UM develops drug-loaded macrophage robot for treatment of acute pneumonia

A research team led by Wang Ruibing, associate professor in the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) at the University of Macau, has developed a supramolecularly engineered motorised cell platform as a nanomedicine carrier, based on the excellent inflammatory tropism of macrophages and the catalytic generation of oxygen as the propelling force. When loaded with anti-inflammatory curcumin, the platform showed a good therapeutic effect against acute pneumonia. The research results have been published in the top academic journal Advanced Materials.

Curcumin, as a widely studied small molecule isolated from Chinese medicinal herb Turmeric, has shown good therapeutic potential in the treatment of many inflammatory diseases. However, curcumin itself does not target inflammatory tissues. That is, when curcumin is used alone, it cannot accurately accumulate in the inflammatory tissues, thus the clinical results have not been satisfactory. In recent years, living cells have received increasing attention as drug carriers because they are highly biocompatible and are less likely to cause adverse reactions. Moreover, living cells have the characteristics of extended circulation. They can prolong the drug residence time in the body and transport drugs to a specific tissue, thereby increasing the local concentration and efficacy of the drug in that tissue. However, the delivery of small-molecule drugs such as curcumin by living cells may result in intracellular metabolism or efflux during during delivery.

The research team loaded curcumin molecules into manganese dioxide nanoparticles modified by host and guest molecules respectively, and subsequently incubated macrophages with these nanoparticles sequentially to induce intracellular supramolecular self-assembly, in order to lock the drug-carrying nanoparticles in the macrophages to inhibit efflux. Due to their inflammatory tropism, the drug-loaded macrophages accumulated in the inflammatory lung tissues. In the highly oxidative microenvironment at the site of inflammation, the manganese dioxide nanoparticles catalysed hydrogen peroxide to generate oxygen, driving the macrophage robot to quickly infiltrate the inflammatory tissue. Meanwhile, curcumin was released in the inflammatory tissue, polarising macrophages, and jointly regulating the inflammatory microenvironment, to reverse inflammation.

Previously, based on supramolecular self-assembly technology, the research team developed a series of living-cell-based drug delivery platforms, and the research results were published in top journals such as Nature Communications, Science Advances, Materials Today, and Advanced Functional Materials. The team’s unique supramolecular cell engineering technology relies on the strong host-guest interactions to lock nanoparticles in cells or anchor them on the cell surface, in order to realise targeted enrichment and the precise release of drugs using living cells. This technology effectively regulates and treats inflammatory diseases with high specificity, and the team received a second prize in the Natural Science Award category at the Macao Science and Technology Awards 2022 for this achievement.

Building on their previous works, members of the research team designed this self-propelled cell robot that can rapidly infiltrate inflammatory tissues, facilitating rapid intervention in the development of acute inflammation. The study titled ‘Chemotaxis-guided Self-propelled Macrophage Motor for Targeted Treatment of Acute Pneumonia’ has been published in the top academic journal Advanced Materials. Prof Wang is the sole corresponding author of the paper and UM PhD student Yue Ludan is the first author. In addition, ICMS Distinguished Professor Lee Ming Yuen, Research Assistant Professor Gao Cheng, and PhD students Li Junyan, Chen Hanbin, and Luo Ruifeng also made significant contributions to the study. This study was funded by the Science and Technology Development Fund of Macao SAR (File no: 0086/2022/A2 and 0065/2021/A2), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (File no: 22271323 and 22071275), and the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (File no: EF023/ICMS-WRB/2022/SZSTIC).

To view the full version of the paper, please visit: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202211626.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/press-release/detail/55332/

UM invites Charles Li to give talk on opportunities brought by MCEX

The University of Macau (UM) will hold a talk titled ‘How Will MCEX Open Up Fresh Opportunities for Young People in Macao?’ on Saturday 25 March as part of its University Lecture Series. Charles Li, founder and chairman of Micro Connect, will be the guest speaker. During the talk, he will discuss his vision for Micro Connect Macao Financial Assets Exchange (MCEX), its significance in Macao’s future development, and the opportunities it will bring to Macao’s financial industry and young people.

The talk will begin at 3:00pm in the Multi-function Hall, UM Guest House (N1-G014). It will be conducted in Mandarin and livestreamed simultaneously. All are welcome. To attend the talk in person, please make a registration at https://isw.um.edu.mo/evm/register/uls_0325G. To join the talk online, please make a registration: https://umac.zoom.us/j/94362163442. For enquiries, please call 8822 4504.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/press-release/detail/55327/

UM to hold Career and Internship Fair

The University of Macau (UM) will hold the UM Career and Internship Fair 2023 on 23 March and 24 March. During the event, over 110 companies and organisations from various industries will set up recruitment booths at UM to provide more than 3,000 job opportunities.

The Career and Internship Fair is an annual event of the university, which aims to help graduating students seek job opportunities and to assist second-year and third-year students in finding summer internships. In addition, the fair offers online career guidance and information on companies and organisations, as well as recruitment talks, workshops, and career advising services.

The two-day fair will be held in Room G008 of the UM Guest House (N1), from 11:00am to 5:00pm (last entry at 4:30pm). UM students and alumni who are attending the event are welcome to bring their personal information and wear formal attire for job applications. For enquiries, please call 8822 4839 or email sao.career@um.edu.mo.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/press-release/detail/55318/

Management committee meeting of China Southern Power Grid – University of Macau Joint Laboratory of Smart Power and Energy for Carbon Neutrality held at UM

The first meeting of the management committee of the China Southern Power Grid – University of Macau Joint Laboratory of Smart Power and Energy for Carbon Neutrality was held today (17 March) at the University of Macau (UM). At the meeting, the committee reviewed and approved the charter of the joint laboratory, the list of joint laboratory technical committees, as well as the special plan, the summary of the work report for 2022, and the work plan for 2023 of the joint laboratory.

Li Peng, director of the management committee of the joint laboratory and general manager of China Southern Power Grid Co, Ltd (China Southern Power Grid), presided over the meeting. Yonghua Song, deputy director of the management committee, rector of UM, and director of the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City (SKL-IOTSC); and Xu Shukai, deputy general manager of the Innovation Management Department of China Southern Power Grid, both attended the meeting and delivered a speech.

In his speech, Song said that through interdisciplinary platforms such as the SKL-IOTSC and the Institute of Applied Physics and Materials, UM is committed to promoting the theories and technologies in energy and power-related disciplines, facilitating the development of green energy industries, and training professionals for carbon neutrality. He added that the university attaches great importance to industry-academic collaboration with China Southern Power Grid, and the two parties have already established close cooperation in areas such as urban integrated energy systems and energy Internet of Things. He also expressed the hope that, through the establishment of the joint laboratory, the two sides will strengthen cooperation and serve the national strategic goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

Xu Shukai pointed out in his speech that establishing joint laboratories with well-known universities in Hong Kong and Macao is a practical measure to thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on deepening cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, and to serve the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It is also a practical measure to implement the national innovation-driven strategy and a vivid practice of promoting deep integration of industry and academia. He also expressed the hope that the two parties will further coordinate their strengths and resources this year, in an effort to achieve outstanding results and make the joint laboratory a demonstration and model for university-enterprise cooperation.

In his closing remarks, Li Peng outlined the allocation of China Southern Power Grid’s research resources and its development strategy of building a digital grid. He expressed the hope that through the establishment of the joint laboratory, China Southern Power Grid and UM will promote in-depth cooperation on key issues such as carbon neutrality and digital grid, and facilitate the digital and green development of the energy and power industry. He also hoped that the two sides will strengthen communications and exchanges, and expand the influence of the joint laboratory in the field of smart energy and power research for carbon neutrality by jointly organising high-end forums, and so on.

