Newsletter No. 226

Pre-clinical Studies Show Effectiveness of New Anti-cancer Product T h e Department of Biochemistry conducted a series of in-vitro and in-vivo pre-clinical studies for an anti- cancer product developed by CK Life Sciences International (Holdings) Inc. The results show that immune cells in mice fed with the product are activated while human liver cancer cells implanted in them are suppressed. The positive pre- clinical findings have prompted the two parties to launch clinical trials. Prof. Fung Kwok-pui, leader of the pre-clinical studies and professor of biochemistry, said, 'This clinical trial is a good example of cooperation between academia and commerce. ... Not only wou ld such collaboration speed up the pace of research, but it would also give wider recognition to study results.' Preliminary studies show that the orally-prescribed, yeast-based product can improve the immune system of cancer patients, reduce mortality rate, and promote recovery from chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It can also lessen common side- e f f e c ts caused by c hemo t he r apy and radiotherapy such as nausea, b l e e d i n g, edema, and deterioration of the immune system, and prevent complications and pain arising from surgery and injection. Prof. Fung Kwok-pui (right), Prof. P.C. Leung (left) and Prof. S.F. Pang (middle), vice-president and chief technology officer of CK Life Sciences Breakthrough in Treatment for Autoimmune Disorder I mmune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), one of the most common autoimmune disorders today, results from autoantibodies working against our blood platelets. The Prince of Wales Hospital registers about 30 to 40 new cases annually. Patients with ITP have a higher risk of bleeding, which may be life-threatening. Costicosteroid is proven to be an effective first-line therapy for this disorder. Conventional treatment involves the use of prednisone and the treatment lasts for weeks to months. It increases the platelet count in about 75 per cent of adult patients. A prolonged course of corticosteroid therapy may lead to side-effects including infection, osteoporosis, hypertension and endocrine disturbances. From January 1977 to December 2000, the Division of Haematology of the D e p a r t m e nt o f M e d i c i ne and Therapeutics treated 125 adult ITP patients using a new regimen o f corticosteroid that contains a high dose of dexamethasone. The treatment lasted four days. Eighty-five per cent of the patients showed a positive i n i t i al response to the treatment and most were discharged from hospital by the third day of treatment. Half remained in remission without further treatment at six months' follow-up. Though just as effective as conventional treatment, the new regimen is safer. Its short duration minimizes the adverse effects of a prolonged course of corticosteroid therapy. It also produces a quicker response in patients and reduces the length of hospital stay. The breakthrough was published in The New England Journal of Medicine on 28th August 2003. Principal investigator Prof. Gregory Cheng (right) and Dr. S.M. Wong 宣布事項 ANNOUNCEMENTS 新任講座教授 Professorial Appointments 化學病理學講座教授 Professor of Chemical Pathology 大學委任盧煜明教授為化學病理學講座教授，任期由 二零零三年十月一日起生效。 盧教授一九八六年取得劍橋 大學文學士學位後，到牛津大學習醫，先後獲授內外全科 醫學士 (1989)、 哲學博士 (1994) 和醫學博士 (2001) 銜。 他曾在牛津大學教學醫院鑽研和講授臨床生物化學與 化學病理學七年，於一九九七年加入中大服務，二零零零 年晉升為教授。 盧教授為多個學術團體的成員，並出任多種學術期刊 的編委或審稿員，二零零一年獲選為世界傑出青年。他持 有「非入侵性產前診斷」專利。 Prof. Dennis Lo Yuk-ming has been appointed professor of chemical pathology with effect from 1st October 2003. He joined CUHK as associate professor in the Department of Chemical Pathology in 1997, becoming professor in 2000, and associate dean (research) of the Faculty of Medicine in 2002. Prof. Lo obtained his BA and MA from Cambridge University, his B.M. B.Ch., D. Phil., and DM from Oxford University. He was Wellcome Medical Graduate Fellow and then Wellcome Career Development Fellow at John Radcliffe Hospital in the UK from 1990 to 1994. Subsequently he was university lecturer at the University of Oxford and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Biochemistry of John Radcliffe Hospital. Prof. Lo's current research interests include foetal nucleic acid in maternal plasma/ serum, tumour-derived neucleic acid in plasma/serum, and other aspects of circulating nucleic acids. He holds a patent on Non-invasive Prenatal Diagnosis in the USA and Australia. 婦產科講座教授 Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 大學委任鍾國衡教授為婦產科講座教授，任期由二 零零三年十月一日起生效。 鍾教授在悉尼大學習醫，一九七七年獲授內外全科 醫學士學位，八一年取得澳洲皇家婦產科醫學院文憑，九 七年獲中文大學頒授醫學博士學位。 他於八一至八五年在澳洲紐卡素行醫，八六年出任 皇家紐卡素醫院婦產科醫生，八九年加入中大服務，九四 年晉升為高級講師，九九年為教授。 鍾教授是多個香港、澳紐和亞太區醫學團體的院士或 成員。 Prof. Tony Chung Kwok-hung has been appointed professor of obstetrics and gynaecology with effect from 1st October 2003. He joined The Chinese University as lecturer and visiting lecturer in 1989. He became chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 2000 and associate dean (education) of the Faculty of Medicine in 2002. Prof. Chung obtained his MB BS from Sydney University in 1977 and his MD from CUHK in 1997. He was in family medicine practice in Newcastle, Australia, and subsequently registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at Royal Newcastle Hospital from 1981 to 1988. His research focuses mainly on two related areas: gynaecological oncology and psychosomatic medicine. 外科講座教授 Professor ofSurgery 大學委任楊重光教授為外科講座教授，任期由二零 零三年十月一日起生效。 楊教授一九八一年港大醫科畢業，八五年取得愛丁 堡和格拉斯哥兩所皇家外科醫學院的院士資格，九五年獲 中文大學頒授醫學博士學位。 他專攻小兒外科，尤其有關泌尿系統的疾病。他曾 在香港和英國行醫並深造多年，於九三年加入中大服務。 楊教授是三十多個國際組織的成員乃至會長，又出 任十種學術期刊的編輯、編委或審稿員。 Prof. Yeung Chung-kwong has been appointed professor of surgery with effect from 1 st October 2003. Prof. Yeung began his career as a full-time paediatric surgeon in Hong Kong soon after the completion of his general surgical training and obtaining his fellowship from the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Edinburgh and Glasgow in 1985. He then proceeded to work overseas in London, first in the Liver Transplantation Unit in King's College Hospital, and later in the Department of Paediatric Urology in the Hospital for Sick Children from 1989 to 1992. Upon his return from the UK in 1993, he set up a comprehensive paediatric urology programme in the Prince of Wales Hospital and also helped to establish Hong Kong's first paediatric liver transplantation programme. He received his MD from The Chinese University in 1995. Prof. Yeung has special research interest in paediatric urology, children continence care, and paediatric minimally invasive surgery. No. 226 19th September 2003