31 May 2010

While Influenza A remains a significant public health challenge, the rising of antiviral resistance in influenza virus making many drugs not working well leads to a even bigger threat to mankind. A research team at The University of Hong Kong achieved a groundbreaking discovery that an important viral structural protein, influenza nucleoprotein (NP), can be used as a target to kill influenza virus (including H1N1, H3N2 and H5N1). This is the first time that the research work from HKSAR led by local researchers is published in Nature Biotechnology, the top journal in this field, recognizing the capability and potential of Hong Kong as a key contributor in biotechnology and drug discovery.

One of the key researchers of the team, Professor Yuen Kwok-yung, Henry Fok Professor in Infectious Diseases, Head of the Department of Microbiology, HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine says, “From conceiving the idea, designing the study, to carrying out the experiments, almost everything is done here in Hong Kong by local researchers. It shows that HK has the capability to develop and lead world-class basic science research. The research is not a surveillance type of work but a conceptual breakthrough, we are truly proud of it.”

“For many years people in the pharmaceutical industry have been focusing on developing drugs against the neuraminidase of the influenza virus but resistance to neuraminidase inhibitors is spreading fast. With the identification of the viral nucleoprotein as a new drug target, we have now brand-new weapons to combat influenza virus resistant to neuraminidase inhibitors such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza).” Added Dr Richard Kao Yi-tsun, Assistant Professor of the Department of Microbiology, HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, another key scientist of the team.

Background of the study:

Influenza A remains a significant public health challenge because of the emergence of antigenically shifted or highly virulent strains. Antiviral resistance to available drugs such as adamantanes or neuraminidase inhibitors has appeared rapidly, creating a need for new antiviral targets and new drugs for influenza virus infections.

Key findings:

Influenza nucleoprotein (NP) is an important influenza virus protein that has many important functions, from leading the viral genome into the cell nucleus, assisting viral transcription and genome replication, to facilitating viral genome assembly. Using forward chemical genetics, the HKU team has identified and validated influenza A NP as a new druggable target and found a small chemical compound, “nucleozin”, which can aggregate the nucleoprotein and stop its transport into the nucleus. This nullifies the functions of NP and makes “nucleozin” highly potent in cell culture and also in mice infected with the highly pathogenic influenza virus H5N1. Therefore, “nucleozin” can be further developed into drugs to treat influenza.

About Nature Biotechnology:

Nature Biotechnology is an international monthly journal of the Nature Publishing Group, covering the science and business of biotechnology. According to the 2008 Journal Citation Report (Thomson Reuters, 2009), the impact factor of Nature Biotechnology is as high as 22.297, reflecting that it is one of the most frequently cited and influential research journals in the field.

About the HKU Research Team:

The research is led by Professor Yuen Kwok-yung and Dr Richard Kao Yi-tsun of the Department of Microbiology, HKU Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine. Other researchers in the HKU team include academics coming from various disciplines at HKU such as the Research Center of Infection and Immunology; the Hong Kong State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases; the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Biochemistry.

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