Our Research Projects

Our research focuses on a wide range of topics, including understanding of disease mechanisms and the development of novel treatment for human diseases, through the uses of innovative, cutting-edge technologies.

Development of colon-targeted delivery system for colon cancer

Examples of Novel Drug Delivery Systems for Colon Cancer Treatment (Created by Biorender.com)

Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the top most commonly diagnosed cancers according to the World Health Organisation. The global burden of CRC is expected to increase by 60% to more than 2.2 million new cases and 1.1 million deaths by 2030. Current management of CRC include the use of chemotherapy drugs, such as fluorouracil or irinotecan, and radiotherapy. However, these standard treatments often incur high cost and cause various side effects and organ toxicities resulting in a lower quality of life for patients. As such, there is an urgent need to develop less costly alternatives to chemotherapy.

This theme focuses on the design of colon-targeted delivery system and evaluation of the anti-cancer potential of the novel drug system through the uses of different analytical, cellular and molecular techniques in experimental models – including cell culture and in vivo models.

Exploring the potential of natural compounds as cancer therapeutics

Dietary components are increasingly recognized to play various beneficial roles beyond basic nutrition, resulting in the development of the functional food concepts. Various dietary modifiers, including the consumption of live bacteria (probiotics) and ingestible food constituents such as prebiotics, as well as polyphenols or synbiotics (combinations of probiotics and prebiotics) are the most well characterized dietary bioactive compounds and have been demonstrated to beneficially impact the gut health and the overall well-being of the host.

Recently, our laboratory together with my collaborator’s research team at the University of Hong Kong has discovered an entirely new approach for colon cancer therapy, using a polyphenol Schisandrin B from a traditional Chinese medicinal herb Schisandra chinensis (also known as “Five-flavored berry”). With the use of molecular and RNAseq approaches, we discovered the important role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathways in affecting cell apoptosis caused by Schisandrin B treatment. While chemotherapy remains the mainstay of current colorectal cancer treatment, it often incurs high medical cost, and drug resistance is a significant obstacle for successful treatment, resulting in low response rates and decreased survival. Therefore, a critical need is to identify promising therapeutic molecules and understand their mechanisms of action against colorectal cancer for the further development of potential drugs associated with a favorable clinical outcome.

Exploring the Uses of Dietary Compounds as Novel Cancer Treatment (Created by Biorender.com)

Investigating immunological potential of molecules excreted by bacteria and their therapeutic effects in human diseases

Investigating Therapeutic Potential of Bacterial Derived Extracellular Vesicles

(Created by Biorender.com)

In recent years, several studies have shown that bacteria secrete extracellular vesicles (EVs) which play an important role in intercellular communication, host-pathogen interactions, and immune modulation.

Evidence has shown that bacterial EVs can have an immunomodulatory effect on host immune cells. They can suppress or activate immune responses depending on the type of bacteria and the host's immune status.

Understanding the mechanisms behind the immunomodulatory effect of bacterial EVs is crucial for the development of new therapies for infectious and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, this theme aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying the immunomodulatory effect of bacterial EVs and explore the therapeutic potential of bacterial EVs on immune cells and/or mouse models of human diseases.

Role of gut microbiota in health and diseases

The gut microbiota refers to the diverse community of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes, that reside in the gastrointestinal tract. These microbes have a symbiotic relationship with the human body and influence various physiological processes. The gut microbiota's intricate relationship with human health and diseases continues to be an area of active research.

This research theme aims to understand in what ways the gut microbiota help us maintain a healthy state, and the changes that occur that lead to disease. With this more mechanistic understanding of the links between gut microbes and health, we will be able to develop more effective, targeted and timely interventions to maintain health and tackle human diseases including cancer, infectious diseases and dementia.