HKU Bulletin June 2004 (Vol. 5 No. 4)

9 8 RESEARCH Two Projects One Lethal Illness T wo revolutionary projects from the University’s medical scientists have received $3.5 million of government funding to help them tackle one of liver cancer – one of China’s most lethal illnesses. Dr He Ming Liang, Research Assistant Professor and Professor Kung Hsiang-fu, Professor: Chair of Molecular Biology, both of the Institute of Molecular Biology are running the parallel projects that are using state of the art biotechnology to tackle the hepatitis B virus and the host of liver conditions that follow in its wak M e. uch of their work has its origins in the Department of Microbiology’s pioneering work on SARS and drew the attention of the Innovation and Technology Fund, which has now backed the projects. Both ventures use viruses to deliver genetic material designed to destroy HBV and the liver cancer that often stems from it. The first $1.5 million project – Gene therapy for the Treatment of HBV infection and HKV-Induced Liver Cancer – is headed by He and uses RNA interference to stop the replication of HBV. RNA – which makes up the genome of SARS and HIV/AIDS – is the material that helps transform DNA’s instructions – which determine our genetic identity – into the proteins that actually shape our body. He said: “The RNA stops viral replication and reproduction. “Our research is looking at the major problem related to RNA and that is that synthetic RNA – which is used for research – is very expensive and so unsuitable for clinical trials. “We will create RNA using human cells. We will do this by using viruses to deliver RNA, which will then be created in the patient’s own body.” He will be aided by Dr Zheng Bojian, Associate Professor of the Department of Microbiology and Kung of the Institute of Molecular Biology and is currently in the process of recruiting several more members of the team. With the second project – Development of Novel Adeno- associated Viral (AAV) Based Anti-Angiogenesis Gene Therapy for the Treatment of Liver Cancer – it is Kung’s turn to become the lead L er i . ver cancer, which is also known as Hepatocel lular Carcinoma (HCC), is marked by its poor survival rate and a lack of treatment options for doctors. Like the first project this $2 million-research venture will use viruses to deliver the cure but this time for Vastatin, a protein which was identified by a group of scientists in Shanghai. This group will collaborate with the University team that will include He and Dr Marie Lin Chia-Mi, Investigator. He said: “Vastatin can inhibit a tumour’s growth because it stops blood vessel formation. Tumours need a lot of nutrition but this protein can block this. “The problem is that Vastatin is expensive and its efficacy is relatively low. We want to use gene delivery and the genes to get to these tumour cells where they can stimulate these proteins. “Effectively these proteins will help the tumour to kill itself.” He believes that when the projects draw to a close in Summer 2005 they will have helped ‘develop a delivery system’ for the RNA and Vastatin but that is only the end of the beginning because next will come clinical trials. With a smile, He said: “A lot of other parties will start to become involved: lawyers, regulatory authorities, physicians and so o “ n B . ut thankfully that is not my problem!” SARS Killer A team of University engineers and scientists are aiming to develop the world’s first easy to use anti-SARS technology with the help of a revolutionary air disinfection system. By combining two chemicals – titanium dioxide (TiO2) and chromiun ion – the team believes they can create a reaction under sunl ight that wi l l destroy many harmful ai rborne microbes. Dr Michael Leung, Research Assistant Professor from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, believes that their project will not just help create commercial spin-offs but also help set global test standards for air purification systems. Leung said: “Without question SARS is one of the driving forces behind this research. “During the outbreak we found that a lot of air purifiers became available and that they would claim 99 per cent disinfect ion eff iciency but there is no standard test for evaluating these air cleaners.” To the astonishment of the team they discovered that not even the US – usual ly the leader in imposing exact ing standards – had no accepted test procedures in place. No surprise then that the challenge of defining standards for the industry helped them win a $1.6 million grant from the government’s Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF). But their 18 month project has a twin tracked approach because they believe they can also define the technology used to design future generations of air purifiers. Photocatalytic oxidation happens when titanium dioxide is irradiated with ultra-violet light. This reaction creates hydroxyl radicals which in turn decompose organic compounds and destroy micro-organisms. These could include diseases as diverse as tuberculosis, influenza and Legionnaires Disease. Although this technology is not new, the University team wants to go one stage better by adding chromium ion, which means that purification would rely on visible light and remove the need for UV. What is additionally environmental and people-friendly about this system is that it draws in air, which will run over surfaces coated with the TiO2 – visible only in the form of a fine light powder. This is in sharp contrast to those small boxes that people began to wear around their necks at the height of SARS. These emit ozone, which can kill the germs but also can damage your respiratory tract. Leung and his team, which includes depar tmental colleague Associate Professor Dr Dennis Leung, Clinical Bacteriologist Yam Wing Cheong from the Department of Microbiology and Professor Lilian Vrijmoed – a biochemist from the City University of Hong Kong – are confident patents will follo H w e . said: “We will have one patentable item. Either a test standard or photocatalytic oxidation process. At the moment we have not decided which.” For manufacturers there will be the added bonus of being able to set the machines against the standards Leung and his team will develop in the coming months. He said: “We will not only develop test standards but test facilities. After the project is finished we will offer these facilities to industry so if a company wants to test their new products, bring them to us. “It will be a commercial service but the main purpose is not making money but to support the industry and develop new technologies.” Professor Kung Hsiang-fu (left) with Dr He Ming Liang.