Nanoscale is the appropriate length scale for mediating cell-material interactions and for trafficking intracellular paths. Our lab has been using peptides and polymers to design synthetic building blocks that assemble into nano-sized drug and gene carriers. Controlling the nanostructure, engineering the surface functionality and understanding intracellular delivery are critical to develop efficient nanomedicine. To this purpose, our lab has been focusing on:
MEMBRANELESS ORGANELLE
Membraneless organelles are liquid compartments that act as mini-biochemical reactors in the living cell. Driven by liquid-liquid phase separation, they are largely composed of intrinsically disordered proteins harboring low-complexity domains, thus representing a universal paradigm of intracellular biomolecules organization distinctive from lipid bilayer membrane-delimited organelles. Weak, dynamic and multivalent interactions were revealed as
prevalent molecular interactions in the context of membraneless organelles formation. Taking inspiration from the nature, we aim to take a bottom-up approach to reconstruct intrinsically disordered protein-mimetic macromolecules.
prevalent molecular interactions in the context of membraneless organelles formation. Taking inspiration from the nature, we aim to take a bottom-up approach to reconstruct intrinsically disordered protein-mimetic macromolecules.
The immune system is able to identify and eliminate tumours. This is because the cancer cells express antigens that can be recognized by the antigen presenting cells to induce downstream immune responses. Nonetheless, some tumours evolve to evade the immune system and become malignant. Cancer immunotherapy thus represents an exciting new paradigm in treating late-stage metastatic cancers. It reprimes the body’s immune system to combat cancer by stimulating vast array of immune cells to detect, activate and eliminate cancer cells. However, the induction of the immune system may result in adverse events such as autoimmune toxicity. Walking a fine line between under- and over-activation of the immune system, our laboratory aims to develop safe and robust platforms using hydrogel and nanoparticles to reprogram the immune cells to recognize the cancer antigens, as well as to induce maturation and activation for downstream elimination of cancer cells.
Visual impairment is common in Hong Kong, affecting 2.4% of total population in 2014. Diseases affecting the anterior and posterior segments of the eye, such as keratoconus, corneal neovascularization, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration are the leading causes of visual disability. Because of the anatomical and dynamic barriers in accessing the tissues in the eye, invasive methods involving injections and surgery are the current clinical practice for drug administration. The threats of complications plus the opportunities arising from the increasing number of protein therapeutics available for treating eye diseases demand better options for ocular drug delivery. We have been developing innovative approaches for safe and efficient ocular drug delivery, the areas include: