Bulletin Spring‧Summer 2004

Medical Research Cloning of New Gene Means New Hope for Treating Cystic Fibrosis A new gene related to pancreatic insufficiency in cystic fibrosis has been cloned by researchers at the Epithelial Cell Biology Research Centre of the Faculty of Medicine and their collaborators from Nan j i ng Medical University. The findings indicating the possibility of a new method for circumventing defective pancreatic secretion were published in the December 2003 issue of Lancet. Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations in the gene encoding an ion-transport protein, the cysticfibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Defective secretion of anions is the primary cause of many clinical manifestations of cystic fibrosis, including pancreatic insufficiency. The researchers have proven that suppression of the newly identified gene (NYD-SP27) results in improvement in the amount of mutated CFTR reaching the plasma membrane, which will help in the restoration of pancreatic anion secretion. New Facilities New Services Eye Genetics Research Centre T he Lim Por-yen Eye Genetics Research Centre was officially e s t a b l i s h ed on 26th March 2004 at the Prince of Wales Ho s p i t al to provide molecular genetic screening service for genetic eye diseases. The setting up of the centre, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, was made possible by a generous donation of HK$10 million from Mr. Lim Por-yen. The c e n t re was f o u n d ed on t he a c h i e v eme n ts of t he D e p a r t me nt of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences of the University, which recently made important findings on eye diseases including glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration, retinoblastoma, and high myopia. It established the differential patterns of mutations causing eye diseases in Chinese in more than 10 candidate genes. A press conference was held on 26th March at t he P o s t g r a d u a te Education Centre of the Prince of Wales Hospital to announce the research f i n d i n g s . A c h e q ue presentation ceremony and a naming ceremony for the new centre were also held on the occasion with Mr. Lim Por-yen (right) presenting the donation in person to Dr. Edgar Cheng (left), chairman of the University Council. Officiating at the ceremony was also Prof. Ambrose King, vice-chancellor of the University. News in Brief 5 5