Prof. Li Min and her research team from Mr. and Mrs. Ko Chi Ming Centre for Parkinson's Disease Research (CPDR), School of Chinese Medicine (SCM), Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) has recently won the Best Poster Award at the 7th International Symposium on Autophagy held from 19 to 23 March, 2015 in Huangshan, China. Developed from the research of the team, the poster of Dr. Song Juxian, Research Assistant Professor, entitled “A synthesized curcumin derivative activates TFEB to promote autophagy and lysosome biogenesis and protect neurons independent of mTOR inhibition” was one of the two best posters selected from about 100 posters.

Autophagy is a highly conserved homeostatic pathway by which cells transport damaged proteins and organelles to lysosomes for degradation. Prof. Li’s team has been actively engaged in the identification and development of novel autophagy regulators derived from Chinese medicines for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Transcription factor EB (TFEB), a master regulator of autophagy and lysosome biogenesis, has been shown to be a very promising drug target for neuroprotection. Prof. Li said, “We have discovered a small molecule activator of TFEB, which is independent of mTOR inhibition.  The discovery points towards the development of new drugs for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.  The award testifies to the hard and good work of SCM in the field of autophagy, neurodegenerative diseases and drug discovery at the international advanced level.”

Prof. Li Min (third from right) with the three members of her research team, Ms. Chen Leilei(left), Dr. Song Juxian (second from left) and Mr. Liu Liangfeng (right), from SCM of HKBU, received the Best Poster Award at 7th International Symposium on Autophagy.

Dr. Song Juxian (right) received the Best Poster Award at the 7th International Symposium on Autophagy.