Tag: HKBU

The School of Chinese Medicine at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) found that 55% of the patients who sought medical treatment from the “HKBU Chinese Medicine Telemedicine Centre Against COVID-19” during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continued to experience at least one long COVID symptom for six months to a year after diagnosed with an infection. The most common symptoms are fatigue, brain fog and cough.

The study also revealed that patients who took Chinese medicine after COVID-19 infection took a shorter time to test negative in rapid tests, and experienced significant symptom relief compared to patients who did not take Chinese medicine.

The research findings have been published in a number of papers in international academic journals including the Journal of Medical Virology and The American Journal of Chinese Medicine.

HKBU established the “HKBU Chinese Medicine Telemedicine Centre Against COVID-19” in 2021 during the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Hong Kong to provide free telemedical services for COVID-19 patients. Making reference to the treatment protocols and clinical experiences in Mainland China, the expert team of HKBU’s School of Chinese Medicine formulated the “Chinese Medicine Clinical Guidelines for COVID-19 in Hong Kong” as the University’s clinical diagnosis and treatment standards for COVID-19. The Telemedicine Centre follows the guidelines to provide diagnosis, treatment, and prevention services to COVID-19 patients, close contacts, and caregivers.

Coughing is the most common early symptom of infection

The HKBU research team led by Professor Bian Zhaoxiang, Director of the Clinical Division at the School of Chinese Medicine, conducted a retrospective study using patient statistics collected by the Telemedicine Centre during the fifth wave of the pandemic. The team analysed the symptoms in the first four weeks of about 13,000 patients who were infected with COVID-19 from mid-March to early May in 2022 and underwent home isolation.

The results showed that 93% of patients experienced at least one symptom. The most common symptoms during the first week of infection were cough (91%), sputum (75%), dry throat (50%) and sore throat (44%). 17% of patients still had these symptoms four weeks after infection. Although the symptoms gradually subsided over time, the prevalence of fatigue increased.

Chinese medicine accelerates viral clearance

Among this batch of patients, the research team selected 311 patients who had taken Chinese medicine for five days within 10 days after diagnosis, and another 311 patients who had not taken any Chine medicine during the same period to evaluate the efficacy of Chinese medicine.

The results showed that patients who took Chinese medicine within 10 days after COVID-19 infection needed an average of seven days to test negative in rapid tests, and experienced an average of four symptoms, which were significantly milder compared to patients who didn’t take Chinese medicine. The average time to test negative for patients who did not take Chinese medicine was eight days, and they experienced an average of 11 symptoms. The results show that Chinese medicine is an effective treatment for COVID-19 infection.

Over half of the patients experience long COVID after six months

The research team conducted a follow-up telephone survey from November 2022 to January 2023 with 6,242 COVID-19 patients who sought medical consultation at the Telemedicine Centre between December 2021 and May 2022 to understand their symptoms and risk factors after six months to a year of infection.

The study found that 55% of patients still experienced at least one long-term symptom, i.e. “long COVID” or “post-COVID syndrome”. The most common symptoms were fatigue (36%), brain fog (34%) and cough (31%). Furthermore, females, middle-aged persons, obese people, those with comorbidities such as ophthalmology or otorhinolaryngology diseases, digestive system diseases, respiratory diseases, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases, and patients with more initial symptoms were more likely to develop long COVID. However, there was no significant correlation between taking three or more doses of vaccine and the occurrence of long COVID.

Professor Bian said: “HKBU established the Telemedicine Centre during the COVID-19 outbreak to provide free treatments for COVID-19 patients. We analysed the Centre’s data to deepen the medical community’s understanding of the symptoms during the early and middle stages of COVID-19 infection as well as the post-COVID syndrome. It allows the public to understand the effectiveness of Chinese medicine in treating COVID-19. The study also shows that the tele-services of Chinese medicine can be an important component of Hong Kong’s healthcare and disease prevention system.”

