HK student wins Webster Jee award for bone, joint diseases research

Hong Kong Baptist University said on Tuesday that its PhD student Liang Chao was presented the Webster Jee Young Investigator Award for his outstanding research on bone and joint diseases.

Liang, who is studying in the university's School of Chinese Medicine, presented his award-winning paper at the International Chinese Musculoskeletal Research Society -- Orthopaedic Research Society membership meeting in late March.

The paper, entitled "Aptamer-functionalized delivery system for osteogenic siRNAs to achieve osteoblast-specific RNA interference for bone anabolic therapy," introduced an aptamer-functionalized lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) delivery system to achieve accumulation of osteogenic siRNAs in osteoblasts which promotes bone formation in animal models with established osteoporosis.

This study is expected to contribute to a better understanding of cellular level delivery of osteogenic siRNAs and clinical translation of RNA interference strategy in skeletal metabolic disease with impaired bone formation.

The Webster Jee Young Investigator Award is presented at the meetings of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, Orthopaedic Research Society or the International Conference on Osteoporosis and Bone Research with the aim of recognizing the achievement of young outstanding researchers. Endi