Interviews with Faculty Researchers

– Interview with Prof. Wong Ka-leung, Gary
Chair Professor of Chemistry, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology

In the realm of biomedical research, the development of advanced imaging agents stands as a cornerstone in modern healthcare. Prof. Gary Wong leads efforts to modify existing properties of rare-earth materials and forge new radiocontrast agents tailored for diverse medical applications.

Comparatively, luminescent rare-earth materials offer distinct advantages over traditional organic fluorophores. Their sharper emission peaks and significantly longer luminescence lifetimes afford superior resolution and enable background noise reduction through time-resolved detection techniques.

Furthermore, rare-earth-based materials hold promise in revolutionizing healthcare practices, particularly in detecting diseases earlier and improving treatment efficacy. Prof. Wong highlights their potential as theranostic platforms for brain diseases, leveraging unique properties to overcome challenges such as blood-brain barrier permeability and facilitating advanced imaging and therapeutic strategies.

Prof. Wong's research on the functional design of rare-earth-based materials for biomedical purposes emphasizes several key aspects, elucidating the paramount importance of stability. This concern resonates deeply with researchers and end-users alike, driving the need not only to enhance material functionality but also to ensure safety through collaboration and the integration of diverse technologies.

His research also focuses on structural control, a critical factor in enhancing the stability, biocompatibility and targeting capabilities of luminescent rare-earth materials. He underscores the pivotal role of chelator structure in influencing biological performance, advocating for the use of more rigid chelators and specific peptides to enhance stability and imbue targeting capabilities into their products.

In enhancing luminescent rare-earth materials, Prof. Wong strategizes to optimize luminescent quantum yield and brightness, emphasizing the importance of minimizing non-radiative processes and introducing structural modifications like conjugated rings. This facilitates clearer imaging and precise diagnosis, spanning applications in bioimaging, drug delivery, and disease detection, enabling enhanced diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes.

Looking ahead, Prof. Wong's research extends beyond pre-clinical efforts to develop novel radiocontrast agents with varied emission kinetics, catering to uses such as cancer therapy. Additionally, his team aims to develop agents capable of interfacing with different materials, expanding their utility across diverse medical contexts, including applications in gene therapy.

利用稀土研發用於生物醫學與治療的顯影劑

– 黃嘉良教授專訪
應用生物及化學科技學系化學講座教授

在生物醫學研究界別裡，顯影劑在現代醫療佔有一席之位。黃嘉良教授致力研究如何改良現有稀土物質的特性，以具針對性地研發出用於不同醫學用途的顯影劑。

對於傳統有機螢光物質，發光稀土物質在醫學應用上有較明顯的優勢。它們擁有更卓越的顯影效果、更長的發光時間，分辨率更高，在使用時間解析技術進行檢測時更能大幅減低其影像背景雜訊。

另外，稀土顯影劑有助更早發現疾病，在醫療應用方面擁有巨大的潛力。黃教授認為，經過改良的稀土顯影劑可用作檢測諸如血腦屏障通透性等以往難以及早檢測的疾病，因此能間接推動更多先進影像技術和治療方法的出現。

黃教授亦一直研究如何改良稀土顯影劑的功能性，並集中在不同範疇，但焦點仍離不開其穩定性——他十分明白，對於研究人員和用家而言，顯影劑的穩定性十分重要，因此需要和不同學科合作以利用不同技術來確保顯影劑能安全地應用於醫學用途。

此外，黃教授亦致力研究改良稀土的物質結構，這對於顯影劑的穩定性、生物兼容性和擁有更具針對性的功能方面皆極為重要。他發現螯合結構能大幅提升稀土顯影劑的生物性能，因此提倡使用更強效的螯合物和具有特定作用的肽來增強穩定性，以令稀土顯影劑的作用更具針對性。

在改良稀土物質的發光特質方面，黃教授以最低程度對物質分子進行非幅射過程改造，以及引入如共軛環等結構，皆能提高其發光量子產率和亮度，有助提高影像的清晰度及診斷的精確度，應用範圍涵蓋生物影像學、藥物傳遞和疾病檢測等。

展望未來，除了臨床研究之外，黃教授亦會研發具有不同發光能力的新型顯影劑，以及能夠與其他不同物質發揮交互作用的顯影劑，以擴大其功能和醫學應用範疇，包括應用於基因治療。