A research led by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has discovered that hyodeoxycholic acid (HDCA), a bile acid generated in human intestine, can reduce fat accumulation and inflammation in the liver, demonstrating its strong therapeutic potential for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The research also found that HDCA’s intervention in NAFLD works by reshaping the population of beneficial gut bacteria, which affects the metabolic interactions between the gut and the liver. The result highlighted the critical role of gut health in liver disease.

The research findings have been published in the renowned scientific journal Cell Metabolism. HKBU researchers will coordinate a phase I and II clinical trial in the Mainland to evaluate the safety and efficacy of HDCA for patients with fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes.

32% of adults suffer from NAFLD

NAFLD is a leading cause of chronic liver disease, characterised by the build-up of excessive fat in liver cells that is not caused by alcohol consumption. Its global prevalence has been increasing over time. A meta-analysis in 2022 estimated that 32% of the adult population is affected by NAFLD. Some people with NAFLD can develop non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, which is marked by liver inflammation and may progress to cirrhosis and liver failure. Currently, there are no therapeutic drugs available for sale on the market for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

A research led by Professor Jia Wei, Acting Dean and Chair Professor in Chinese Medicine and Systems Biology of the School of Chinese Medicine at HKBU, discovered that HDCA offers promising potential as a pharmaceutical intervention for NAFLD. “Our research is a significant stride forward in understanding the pathophysiology of NAFLD, and it offers a potential new avenue for therapeutic intervention,” he said.

Therapeutic effects of HDCA

Professor Jia’s team found that individuals with NAFLD have lower levels of HDCA compared to those without NAFLD. In a cohort consisting of 178 patients with NAFLD and 73 healthy individuals, hyocholic acid species, including HDCA and its major metabolite glycohyodeoxycholic acid, comprises 0.5% of the bile acids in NAFLD patients, which is significantly lower than the 2% in healthy individuals. This observation led the team to explore HDCA’s potential therapeutic role.

A series of controlled experiments were conducted to evaluate the therapeutic effect of HDCA. The team orally fed HDCA to mouse models with NAFLD for eight weeks. The results showed that HDCA markedly reduced excessive lipid droplets, and improved hepatic inflammation, oral glucose tolerance (i.e. the blood glucose level after oral intake of glucose), and insulin sensitivity (i.e. the sensitivity of the body to the effects of insulin which helps the glucose to enter into the cells for use) compared to the control group. The results revealed that HDCA alleviated NAFLD conditions and the risk factors of NAFLD such as type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance.

Interestingly, the researchers found that HDCA did not exert its therapeutic effects on NAFLD by directly targeting liver cells. They evaluated the potential direct effect of HDCA on lipid accumulation in a mouse model. The results showed that lipid accumulation was barely affected by the HDCA. They hypothesised that HDCA induced gut microbiota alterations, which might contribute to the alleviation of NAFLD.

HDCA reshapes gut microbiota

The researchers observed that HDCA could improve the population of beneficial gut bacteria. Parabacteroides distasonis (P. distasonis), a member of the core microbiome in the human gut, sharply increased in the mouse model fed with high-fat food and administered with HDCA, compared with the control group fed with high-fat food only. The results revealed that HDCA provided a favorable environment for the thriving of P. distasonis, which regulates fatty acid metabolism as well as the hepatic bile acid synthesis pathways.

“The study underscores the crucial role of the gut-liver metabolic axis in disease management. We hope that the research findings on HDCA and the clinical trial to be conducted in the Mainland will provide more insights into the treatment of fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis,” said Professor Jia.

Professor Jia has also led a research project investigating the molecular connections between metabolic-associated fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus, with a specific focus on host-gut microbiota interactions. The project has been awarded over HK$7.2 million in research funding from the Theme-based Research Scheme (13th round) under the Research Grants Council.

A study led by researchers from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has demonstrated that a multifunctional organic compound named F-SLOH has the potential to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD) at an early stage. The team found that it can inhibit the aggregation of amyloid-beta (Aβ), and reduce the hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins and neuroinflammation in the brain to improve the pathological features of AD. The findings have been published in the international academic journal Redox Biology.

