Prof. Li Min’s research team won the silver medal at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva

May 06, 2024

The International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva is a grand event in the academic world every year, and winning awards is an affirmation for scholars. Professor Li Min, the Executive Associate Dean of School of Chinese Medicine (SCM), Ma Pak Leung Endowed Professor in Innovative Neuromedicine and the Director of Mr. & Mrs. Ko Chi Ming Centre for Parkinson's Disease Research (CPDR), and her research team won the silver medal at the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, held from April 17 to 21, 2024. They disclosed a composition comprising an autophagy enhancement compound and small molecules that are able to enhance autophagy and lysosome biogenesis by activating the gene TFEB which can prevent the accumulation of toxic protein aggregates for treating neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases. This invention is a compound having simple chemical structure which can be easily synthesized on a large scale and the compound that directly binds to and activates TFEB without inhibiting MTOR pathway thus eliminating possible MTOR-associated complications. Prof. Li and her team also discovered a method for treating lysosomal storage disorders and diseases that can benefit from autophagy induction, including but not limited to neurodegenerative disorders, immunological diseases, cardiac diseases and cancer. This invention brings hope to neuroscience and clinical medicine, with the potential to be developed into drug providing patients with more effective treatment methods.



CPDR0.JPG