Lab members: Dr Martial Jaume, Ms Isabelle Dutry, Ms Cherry Xia, Mr Horace Lee and Mr Ping Hung Li

Stimulate the Adaptative Immunity: SARS vaccine candidate
In 2003/2004, HKU-Pasteur Research CEntre''s activities were part of a research-driven response of the international scientific community to the SARS outbreak.
We developed a candidate subunit vaccine against SARS based on a purified recombinant trimeric Spike envelope protein. We have shown that serum IgG from immunized mice block binding of Sipke to the ACE2 receptor and neutralized SARS-CoV infection in vitro. In a collaborative study with the US National Institutes of Health we have demonstrate that our candidate vaccine protects experimental animals (Golden Syrian hamster) against the infection in vivo. The centre's research output on SARS-CoV will foster understanding of this new human pathogen and help the international scientific community devise strategies against SARS and related coronavirus infections (visit our partnership's page).

Understand the Innate Immunity
Natural killer (NK) cell is one of the potent effecter cells in the innate immune system for the clearance of virus-infected cells without the need for prior antigen stimulation. However, the precise molecular mechanisms involved are still largely unclear.
It has been shown that recognition of haemagglutinins (H1N1 influenza stain) on virus-infected cells by the activating receptors of NK cells could induce target cell lysis. In collaboration with the Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, HKU-PRC'S research interest is to extend such investigation to haemagglutinins from the highly pathognic H5N1 avian influenza, as well as to find out if other envelop proteins from other viruses could also be recognized by the activating receptors of NK cells.