AD is the most common cause of dementia. It accounts for nearly 65% of dementia cases in elderly Hong Kong Chinese. It is pathologically characterised by the abnormal aggregation of Aβ, the hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins and neuroinflammation in the nerve cells in the brain, which cause progressive neuronal loss and cognitive impairment. Currently there is no cure for AD, and the available medicines can only relieve its symptoms. Inhibiting the abnormal aggregation of Aβ and the hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins is considered the primary and a promising therapeutic approach to treat AD.

F-SLOH as theragnostic agent for AD

In the search for novel therapeutic and diagnostic methods for AD, a research team comprising Professor Li Min, Professor of the Teaching and Research Division and Associate Dean of the School of Chinese Medicine; Professor Ricky Wong Man-shing, Professor of the Department of Chemistry of the Faculty of Science; and Dr Iyaswamy Ashok, Research Assistant Professor of the Teaching and Research Division of the School of Chinese Medicine at HKBU, demonstrated the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of a compound called F-SLOH in reducing the abnormal aggregation of Aβ, the hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins and neuroinflammation in the nerves cells in the brain, thereby improving the learning and memory functions of mice with AD.

F-SLOH is a multi-functional cyanine probe synthesised by a team led by Professor Ricky Wong Man-shing for the detection of biological materials such as proteins and peptides. Its features include real-time visualisation of Aβ aggregation in brains, excellent permeability across the blood-brain barrier and low bio-toxicity. Previous studies showed that F-SLOH could inhibit the abnormal aggregation of Aβ species and provide neuroprotection against neurotoxicity induced by the abnormal aggregation of Aβ in vitro at the cellular level.

F-SLOH improves pathological features in AD mice

To determine the therapeutic efficacy of F-SLOH for AD, the researchers injected or fed F-SLOH to a group of transgenic AD mice. Histopathology and biochemical analyses showed that in mice treated with F-SLOH, Aβ oligomers (one of the Aβ species) and Aβ plaque deposits (the clumps of Aβ) were dramatically reduced in their hippocampus and their brains when compared with the AD mice in the control group who had not been fed F-SLOH.

The researchers also found that F-SLOH can reduce the levels of an amyloid precursor protein that generates Aβ and tau protein hyperphosphorylation. In an immunoblot analysis of the transgenic AD mice brian, the F-SLOH treatment group showed a significant reduction in the levels of the amyloid precursor protein and its metabolites compared to the control group.

In other experiments on the transgenic AD mice after F-SLOH treatment, the researchers separated the soluble and insoluble tau proteins in their brain tissue samples. The results showed that F-SLOH treatment significantly reduced the levels of insoluble tau protein in the brains of AD mice, which forms neurofibrillary tangles, one of the pathological features of AD.

F-SLOH improves memory and cognitive functions in AD mice

Aggregation of Aβ is closely related to the dysfunction of the links between nerve cells and memory decline. The researchers conducted two experiments to test the memory functions of AD mice. In the first experiment, mice were trained to swim in a water maze, reach a platform and remember its position. After the platform was removed, researchers observed whether the mice were able to recall and approach the original position of the platform. Compared to the control group, transgenic AD mice treated with F-SLOH spent more time swimming around the platform’s original position, showing that they can better memorise the platform’s location.

In the second experiment, mice were placed in a chamber and exposed to an audio tone followed by an instant small electric shock to their feet from the floor of the chamber. On the following day, they were put back in the chamber but without any electric shock. When the mice were exposed to the same audio tone, they “froze” their body movements due to the fear of an electric shock. The transgenic AD mice treated with F-SLOH exhibited a longer freezing time than that of the control group.

The results of the two experiments showed that AD mice treated with F-SLOH have better memories compared to the control group, suggesting that F-SLOH improved AD mice’s memory and cognitive functions.

