety and depression scores).

The cGP Lab Era

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The breakthrough discovery of cGP in blackcurrants led to Dr Guan’s collaboration with the founders of The cGP Lab to test a wide range of foods, including many varieties of blackcurrants, to determine which sources had the highest levels of naturally occurring cGP.

With the help of manufacturing and research partners they developed a proprietary production process that enhances and stabilises the naturally occurring cGP, creating the world’s first and only standardised natural cGP ingredient, cGP-PRo®.

Backed by over 30 years of research in brain health, tissue repair, metabolic health and regeneration, and her deep understanding of human health, Dr Guan has developed the breakthrough ingredient cGP-PRo®, a pure and entirely natural ingredient for use in supplements and functional foods. cGP-PRo® is a premium, science-led ingredient that is backed by the highest calibre of applied science in the industry.

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Disclaimer: The Information in this website is for educational purposes only. cGP-PRo is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any desease