Press Release: HKUMed research team identifies new drug combo for liver cancer via CRISPR-Cas9 screen
Dec 20, 2021
A research team of LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has successfully repurposed an approved drug ifenprodil, a vasodilator, to be used in combination with the FDA-approved first-line drug sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. This study leveraged on their CombiGEM-CRISPR v2.0 screening platform to expedite the search among the many possible drug combinations to inhibit druggable targets in the genome for treating HCC. The findings are now published in Cancer Research.
Media Coverage: Dr Stephanie Ma shared on her plan after being awarded the RGC Research Fellow Scheme
Dec 06, 2021
Dr Stephanie Ma shared on her plan after being awarded the RGC Research Fellow Scheme.
Media Coverage: Dr Joshua Ho and Dr Jason Wong being interviewed by local media to share on HKUMed new programme BSc(Bioinformatics)
Nov 25, 2021
Dr Joshua Ho and Dr Jason Wong being interviewed by local media to share on HKUMed new programme BSc(Bioinformatics).
Press Release: HKUMed scientists identify genetic risk factors for spine osteoarthritis in a milestone research
Nov 04, 2021
Scientists from the LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), contributing as part of the ‘Genetics of Osteoarthritis (GO)’ consortium to the world’s largest study of over 800,000 individuals, have identified genetic risk factors – variants associated with SOX5 and CHST3 genes, key regulators of the development of the intervertebral discs, to be implicated in spine osteoarthritis (OA). The findings are now published in CELL, a premier scientific journal.
Press Release: HKUMed identifies an important gene linking the two hallmark pathological features: Amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
Aug 25, 2021
A research team of LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has identified an important gene linking the two hallmark pathological features: Amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) forming neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in Alzheimer’s disease. The gene called Pax6 is upregulated significantly in Alzheimer's disease brains and inhibition of Pax6 could reduce tau phosphorylation and amyloid β-induced neuronal death. This study has the potential to offer a novel therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease. This study has been published in Brain (Oxford).
Media Coverage: Prof. Michael Huen talks about mRNA vaccine and human DNA in an interview on Headline News
Aug 09, 2021
Prof. Michael Huen talks about mRNA vaccine and human DNA in an interview on Headline News.
Press Release: HKUMed identifies a new pathway to prevent invasive cell migration of cancer cells by blocking PI(3,4)P2 lipid synthesis and receptor recycling
Jun 29, 2021
A research team of cell biologist in LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has discovered how to impede invasive cell migrations by blocking the synthesis of PI(3,4)P2 lipids that are excessively produced in cancer cells. By the inhibition of PI(3,4)P2 synthesis, invasive cell migrations are effectively suppressed in various models, including in the triple-negative breast cancer cell line. This study has revealed a druggable target to suppress cancer metastasis, the malignant spread of cancer cells, which ranks highest in the cause of health-related mortality in Hong Kong1. The findings have been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).
Press Release: HKUMed researchers unveil a novel molecular mechanism underlying liver cancer drug resistance and tumour recurrence
Jun 01, 2021
Researchers at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) have uncovered a novel signalling pathway triggered by a protein called FUT1 to promote cancer stemness, contributing to drug resistance and tumour recurrence of liver cancer cells. The findings are now published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation (J Clin Invest).
Media Coverage: Dr Stephanie Ma shared in an interview on Topick
Apr 29, 2021
Dr Stephanie Ma shared her experience and the journey of study in an interview on Topick.
Press Release: HKUMed identifies Collagen IV differentially regulates planarian stem cell potency and lineage progression: Striving towards tissue regeneration in humans
Apr 26, 2021
A research team of LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has identified a role of an extracellular matrix protein (ECM), Collagen IV, in the regulation of pluripotent stem cells in the regenerative flatworm (planarian). This collagen plays an important role in regulating how stem cells divide or change in the planarian, crucial to its regenerative capacity and can improve our understanding of human tissue regeneration. This study has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS).