A research team from the School of Clinical Medicine of the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has pioneered the use of a ‘dual immunotherapy’ combination—nivolumab and ipilimumab (NIVO+IPI) — in the treatment of liver cancer patients since 2016. This innovative treatment has proved to significantly improve survival rates and tumour control compared to current first-line treatments, lenvatinib and sorafenib. Recently it was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for global use, offering new hope to liver cancer patients worldwide. This landmark study was published in The Lancet.

The University of Hong Kong (HKU) co-hosted the Public Symposium: "Innovating the Future: The Power of Stem Cells in Medicine and Biotechnology” on 10 June, preceding the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2025 Annual Meeting, currently in session in Hong Kong from 11-14 June. The symposium served as a platform to engage the general public and aimed to inspire the next generation of scientists and biotechnologists. It explored the transformative potential of stem cells in regenerative medicine and biotechnology.

Over 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV-1, which continues to be a major global health challenge due to its ability to persist silently within immune cells, evading complete eradication. Researchers at LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), have identified a specific gene transcription factor, BRD9, as a potential key to unlocking the mechanisms behind HIV-1 latency. This could pave the way for AIDS to no longer be a largely incurable disease. The study has been published in the scientific journal The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

POSTECH research team reproduces neural signal transmission and degenerative responses using a 3D printed brain model.

Six out of ten people with type 2 diabetes had fatty liver in a new study from Linköping University in Sweden. Of these, only a small percentage had developed more severe liver disease. The study, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, also helps confirm that those who have type 2 diabetes in combination with obesity are at greater risk of fatty liver leading to more severe liver disease.

Dr. Claire J. Foldi, an Associate Professor at Monash University, is pioneering research into the neurobiology of eating disorders. Her work focuses on understanding the brain circuits involved in anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders, aiming to develop more effective treatments. This research is crucial as eating disorders remain among the most fatal and poorly understood mental illnesses.