Health

Researchers from University of Tsukuba and the University of Tokyo identify neurons responsible for memory consolidation during REM sleep

A highly accurate machine learning tool could help doctors tailor individualized treatments for people with glioma brain tumours.

An international collaborative team from PROS Ehime University and CellFee Science, Japan; the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Australia; Pasteur Institute, France; and Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics, Switzerland developed a new diagnostic blood test which detects recent exposure to ‘vivax’ malaria. The new test can also identify people who may harbor dormant liver-stage malaria parasites, which can cause illness. This new diagnostic approach has the potential to enhance malaria surveillance and accelerate elimination.

A team of scientists and researchers from A*STAR’s Singapore Immunology Network and Jinan University, Guangzhou, have deciphered human embryonic immune cell development and discovered how the earliest macrophages in humans, a type of white blood cell of the immune system, stems from a distinct embryonic source and not the bone marrow.

A team of young researchers led by Professor JIANG Yangzi, Research Assistant Professor at the Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM) and the School of Biomedical Sciences (SBS) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), has recently been granted funding from the National Key Research and Development (R&D) Programme. It is the first team in Hong Kong to receive national-level, cross-border research funding under the “Young Scientist Scheme” of the Programme. The team has been awarded a research grant of RMB 5.45 million (approximately HKD 6 million) for basic and preclinical research on the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis.

Scratching the head or rubbing the hands repeatedly is common, unconscious behaviour when people are facing stress. Neuroscientists from the School of Biomedical Sciences and the Gerald Choa Neuroscience Centre of the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) have discovered a mammalian brain circuitry underlying our ability to generate adaptive responses when facing stress with strong negative emotions. The result of the study was recently published in the renowned international scientific journal Nature Communications.

Wastewater could be used as a surveillance tool to monitor the invasion, spread and eradication of COVID-19 in communities.

A group of Hokkaido University researchers has developed a paper-based device that can easily and cheaply measure lithium ion concentration in blood, which could greatly help bipolar disorder patients.

A recent study conducted by the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) discovered a novel genetic biomarker which can predict the survival of head and neck cancer patients. There are over 0.7 million new head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cases globally each year. However, currently there is no clinical implementation of any genetic biomarker to predict outcomes for these patients after standard treatment. A study led by Professor Vivian Wai Yan LUI, an expert in genomic medicine and Associate Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences at CU Medicine, and her research team, has identified that mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway mutations found in almost 20% of HNSCC patients can predict favourable clinical outcomes with standard therapy. Their survival also doubled when compared with other patients. The finding has just been published in the journal Life Science Alliance.

Professor Tony MOK from the Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) and Professor LU You from West China School of Medicine at The Sichuan University co-led the world’s first-in-human Phase I clinical trial investigating the safety and feasibility of CRISPR gene-edit therapy as a treatment option for patients with late stage lung cancer. Research team recruited 22 advanced Non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients and isolate the T cell (a form of white blood cell) from peripheral blood. After gene-editing by CRISPR, the T cells that were reinfused back to patient may have the ability to attack cancer cell. Objective of the study is to demonstrate safety and feasibility. Results demonstrated CRISPR technology is safe and feasible as patients showed no severe adverse events and the frequency of off-target events was only 0.05%. This opens a new chapter in the history of lung cancer immunotherapy. The findings were recently published on-line in the international medical journal Nature Medicine.

As a first-in-the-world "rapid smart test kit", the cPass™ which can measure neutralising antibodies in an hour will be a huge boost to current COVID-19 investigations, from contact tracing, sero-prevalence survey, and assessment of herd immunity, longevity of protective immunity and efficacy of different vaccine candidates.

Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia, is not easy for its overlapping signs with normal ageing. A collaborative research by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) and Johns Hopkins University has developed a new non-invasive molecular imaging approach based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to dynamically measure glucose level changes in the brain lymphatic system. Their discovery may help in identifying Alzheimer's disease at early stages so that treatments can start as soon as possible.

Insights into a flipping crystal could further research into the development of autonomous robots.

