The University of Hong Kong

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 12, 2025 -- Lithium is associated with an increased risk for thyroid dysfunction and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with incident bipolar disorder (BD), according to a study published online Feb. 11 in JAMA Network Open . Joe Kwun Nam Chan, Ph.D., from the University of Hong Kong, and colleagues examined the risk for thyroid and kidney dysfunction in patients aged 15 years or older with incident BD treated with lithium and other mood stabilizers and antipsychotics in an Asian population in Hong Kong. Overall, 4,752, 4,500, and 7,029 individuals had analyzable data for hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism , and CKD, respectively. The researchers found that compared with nonlithium treatments, lithium was associated with an increased risk for hypothyroidism and CKD3+ (adjusted hazard ratios, 2.00 and 1.35, respectively), but not with CKD4+ or end-stage kidney disease. Elevated rates of hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and CKD3+ were seen in association with higher lithium serum levels (adjusted hazard ratios, 2.08, 1.81, and 2.11, respectively). There was an association seen for a greater number of lithium toxicity episodes with increased CKD3+ risk. Compared with lithium, valproate, olanzapine, quetiapine, and risperidone generally exhibited a lower likelihood of thyroid dysfunction and CKD3+, with no difference in advanced CKD. Mean lithium serum levels >0.5028, >0.5034, and >0.5865 mEq/L represented thresholds associated with hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and CKD3+, respectively. "Our findings further identified thresholds of lithium serum levels associated with thyroid and kidney abnormalities, thereby providing empirical evidence to inform clinical guidelines on recommending lithium treatment that balances the efficacy and safety," the authors write. Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries. Abstract/Full Text Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

DURHAM, N.C. & SEATTLE--( BUSINESS WIRE )--Leading epigenetic therapy company Tune Therapeutics announced today that it will begin a clinical trial in Hong Kong after receiving a Certificate for Clinical Trial from the Hong Kong Department of Health. This marks the second global approval to commence a Phase 1b clinical trial for Tune-401, an investigational epigenetic silencing therapy designed to treat chronic hepatitis B (CHB). “We’re taking a fresh angle on the battle against chronic hepatitis B,” said Derek Jantz, Chief Scientific Officer at Tune Therapeutics. “Current standard-of-care treatments are rarely curative due to the virus mechanism of infection. But by employing epigenetic silencing to target both integrated viral DNA and cccDNA, we are replicating the natural processes observed in spontaneous functional cure and aiming to make that outcome the norm in HBV treatment.” The Hong Kong trial will be led by Professor Man-Fung Yuen – world-renowned hepatologist and Chair Professor of The University of Hong Kong and the Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. With a career spanning 30 years and over 600 published papers, Dr Yuen’s pioneering research has significantly advanced our understanding of chronic hepatitis B and liver cancer treatment in Asia and worldwide. “Over 257 million people are still living with chronic hepatitis B, and worldwide the disease disproportionately impacts Asian and Pacific Islander populations,” explains Dr. Yuen. “While early screening and detection is still paramount, this novel epigenetic silencing approach offers new hope for clinicians, and could make a major impact in these patient groups in particular.” According to the World Health Organization , the burden of Hepatitis infection is highest in the Western Pacific Region – including China, Japan, Cambodia, New Zealand, and Australia. With a parallel clinical trial occurring in Auckland, New Zealand, Tune is focusing on countries that would see the most immediate impact and benefit from a new HBV treatment paradigm. Tune shared encouraging preclinical data in November 2024 demonstrating Tune-401’s ability to repress both cccDNA and integrated DNA in target cells and animal models. About Tune Therapeutics Armed with its powerful and innovative genetic tuning platform (TEMPO), Tune Therapeutics aims to bring gene, cell, and regenerative therapies into a new era of human medicine – expanding their range of application to common, chronic, and age-related diseases that are straining healthcare systems and limiting human healthspan on a global scale. About Tune-401 Tune-401 is a first-in-class investigational product candidate for treating Hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Tune-401 utilizes the company’s versatile, modular TEMPO platform to epigenetically silence viral HBV intDNA and cccDNA necessary for sustained HBV infection. Lipid nanoparticle technology for Tune-401 has been provided by Acuitas Therapeutics Inc.

The University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Dentistry has launched a community-based programme to detect oral health diseases among the elderly using mobile AI. WHAT IT'S ABOUT The Dental AI Community Care Project features an AI-powered mobile application for detecting gum inflammation. It will train community volunteers, comprising dental students and community residents, to provide personalised advice on oral care backed by GumAI, a technology developed by a team of university researchers in China and Malaysia. The mobile application presents gum analysis results in colours to easily identify potential oral issues: red for poor oral health, yellow indicates caution, and green shows good health. HKU Dentistry aims to expand the project, which currently runs for an initial three months, across the 18 districts of Hong Kong. The project is backed by an elderly-focused trade union and a support organisation; it also received support from law and district officials. WHY IT MATTERS Over a decade-old government survey noted that nearly nine in 10 seniors in the city had signs of gum disease or periodontitis while almost half of the elderly had untreated dental caries. Hong Kong seniors have increasingly accessed dental services over the past decade with the utilisation rate at 37% based on the latest government statistics in 2019. The Research Office of Hong Kong's Legislative Council Secretariat attributed this to the government's effort to increase service accessibility, including free dental care for seniors receiving long-term or day care services. However, dental services remain limited, partly due to the low availability of dental professionals – approximately 3.7 dentists serve every 10,000 residents in the city. THE LARGER TREND In June last year, HKU Dentistry announced its research demonstrating AI's detection of gum inflammation or gingivitis in intraoral images of over 500 individuals. Findings, which were published in the World Dental Federation's International Dental Journal, showed that the AI detected redness, swelling, and bleeding along the gum margin with over 90% accuracy. HKU Dentistry researchers collaborated with those from Hong Kong Chu Hai College in Hong Kong, China's Guangdong University of Technology, and the National University of Malaysia for this study. Beyond oral care, another research team from HKU Dentistry also developed a generative AI model for designing dental crowns. Their novel approach, called 3D-DCGAN (3D-Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network), acquaints AI with good designs of natural and healthy dentitions. "During the training process, natural teeth morphological features were learned by the algorithm, so that it can design dental crowns comparable to a natural tooth — both morphologically and functionally," co-research investigator Dr Hao Ding explained. The research sought to address the limitations of current computer-aided design and manufacturing digital workflows, particularly considering labour and time.