AWARDS
Associate Professor Leung Chung-Hang and Dr. Ma Dik Lung, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, successfully combined advanced computer-aided design technology and biological activity evaluation methods to develop a direct inhibition of signal transduction and transcription initiation factor 3 (STAT3). Dimerized natural products, the results show that such natural products can inhibit tumor cell growth. The study "discovered natural products that inhibit STAT3 dimerization based on virtual structural screening" was published in the journal Cell Death & Disease of the Nature Publishing Group, providing a solid theory and experiment for these compounds as a new generation of specific anti-tumor drugs basis. In addition, Dr. Leung Chung-Hang and Dr. Ma Dik Lung further cooperated with experts from Taiwan's Kaohsiung Medical University, and for the first time in the world, they discovered that rhodium(III) complexes directly act on STAT3 dimerization and can significantly inhibit the growth of mouse skin cancer. The related paper "Rhodium, a complex that directly inhibits STAT3 dimerization" was published in the international authoritative journal "Angewandte Chemie" (International Edition, 2014). [Government Information Bureau, Macao SAR] 2014-06-19 19:51:00 GOV.MO: 澳大中药研究成果丰 国际影响力日增 https://www.gov.mo/zh-hans/news/86362/ 新闻局: 澳大中药研究成果丰 国际影响力日增 https://mobile.gcs.gov.mo/pda_detail.php?PageLang=C&DataUcn=79548 |
UM-HKBU collaborative research develops new drug for diabetic foot ulcers
University of Macau | 2021-06-15 19:16 Research teams led by Professor Leung Chung Hang and Associate Professor Lin Ligen at the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS), University of Macau (UM), together with a research team led by Associate Professor Ma Dik Lung in the Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), have successfully designed and synthesised a new stabiliser, which can significantly accelerate diabetic wound closure and has great potential to be developed as a drug for the treatment of diabetic foot. The study has been published in the internationally renowned journal Nature Communications. Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus that can lead to amputation or even death in extreme cases. Nearly 4 million people are diagnosed with DFU globally every year. To date, several treatment strategies for diabetic wounds are available, including regular debridement, surgical revascularisation, and infection therapy. However, owing to the limitations of existing methods, new drugs for the treatment of diabetic wound healing in clinical practice are desperately needed. Wound healing is a complex and dynamic process involving epithelialisation, angiogenesis, granulation tissue formation, and wound contraction, all of which are regulated by HIF-1α. In normal tissues, HIF-1α steady-state levels are low due to oxygen-dependent hydroxylation of HIF-1α. However, hyperglycemia in diabetes can decrease the stability of HIF-1α, leading to the inhibition of HIF-1α target gene expression, which could account for incidences of poor healing and ulcer complications in diabetic patients. The research teams have synthesised a library of cyclometalated iridium(III) metal complexes with diverse structures, and discovered a potent complex that specifically targets VHL, leading to the accumulation of HIF-1α levels and the activation of HIF-1α transcriptional activity. In addition, in three different animal models of diabetes, this complex dramatically increased skin blood flow rate and angiogenesis in the wound areas in order to enhance wound healing. This study not only identified a new small molecule stabiliser of HIF-1α as a promising therapeutic agent for wound healing, but also validates the feasibility of treating diabetic wounds by blocking the VHL and HIF-1α interaction, thereby providing a new avenue for improving the quality of life of DFU patients. The project was funded by the Science and Technology Development Fund, Macao SAR (File no. 0072/2018/A2 and 0031/2019/A1) and University of Macau (File no. MYRG2019-00002-ICMS, MYRG2018-00037-ICMS and MYRG2018-00187-ICMS). The research paper is available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-23448-7. 