A research team led by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has developed a novel anti-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) drug that can selectively disrupt a viral protein produced by EBV, leading to the shrinkage of tumours caused by the virus. It is the first known agent to successfully target the virus and disturb its latency in tumour cells in this way.

When the master regulator of protein production malfunctions, it may contribute to the development of neuronal diseases such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's.

The UK today confirmed that it will be the largest supporter of the international alliance to vaccinate children against deadly diseases, saving millions of lives.

A research team led by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has launched an online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programme. Introduced in April 2020 for Hong Kong people with mild to moderate depressive symptoms, the programme provides them with easy access to counselling services and reduces the stigma associated with depression. The team will recruit 400 participants aged between 18 and 70 with depressive symptoms and provide training next year to around 200 local mental health professionals on how to operate this online CBT programme, with the aim of serving more people in the long run.

A small mitochondrial protein is necessary for energy production and its malfunction could be behind a range of degenerative diseases, according to study by Duke-NUS Medical School and their collaborators.

The best timing for endoscopy of patients with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding is still controversial among the medical community. A recent study conducted by the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) found that for patients with overt signs of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding, urgent endoscopy performed within 6 hours after gastroenterological consultation was not associated with lower mortality and risk of further bleeding, compared with endoscopy performed between 6 and 24 hours after consultation. In other words, earlier endoscopy did not lower mortality nor improve outcomes. The study results have just been published in the top medical journal, The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

New findings show that the formation of amyloid plaques drives damage and tissue loss in the brain during Alzheimer’s disease in animals, but lithium reduces the life-shortening effects of this loss.

To support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, from March 29, the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) has offered to conduct, for free, stool tests for asymptomatic children coming to Hong Kong by air to screen for possible COVID-19. The test currently employed by the Department of Health relies on collection of respiratory samples. The false negative rate of deep throat saliva test increases to over 40% with improper collection technique. Collection is particularly difficult in young children and infants. The potentially high false negative rate of the current test for children is therefore of great public health concern. The stool test that CU Medicine has developed is non-invasive, accurate and is potentially a better option for screening test for asymptomatic populations such as young children and infants. By conducting stool tests for children, CU Medicine aims to help identify asymptomatic children carrying the COVID-19 virus as early as possible in order to stop its spread through our community.

A Communique from the InterAcademy Partnership urges countries to collaborate, use and share science-based information, and help the developing world.

Screening is important for the early detection of cervical cancer, but rates were significantly affected, in some areas for years, following a devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Some trans fats enhance a pathway inside the cell that leads to cell death. Drugs targeting this mechanism could help address diseases associated with these fats.

Nested in the long-running Singapore Chinese Health Study, a new study by researchers in Singapore, based on data from over 60,000 middle-aged to older adults, has found that people who suffer from diabetes and who are also underweight have a much higher risk of active tuberculosis (TB) than their heavier counterparts, supporting calls for TB screening among these patients.

The Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) analysed more than 300 specimens (including sputum, nasopharyngeal swabs, deep throat saliva, blood, urine and stool) from 14 Hong Kong patients confirmed with COVID-19 and discovered that the virus was detectable in the fecal samples of all patients, regardless of the degree of illness. Three out of 14 patients still had viruses in their stool samples even though the virus was no longer found in sputum, nasopharyngeal and deep throat saliva samples. This finding suggests that virus shedding in stool is common and can be an alternative screening tool. Importantly, we should not overlook the potential risk of environmental contamination by virus shedding in stool.

Studying Finnish genes leads to unique revelations about the development of a serious complication of diabetes, and informs an ongoing genomic study of a Singaporean cohort as part of Singapore’s Diabetes Study in Nephropathy and other Microvascular Complications (DYNAMO).

When it comes to awareness of social and legal services available to people with dementia, financial knowledge is key

・A novel pathway of L-fucose metabolism was discovered in strictly anaerobic and pathogenic bacterium. ・The genetic context in bacterial genomes and the screening for potential substrates can help identify the biochemical functions of bacterial enzymes. ・No homologous pathway is found in humans or in probiotic bacteria.

Computerized sound-cognitive therapy could be a new potential treatment for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).