F-SLOH shows early potential for treating AD

The researchers also revealed that F-SLOH degraded the abnormal aggregation of Aβ and reduced the levels of tau protein hyperphosphorylation, the amyloid precursor protein and its metabolites through the activation of the transcription factor EB. Transcription factor EB is the main regulator of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway, a major mechanism for degrading ageing intracellular macromolecular proteins, including the intracellular metabolites such as Aβ aggregates.

Professor Li Min said: “AD patients lose their self-management abilities and require long-term care as the disease progresses. As the population is ageing in Hong Kong, the prevalence of AD is likely to increase. There is an urgent need to develop new drugs that can treat or slow down the progression of AD. The current study suggests that the compound F-SLOH has promising theragnostic potential for treating AD at an early stage.”

Professor Ricky Wong Man-shing said: “The study provides the first in vivo evidence that F-SLOH is an effective agent that can target and treat multiple neurodegenerative changes in an AD mouse model. The research findings can drive advancements in AD diagnosis and treatment in humans.”

To further augment human creativity in the world of arts, Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) will establish the School of Creative Arts with effect from 1 July with a revitalised vision to nurture the next generation of creative talent for Hong Kong, and contribute to the city’s development as a creative arts hub for China and the world.

Professor Alexander Wai, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKBU, said: “Recent advancements in digital technology have opened up new avenues in the world of arts. On top of this, the Government’s Policy Address in 2021 expressed its vision to position Hong Kong as Asia’s city of culture and creativity. The National 14th Five-Year Plan also raised the level of support for Hong Kong to help it develop into a hub for arts and cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

“By capitalising on the new opportunities and the latest technological advancements, and with the synergies created by the establishment of the School of Creative Arts, the University will take the development of the creative arts to a higher level, and set new standards for future teaching and research.”

The School of Creative Arts will be comprised of three constituent academic units, namely the Academy of Film, Academy of Music and Academy of Visual Arts. By integrating related talent and resources of the University, it will be a place where great minds in the creative arts and technology can meet, and it will provide HKBU with a strong platform to advance the arts and culture, as well as art-tech, in Hong Kong and the region.

Professor Johnny ML Poon, Associate Vice-President (Interdisciplinary Research) and Dr Hung Hin Shiu Endowed Professor in Music at HKBU, has been appointed as the School’s Founding Dean.

“The School of Creative Arts is well poised to disrupt creative practice and art education in film, music and visual arts. Certain aspects of the world of arts – namely, its creative genealogy and methodology – require a radical rethink. A new framework of education and research is needed for artists to ‘think’ about futurity.

“Inspired by Abraham Lincoln’s famous quote ‘the best way to predict your future is to create it’, the new school, rooted in HKBU’s liberal arts ethos and transdisciplinary inquiries, aims to interrogate the infinite acts of human creativity, reassess the different roles of the arts in our time, and create new artistic opportunities for the future,” said Professor Poon.

The School of Creative Arts attaches great importance to transdisciplinary teaching and learning to nurture future-ready talent for Hong Kong and the nation who can innovate solutions and tackle the challenges of the times through ideation that transcends the boundaries of disciplines. On top of the existing programmes offered by the University in the disciplines of acting, film, music and visual arts, two new transdisciplinary programmes, namely the Bachelor of Arts and Science (Hons) in Arts and Technology and the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business Administration (Global Entertainment), will be launched by the University in the 2022/23 academic year, and they will be housed in the School.

In terms of research and professional development, the integrated talent pool of the School of Creative Arts, which comprises experts from different arts disciplines, can facilitate broader collaboration with local and overseas universities, research institutions, government departments, professional bodies and industries.

Furthermore, the School’s capacity to fuel the development of the creative arts will be substantially strengthened with the expected completion of the Jockey Club Campus of Creativity in 2024, which will feature state-of-the-art facilities for a comprehensive range of creative arts disciplines.

With the School’s strengthened focus on the development of the creative arts for the future and the synergies created by the strategic realignment of its resources, it is expected that the University’s knowledge output in the creative arts and its impact can be maximised, enabling HKBU to become the research and education hub for the creative arts, culture and related industries in Hong Kong for China and the world.

