Medicine & Healthcare Urology

A research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), in collaboration with the University of Zurich, has uncovered the first comprehensive map of how the anti‑ageing protein Klotho operates in distinct regions of the kidney, resolving long‑standing scientific uncertainties about its physiological roles.

Researchers at Kanazawa University discover how the microenvironment fuels double-negative castration-resistant prostate cancer (DNPC) and demonstrate the therapeutic potential of pan-KRAS inhibitors.

Researchers from The University of Osaka have found that rituximab, a monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of nephrotic syndrome in children in Japan, also improves disease management in adults. The drug kept adults with frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome or steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome relapse-free for longer, compared with placebo, with good safety. By reducing the frequency of relapses, rituximab may reduce the reliance on corticosteroids and help to improve quality of life among adult patients with these challenging conditions.

A large-scale study has found that simulation-based surgical training produced an increase of surgeons’ skills for more complex surgeries.

Researchers from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) and the Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) have jointly developed the Spermine Risk Score which, coupled with the use of a urine test, provides a non-invasive and more reliable method for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. In a study conducted by the researchers, about 37% of the patients, who were ultimately found to have no prostate cancer, can avoid undergoing a prostate biopsy procedure.

The Faculty of Medicine at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CU Medicine) has recently conducted a global survey to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on urological care. This is the world’s first survey of its kind and includes a large sample of urology professionals from 6 continents. Results from over 1,000 participants showed that on average 28% of urology outpatient clinics, 30% of outpatient investigations and procedures, and 31% of urological surgeries had a delay of more than 8 weeks. The degree of cut-down of urological services increased with the degree of COVID-19 outbreak.