China Southern Power Grid, established in 2002, is a state-owned enterprise managed by the central government and invested by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council. China Southern Power Grid is responsible for the investment, construction, operation, and management of the Southern regional power grid, providing electricity supply for five provinces, namely Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hainan, as well as Hong Kong and Macao. The company has also participated in the development and operation of power facilities in Southeast Asia and countries targeted by China’s ‘Belt and Road’ initiative. China Southern Power Grid has been ranked among the world’s top 500 companies for 17 consecutive years and is currently ranked No 89. As one of the leading companies in China’s energy industry, China Southern Power Grid has strong industrial and R&D capabilities in the field of carbon-neutral smart power and energy systems. The China Southern Power Grid – University of Macau Joint Laboratory of Smart Power and Energy for Carbon Neutrality was officially unveiled in September last year. It aims to, through university-enterprise cooperation, give full play to the complementary advantages of China Southern Power Grid and UM, carry out scientific and technological research, talent training, and industrial promotion in the field of carbon-neutral smart power and energy systems, realise the deep integration of industry and academia, and facilitate the innovation and development of the energy and power industry in Macao, the Greater Bay Area, and even the whole country.

Other members of the management committee of the joint laboratory also attended the meeting, including Liu Yuquan, deputy general manager of the Transmission and Distribution Department of China Southern Power Grid; Zhang Kun, deputy general manager of Guangdong Power Grid Corporation; and Prof Wong Man Chung, Prof Dai Ningyi, Prof Zhang Hongcai from the SKL-IOTSC. Prof Lao Keng Weng and Prof Hui Hongxun from the SKL-IOTSC, and heads and managers of relevant units of the Innovation Management Department of China Southern Power Grid also attended the meeting.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/press-release/detail/55316/

UM, Caritas Macau co-organise experience sharing session on combating COVID-19

The Centre for Macau Studies (CMS) of the University of Macau (UM) and Caritas Macau today (16 March) co-organised an experience sharing session titled ‘At the Front Line of the Community against the Epidemic: Caritas Macau’s Experience in Coping with COVID-19’. During the event, members of Caritas Macau, including representatives of five service units, namely Caritas-Life Hope Hotline of Macau, Complexo de Serviços de Apoio Ao Cidadão Sénior Retribuição, Brilho da Vida Elderly Centre, Casa Corsel, and WelAnser Centre, discussed the organisation’s epidemic prevention strategy, psychological support service, temporary accommodation and assistance to people stranded in Macao, as well as services for the elderly and people with disabilities in residential care homes.

Agnes Lam Iok Fong, director of CMS, said that Caritas Macau stood at the forefront of social services when Macao’s epidemic situation was uncertain. They assisted people who needed help in the most difficult times and their experience in coping with the epidemic is worth sharing and learning from. She added that through the sharing of Caritas Macau members, UM faculty members, students, and researchers can obtain first-hand information about frontline social services in Macao during the epidemic, and expressed hope that the sharing would inspire the UM members to expand their research and contribute to the community with their academic work.

According to Pun Chi Meng, secretary-general of Caritas Macau, when there is an epidemic, more people than usual need social services, especially the most vulnerable ones. As a social service organisation, Caritas Macau’s priority at the time was to maintain its existing services in a way that did not increase the burden of the community and to help those in need as much as possible. Over the past three years, Caritas Macau and the general public have overcome many challenges and gained valuable experience together. In this process, members of Caritas Macau have strengthened their crisis response and interdisciplinary collaboration skills, which will help them face various uncertain situations in the future.

The event included presentations on different topics by members of Caritas Macau: Julia Lam, deputy service director of Caritas Macau, discussed the epidemic prevention strategy of the organisation; Ng Lai Ieng, director of Caritas-Life Hope Hotline of Macau, shared how Caritas Macau’s hotline service provided psychological support for those in need during COVID-19; Ada Kuan, dean of Complexo de Serviços de Apoio Ao Cidadão Sénior Retribuição, discussed how the organisation protected the elderly and people with disabilities in residential care homes during the epidemic; Cheang Ka Leng, director of Brilho da Vida Elderly Centre, talked about the situation of the social housing building Edifcio Fai Fu when it became an epidemic containment zone; Ip Chi Leng, director of Casa Corcel, shared how Caritas Macau’s temporary accommodation service assisted those stranded in Macao during the epidemic; and Chan Si Ian, director of WelAnser Centre, talked about how Caritas Macau’s outreach programmes encouraged foreigners in Macao to join the battle against COVID-19. In addition to the speakers of Caritas Macau, the event was attended by Xu Jianhua, head of the Department of Sociology, as well as faculty members, students, and researchers of sociology, psychology, and Macau studies.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/press-release/detail/55308/