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Programme(s) to which this project applies: |
| ☑ MPhil/PhD | ☒ MRes[Med] | ☒ URIS |
About the Project
Interoception is a newly emergent area, indicating that CNS can control the internal state of human body. In fact, the skeletal system has abundant sensory and sympathetic innervations that connect bones with the CNS. We first discover that new bone formation can be triggered by this specific pathway through the direct injection of metal ions (e.g., copper, magnesium and zinc) to the injured bone.
We identified that the inflammatory cytokines secreted from macrophages upon the stimulation of metal ions, particularly prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), serve as inflammatory cues to activate the sensory nerves in bony tissue. When these afferent nerves sense the inflammatory cues in PGE2 receptor 4, they can then convey the interoceptive signals to the CNS. These signals will be processed in the brain and loop back to the injured bone for healing through the sympathetic nervous system.
The discovery of the skeletal interoceptive circuit in bone healing process offers us a new treatment strategy on many challenging cases clinically, such as severe bone fracture, osteoporosis and heterotopic ossification found in some brain injury patients. Compared with the conventional therapeutic agents, the approach of using direct metal ion injection in bone tissue is a promising and cost-effective alternative. The immune-neural axis described in this study can also inspire the development of next-generation of implantable biomaterials that can better harness the healing power of various metal cations.
About the Supervisor
Professor KWK Yeung, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology
Professor Kelvin Yeung, who has been endowed by Ng Chun-Man Professorship in Orthopaedic Bioengineering, serves as a tenured full professor, chief of the research division, and departmental research and postgraduate advisor in the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine (HKUMed), at The University of Hong Kong. He is a renowned orthopedic biomaterial researcher, focusing on antibacterial coatings, 3D bio-printing, and musculoskeletal tissue engineering. His impressive h-index (Scopus) is 83, with over 25,000 citations and 91 (Google Scholar) with 29,000 citations and an i10-index of 271. He has been recognized as one of the Highly Cited Researchers 2023 and 2024 (cross-field), Highly Ranked Scholar 2022 (Prior Five Years) in the field of Medicine by ScholarGPS (Global ranking: #7 in Biomaterial; #14 in Antibacterial activity; #16 in Orthopaedic Surgery), Top Cited Scholar 2024, ranking among the Top 1% Scholars Worldwide in the field of biomaterials by Clarivate Analytics' Essential Science Indicators (ESI) and among the World's Top 2% Scientists in standardized citation indicators (Biomedical Engineering) since 2014. In 2024, he ranked #1845 globally and #483 in China under the category of materials science (Research.com). In 2024, he was elected as a Lifetime Fellow of the International Association of Advanced Materials.
Next Step?
For more information or to express interest for this project, please email the supervisor or the specified contact point in the project description. Interested candidates are advised to enclose with your email:
- your CV,
- a brief description of your research interest and experience, and
- two reference letters (not required for HKUMed UG students seeking MRes[Med]/URIS projects).
Information on the research programme, funding support and admission documentations could be referenced online at the Research Postgraduate Admissions website. General admission enquiries should be directed to rpgmed@hku.hk.
HKUMed MBBS students interested in the Master of Research in Medicine (MRes[Med]) programme may visit the programme website for more information.
HKUMed UG students interested in the Undergraduate Research Internship Scheme (URIS) may visit the scheme’s website for more information.
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