Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia that affects patients' memory, thinking, and behaviours. The primary cause of Alzheimer's disease is the production of a misfolded protein — beta-amyloid — in the neuron, leading to inflammation in the brain and neuron cell death. Medications only facilitate temporary cognitive retrieval for patients but fail to stop the disease progression.
Prof. Gary Tse, Associate Dean (Innovations and Research) of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, has co-led a cross-university, multi-disciplinary, international research team with his collaborators to conduct a medical research. By combining innovative nanotechnology and gene therapy, the research team has developed a novel approach using small interfering RNA (siRNA) to inhibit the production and accumulation of beta-amyloid proteins in the patient's brain, thereby slowing down the progression of the disease.
To ensure safe and effective delivery of the therapeutic siRNA to the brain cells, the research team has explored a novel nanotechnology approach using lipid nanoparticles, which are designed to penetrate and cross the blood-brain barrier, while evading attack from the patient's immune system. This allows the siRNA drug to enter the brain cells more stably and exert its therapeutic effects.
Apart from HKMU, the research team includes scholars from City University of Hong Kong, The University of Hong Kong, University of Cambridge's School of Clinical Medicine, Imperial College London, University College London, National University of Singapore and Queen Mary Hospital of Hong Kong. The team members have backgrounds in fields such as basic and clinical sciences, medicine and bioinformatics. “The HKMU team plays a major role in the rational design of siRNA candidates that could be used to target the BACE1 gene, an enzyme that catalyses the cleavage of amyloid precursor protein, leading to the production of beta-amyloid,” says Prof. Tse.
As one of the leading parties, HKMU contributes to the research project in areas of scientific leadership, strategy, and execution. Prof. Tse continues, “By targeting the root cause of the disease through siRNA gene therapy, we believe that there is new-found hope for patients and their families worldwide.”