Biologists from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) have discovered in Hong Kong waters three new species of hard coral which have never been identified anywhere else in the world. The findings come shortly after their discovery of one new coral and two new nudibranch species, which was announced last year under their research project on coral health in Hong Kong.

The new marine species were identified by Professor Qiu Jianwen and MPhil student Mr Yiu King-fung of HKBU’s Department of Biology. The descriptions of the new corals have been accepted for publication in the academic journal Zoological Studies.

New species found during coral health research

About eight years ago, Professor Qiu and his team started a series of research projects related to coral health in Hong Kong, including studies on the impact of coral bioeroding sea urchins and coral-eating nudibranchs, as well as coral bleaching caused by global warming. A coral facility was set up at HKBU to culture corals and conduct controlled experiments to examine their physiological changes under different culture conditions. With continuous field surveys and in-depth research, the team has revealed the high diversity of sun corals in Hong Kong waters.

The three new sun coral species discovered this time were named by the HKBU team as Tubastraea dendroida, Tubastraea chloromura and Tubastraea violacea, and they all belong to the genus Tubastraea. The samples were collected when the team surveyed coral-eating nudibranchs at Sung Kong and Waglan Island in the eastern waters of Hong Kong. With the addition of three new members, the number of known species in the Tubastraea genus has increased from seven to ten.

The features of the three new sun coral species are as follows:

Tubastraea dendroida

Similar to most sun corals, Tubastraea dendroida has a typical bright orange colour, but its shape is rather unique. Instead of growing in clumps like most of its related species, this new species has a tree-like structure, with the main stem of its colony attenuating from the base to the tip. The HKBU team therefore named it “dendroida” to reflect its tree-shaped body.

Tubastraea violacea

Covered with a thin layer of pale purple tissue on the corallites (skeletal cups), Tubastraea violacea stands out from other related sun coral species as its polyp wall tissues and skeleton are violet in colour, and it has been named “violacea” accordingly. Nevertheless, its tentacles are yellow and the corallites have a thick wall. Based on comparisons with DNA sequences in public databases, the team found that this species may have colour variants elsewhere, such as a yellow colour variant in New Caledonia in the South Pacific.

Tubastraea chloromura

This coral has a delicate olive green skeletal wall and a circle of yellow tentacles surrounding its mouth. As a result, the species has been named “chloromura”, with “chloro” and “murus” meaning “green” and “wall”, respectively.

From coral gene sequences recorded in public databases, HKBU biologists envisage the potential distribution of Tubastraea dendroida and Tubastraea violacea in Japan and the Western Pacific Ocean. However, at this stage, Tubastraea chloromura is only known to inhabit Hong Kong waters.

All of these three coral species are non-reef-building corals. They do not host symbiotic algae that produce nutrients and energy via photosynthesis. Living in deeper waters at depths of between 10 and 30 metres, they gain energy and nutrients by capturing zooplankton from seawater using their tentacles.

New species discoveries suggest rich biodiversity

“Our discovery of three new species of Tubastraea enhances our knowledge of the diversity of this sun coral genus. Given that corals are one of the best-studied marine animals, our study reveals how little we know about marine diversity, and how many undescribed species are still awaiting our discovery,” said Professor Qiu.

Identification of the three new coral species comes less than a year after Professor Qiu and his team announced their last discovery in October 2021. While implementing a project supported by the Environment and Conservation Fund to assess the diversity and impact of coral-eating nudibranchs, the team discovered a new sun coral species in the genus Tubastraea and two new species of nudibranchs in the genus Phestilla in Hong Kong waters.

Looking back, the last time a new hard coral species was discovered and named in Hong Kong was about 20 years ago. “The discovery is very encouraging as it provides strong evidence of the high marine biodiversity in Hong Kong waters, and it helps fill in the knowledge gaps in biodiversity as advocated in the Government’s Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. It also inspires us to further explore the diversity of marine animals, study their functions and ecosystem services, and protect them from potential human disturbances,” Professor Qiu added.