KE Spotlight - Community Engagement - HKU Knowledge Exchange

HKU Phase 1 Clinical Trials Centre receives clinical drug trial accreditation by the China Food and Drug Administration

The HKU Phase 1 Clinical Trials Centre, together with seven clinical specialties of Queen Mary Hospital, received official accreditation by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) for conducting clinical drug trials. The HKU centre is a clinical research facility of the HKU Clinical Trials Centre (HKU-CTC), specifically designed for performing phase 1, early phase and clinical pharmacology trials. This accreditation signifies that research data and results arising from clinical trials conducted in the centre and the seven clinical specialties will be accepted by the CFDA for evaluation of applications for drug registration in Mainland China, strengthening Hong Kong's special position as a hub for drug research and development in China and worldwide.

HKU to offer Zika screening to travellers returning from Rio de Janeiro Olympics

Ten public clinics under the Hospital Authority will increase capacity to provide consultation for Hong Kong delegates and travellers returning from Brazil. It is one of the government’s measures to prevent the spread of the Zika virus to Hong Kong when the Olympics and the Paralympics open in Rio de Janeiro. Thousands of Hongkongers - including athletes and supporting staff, tourists and the media - will visit Brazil in the coming two to three months. HKU microbiologist Professor Yuen Kwok-yung warned that around 80% of those infected with the disease could be silent carriers who never show symptoms. The Food and Health Bureau has commissioned HKU Department of Microbiologyto conduct tests for the virus for people returning from the Olympics without symptoms but felt worried about the risk of infection. HKU will offer them screening by taking urine and blood samples, with results expected in seven days.

A Start-up with Backbone

The Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology has developed new shape-shifting rods that offer a gentler option for correcting curvature of the spine. They now have a viable product and a start-up to support it, OrthoSmart Limited.

Two HKU departments offer first self-help stress release programme for women receiving test tube baby treatment

The HKU Department of Social Work and Social Administration and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecologyconducted a longitudinal study from 2013 to 2015 on 151 women who received In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF, or so called "test tube baby") treatment but failed. According to the findings, 39.1% of patients reported symptoms of anxiety immediately after the failed treatment and 18.6% of patients reported symptoms of depression. Their depression and anxiety levels remained in the subsequent months. To help women undergoing the treatment to better cope with the stress in the process, the two departments have offered a "Body-Mind Wellness Intervention Program", which consists of a three-hour workshop and a set of self-help body-mind techniques for stress release. The pilot programme conducted since October 2015 has demonstrated good results with significant decrease in the anxiety level of participants in the treatment group during post-embryo-implantation period.

HKU develops novel probiotic mixture "Prohep" that may offer potential therapeutic effects on liver cancer

A research team led by Dr Hani El-Nezami and Dr Gianni Panagiotou of the HKU School of Biological Sciences, in collaboration with the HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and the School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, develops a novel probiotic mixture "Prohep" that may have potential therapeutic effects on Hepatocellular carcinoma. The research team found that Prohep, when tested on mice, could slow down the tumor growth significantly and reduce the tumor size and weight. Future research would be to find out how to consume the probiotic mixture to obtain the best results, and to develop more efficient bacterial cocktails. The commercialization of Prohep is being assisted by the HKU Technology Transfer Office and Versitech Limited.

Jockey Club Charities Trust and HKU School of Public Health announce "Family Day 2016" activities

"Family Day 2016" aims at encouraging Hong Kong people to spend more quality time with their family members so as to enhance family harmony and relationship. A series of events will be held from April 22 to June 5 under three themes, namely "Family Day @ Community", "Family Day - Shopping Fun", and "Active Families Sing for Family Day 2016 Fun Fair".

HKU scientists effectively suppress tumour growth by converting Salmonella into YB1 anaerobe bacterium

Researchers at the HKU School of Biomedical Sciences have recently engineered Salmonella into an anaerobe bacterium named YB1 that can only survive and thrive in the hypoxic condition, for example, hypoxic regions inside solid tumours. YB1 can effectively inhibit the growth of tumours while being safe to normal tissues. The patent applications for this invention have been filed in different countries through the Technology Transfer Office of HKU. A patent was recently granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The researchers hope that YB1 can be further developed into a tumour-targeting agent in the near future.