Dr Yu Yuanyuan

Research Assistant Professor, Teaching and Research Division

1. Prof Bian Zhaoxiang

Associate Vice-President (Chinese Medicine Development)

2. Prof Daniel Lai

Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences & Chair Professor of Social Work

3. Prof Shirley Hung Suet Lin

Head & Professor, Department of Social Work

4. Mr Cheung Chun Hoi

Assistant Professor of Practice, Clinical Division, School of Chinese Medicine

5. Communication and Public Relations Office
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Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), also known as brittle bone disease, is a rare hereditary bone disease with no effective drugs for treatment. It affects 6 to 7 in 100 thousand people worldwide.  Dr Yu and her team have firstly found that sclerostin loop3 participates in inhibiting bone formation, but not in protecting cardiovascular system. It guides drug discovery direction to address the clinic challenge (a cardiovascular safety concern) of the marked sclerostin antibody in osteoporosis treatment. Further, Dr Yu and her team have identified an oligonucleotide aptamer drug (Apc001) functionally targeting sclerostin loop 3 (the second generation of sclerostin inhibitor) to promote bone formation with low cardiovascular concern for bone anabolic therapy in osteoporosis and osteogenesis imperfect animal models. The therapeutic aptamer Apc001 has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by US FDA (FDA, DRU-2019-6966) in 2019. This is the first drug in Hong Kong and the first aptamer drug in China being granted “orphan drug” designation by FDA.