Multiple professor teams at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) Promoting new coronavirus drug development

The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) established the School of Life and Health Sciences in November 2018. In January 2019, it announced the establishment of a medical school with the Shenzhen Municipal Government and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "Not long after our work started, this new coronavirus appeared, indicating that scientific research on infectious diseases cannot be ceased for a day," said Professor Ye Dequan, dean of the School of Life and Health Sciences. Professor Ye studied medicine in his early years, and went abroad to study shortly after graduation. After receiving his doctorate, he worked in the United States for more than 20 years and returned to China in 2010.

Professor Dequan Ye, Dean of School of Life and Health Sciences

"For many years, one of my research projects has been how to prevent a range of injuries caused by lung infections. Respiratory virus infections can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome and secondary bacterial infections, and in multiple cases lead to multiple organ failure. Blood vessels Internal coagulation and many patients have died from these pulmonary complications since the outbreak of a new coronavirus infection. Therefore, methods to cope with complications such as acute lung injury include saving patients' lives. This study should be included in this antiviral Items in emergencies.

COVID-19 schematic diagram（Lancet，2020）

LHS currently has 20 full-time faculty and has established 3 research institutions based on Nobel Prize winners. After the outbreak of the new coronavirus, several professors in the college, after being notified by the Institute of Science, actively formed a scientific research team to study the new coronavirus infection. Professor Ye Dequan's research team includes Professor Du Yang, Dr. Liu Zheng, Shenzhen Luohu Hospital Group of University of Science and Technology, China Technology and Business Sector. Team members will take advantage of their respective research fields and resource platforms to collaborate in the development and final industrialization of antibody drugs. The team members include Professor Du Yang, etc. They have solid basic scientific research capabilities and have laid the foundation from antigen preparation, antibody screening, antibody identification, animal experiments, pharmacokinetics, clinical evaluation and antibody production to industrial R & D capabilities.

Electron microscope structure: Coronavirus and host receptor binding（Nature，2016）

Currently, the team has conducted comprehensive planning and selection of strategies and technical routes for basic research, clinical trials and industrial preparation of 2019-nCoV neutralizing virus antibodies. Virus outbreak.

Coronavirus killer-neutralizing antibody biologic（Nature，2016）

Professor Wang Pan from the School of Life and Health Sciences, led by Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen College collaborators, has started the development of steroids for new coronaviruses. Professor Wang Pan received his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Kansas Medical School. He has considerable work experience and accumulated experience in pharmacology of steroids. The research project will design and screen steroid small molecule inhibitors for important links in the infection and replication process of 2019-nCoV, including natural products and active steroid small molecules in Chinese herbal medicine, and determine their inhibitory effects. Drugs for clinical treatment of 2019-nCoV infections provide highly optimized lead compounds.

Major structural and non-structural proteins of coronavirus（Zumla et al., 2016）

Examples of common drug structures

Common Chinese medicinal materials

Professor Hu Hongli's team will use the cryo-electron microscope center that has been established in our university to analyze the structure of the S protein of the new coronavirus and its receptor ACE2 complex using cryo-dimensional reconstruction technology. Before returning to China, Professor Hu Hongli completed postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan and Stanford University, and was able to use cryo-electron microscopy to analyze complex protein structures. This project helps to understand the transmission mechanism and pathogenic mechanism of the virus, and conducts molecular docking and drug screening for key structural sites, discovers potential drugs that inhibit the structure of the virus, and provides assistance for the development of antiviral drugs.

Prof. Hongli Hu analyzes the structure of S protein of novel coronavirus and its receptor ACE2 complex in the frozen electron microscopy center

Professor Hu Hongli (third from right) and the scientific research team

The scientific research facilities and team established by the School of Life and Health Sciences in just over a year will face the severe test of this new coronavirus outbreak. Each scientific research team will start with scientific research to try to solve major problems that endanger human health. Various experimental facilities initially built with the strong support of the school will immediately play an important role in these research projects. "Some of our research has made substantial progress on animal models, and some of the compounds we have found have been declared and patented. We will speed up research and development, complete the process from animal models to human experiments as soon as possible, develop as soon as possible a new drug that can effectively curb lung inflammation and injury that was being developed. "Dean Ye is full of expectation and confidence in accelerating research progress. He believes that the challenge of viral infections this time will help make college students realize that the struggle between humans and pathogenic microorganisms is far from over. There is still a lot to do and young people need to work hard and make continuous efforts.