星報: 澳大與港浸大研發糖尿病足藥物 澳大與港浸大研發糖尿病足藥物 華僑報 : 澳大聯合浸大研究出糖尿病傷口癒合穩定劑有望成為治糖尿病足新藥 澳大聯合浸大研究出糖尿病傷口癒合穩定劑有望成為治糖尿病足新藥 [華僑報] 2021-06-16 13 澳聞 澳門日報: 澳大浸大研新型治糖尿病足藥物 澳大浸大研新型治糖尿病足藥物 [澳門日報] 2021-06-16 B07 澳聞/特刊 濠江日報: 澳大浸大研發新型治療糖尿病足藥 澳大浸大研發新型治療糖尿病足藥 [濠江日報] 2021-06-16 A04 澳門新聞 GOV.MO: 澳大浸大研发新型治疗糖尿病足药物 澳大浸大研发新型治疗糖尿病足药物 – 澳门特别行政区政府入口网站 (www.gov.mo) News Bureau 新聞局 UM-HKBU collaborative research develops new drug for diabetic foot ulcers Chi: https://www.gcs.gov.mo/detail/zh-hant/N21FOG0LM8?5 Eng: https://www.gcs.gov.mo/detail/en/N21FOG0LM8?6 UM channel: 澳大浸大研发新型治疗糖尿病足药物 澳大浸大研發新型治療糖尿病足藥物 | 澳門大學 (um.edu.mo) UM-HKBU collaborative research develops new drug for diabetic foot ulcers https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/press-release/detail/52156/ UM social media: 加速治療糖尿病足!澳大和浸大研發新藥物 https://bit.ly/35nb5TW https://www.facebook.com/universityofmacau/ https://twitter.com/UM_1981/status/1404758795146825735 https://weibo.com/universityofmacau?is_all=1#place BioArt 公众号: Nat Commun | 梁重恒/马迪龙/林理根联合团队发现新型缺氧诱导因子1α稳定剂,有望成为治疗糖尿病足的药物 Nat Commun | 梁重恒/马迪龙/林理根联合团队发现新型缺氧诱导因子1α稳定剂,有望成为治疗糖尿病足的药物 (qq.com) UM, HKBU successfully develop new probe to integrate cancer diagnosis and treatment Macao Government | 2020-07-21 19:33 The novel theranostic agent has the potential for monitoring and evaluating the progress of cancer therapy in real time. A research team led by Prof Leung Chung Hang in the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS), University of Macau (UM), and another research team led by Prof Ma Dik Lung in the Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), have successfully synthesised a new gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPr)-based probe to integrate cancer treatment and diagnosis. The probe can selectively visualise GRPr in living cancer cells while modulating the function of GRPr in immune cells, which will help to accurately identify tumours and their biological characteristics. The study has been published in the internationally renowned journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition. GRPr is a member of the bombesin G-protein-coupled receptor family and has been known to play an important role in the nervous system. Recent studies have demonstrated that abnormal GRPr expression is associated with various cancers and is involved in modulating pro-inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, probes that are capable of unmasking the proliferative and inflammatory roles of GRPr are highly desirable. The probe developed by the research teams not only exhibits desirable photophysical properties, but also displays negligible cytotoxicity. In particular, its long emission lifetime allows its luminescence signal to be readily distinguished from the interfering fluorescence of organic dyes by using a time-resolved technique. This probe can selectively visualise living cancer cells via specific binding to GRPr while modulating the function of GRPr on TNF-α secretion in immune cells. The GRPr imaging probe was developed through conjugating a GRPr antagonist, JMV594, to an emissive iridium (III) complex. The incorporation of JMV594 not only endows the probe with specific recognition to GRPr, but also improves its biocompatibility. Data in the study also demonstrated that complex 8 could be used as an effective probe to study the inflammatory functions of GRPr, potentially providing a powerful tool to deepen our understanding of GRPr in cancer and in the immune system. In addition, the novel iridium (III) complex-based therapeutic and diagnostic probe has deepened people's knowledge of the action of this type of compound, and is helpful for the development of therapeutic/diagnostic agents based on iridium (III) complex. The project was funded by the Science and Technology Development Fund, Macao SAR (File no. 0072/2018/A2) and University of Macau (File no. MYRG2018-00187-ICMS, MYRG2019-00002-ICMS). The research paper is available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202007920. GOV.MO: 澳大与浸大成功研制新型探针可实现肿瘤诊疗一体化 https://www.gov.mo/en/news/126752/#&gid=1&pid=1 奇物论公众号: Angew:靶向癌细胞和免疫细胞的肽偶联长寿命诊疗成像工具 https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/CFcfxuiYdxLwlw6imnuTWg 澳门大学公众号: 澳大與浸大成功研製腫瘤新型探針!https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/VAe_jj1m1GUTGY49gKwokA 南非新闻: 澳大與浸大成功研製腫瘤新型探針! https://www.52hrtt.com/za/n/w/info/A1594797156404 |