Prof. WONG Chun Kwok

Professor Wong obtained his PhD degree in Immunology from the Department of Biochemistry, CUHK in 1993. This was followed by postdoctoral appointments at the Centre for Biochemical and Biophysical Science and Medicine of the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School (1994-1996), and the Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA (1996-1997). He was appointed postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Chemical Pathology from August 1997 to June 2000, Scientific Officer in July 2000, Associate Professor in February 2001, and Professor from 1 August 2009. He has also been appointed as Assistant Director of State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants and Director of Institute of Chinese Medicine, CUHK, since 2010 and 2013, respectively.

Professor Wong is involved in teaching medical students and a MSc course. Currently, Professor Wong is supervising 6 PhD students. He also serves as Honorary Scientific Officer (Medical) in the diagnostic clinical chemistry laboratory at Prince of Wales Hospital.

Professor Wong has been the President of Hong Kong Society for Immunology and Hong Kong Society of Flow Cytometry, current Treasurer of the Hong Kong Society for Immunology and Fellow of Royal Society of Biology, UK.

His immunology research includes

(1) the elucidation of cytokine and chemokine network and intracellular signal transductions of immune effector cells including eosinophils, lymphocytes, mast cells, basophils and dendritic cells in inflammatory diseases, with recent emphasizing in pattern recognition receptors mediated innate immunity and immunoregulatory cytokines,

(2) the immunopathological mechanisms of allergic diseases, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and diabetes mellitus, with interdepartmental collaboration and

(3) the immunomodulatory, anti-tumor and anti-allergic activities of traditional Chinese medicine. High-throughput immunoassay, flow cytometry, mass cytometry, molecular technology, proteomic method and transgenic murine model have been applied in above studies.

He has published 255 refereed papers in international journals and book chapters (Web of Science Core Collection, H-index = 50).

  1. Wong CK, Wong BCK, Chan KCA, Joynt GM, Yap YHY, Lam CWK, Lee N, Lee SS, Cockram CS, Sung JJY, Chan PKS, Lo YMD and Tang JW. Cytokine profile in fatal human immunodeficiency virus-tuberculosis-Epstein-Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome. Arch Int Med 2007; 167:1901-1903
  2. Lee N*, Wong CK*, (*Equal first author), Chan PKS, Lun SWM, Lui G, Wong B, Hui DSC, Lam CWK, Cockram CS, Choi KW, Yeung ACM , Tang Julian W , Sung JJY . Hypercytokinemia and Hyperactivation of p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Severe Human Influenza A Infections. Clin Infect Dis 2007; 45: 723-731.
  3. Cheung PFY, Wong CK* (*Equal first author), and Lam CWK. Molecular mechanisms of cytokine and chemokine release from eosinophils activated by IL-17F and IL-23: implications for Th17 lymphocyte-mediated allergic inflammation. J Immunol 2008; 180:5625-35
  4. Wong CK, Hu SQ, Cheung PFY and Lam CWK. Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin Induces Chemotactic and Pro-survival Effects in Eosinophils: Implications in Allergic Inflammation. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2010; 43: 305-15.
  5. Wong CK, Cao J, Yin YB and Lam CWK. IL-17A activation on bronchial epithelial cells and basophils: a novel inflammatory mechanism. Eur Respir J 2010; 35: 883-93.
  6. Wong CK, Chen DP, Tan LS, Li EK, Yin YB, and Lam CW. Effects of inflammatory cytokine IL-27 on the activation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Res Ther 2010; 12: R129.
  7. `Chen DP, Wong CK (Equal 1st author, correspondence author), Leung PC, Fung KP, Lau CBS, Lau CP, Li EK, Tam LS, Lam CWK. Anti-inflammatory activities of Chinese herbal medicine sinomenine and Liang Miao San on tumor necrosis factor-a-activated human fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis. J Ethnopharmacol 2011; 137:457-468.
  8. Dong J, Wong CK (Equal first author, correspondence author), Cai Z, Jiao D, Chu M and Lam CWK. Amelioration of allergic airway inflammation in mice by regulatory IL-35 through dampening inflammatory dendritic cells. Allergy 2015; 70: 921–932.
  9. Jiao D, Wong CK (equal 1st author, correspondence author), Qiu HN, Dong J, Cai Z, Chu M, Hon KL, Tsang MSM, Lam CWK. NOD2 and TLR2 ligands trigger the activation of basophils and eosinophils by interacting with dermal fibroblasts in atopic dermatitis-like skin inflammation. Cell Mol Immunol 2016; 13: 535-550.
  10. Zhu J, Dong J, Ji L, Jiang P, Leung TF, Liu D, Ng LG, Tsang MSM, Jiao D, Lam CWK, Wong CK (correspondence author). Anti-allergic inflammatory activity of interleukin-37 is mediated by novel signaling cascades in human eosinophils. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1445.
  11. Hou T, Sun X, Zhu J, Hon KL, Jiang P, Chu IM, Tsang MS, Lam CW, Zeng H, Wong CK (correspondence author). IL-37 ameliorating allergic inflammation in atopic dermatitis through regulating microbiota and AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway-modulated autophagy mechanism. 2020. Front Immunol 2020; 11: 752.
  12. Sun X, Hou T, Cheung EC, Iu TN, Tam VW, Chu IM, Tsang MS, Chan PK, Lam CW, Wong CK (correspondence author). Anti-inflammatory Mechanisms of the Novel Cytokine Interleukin-38 in Allergic Asthma. Cell Mol Immunol 2020; 17:631–646
  13. Hou T, Tsang MSM, Chu IMT, Kan LL, Hon KL, Leung TF, Lam CWK and Wong CK (correspondence author). Skewed inflammation is associated with aberrant interleukin-37 signaling pathway in atopic dermatitis. Allergy 2021; 76: 2102-2114.
  14. Cai Z, Zhang S, Wu P , Ren Q, Wei P, Hong M, Feng Y, Wong CK (correspondence author), Tang H, Zeng H. A novel potential target of IL-35 regulated JAK/STAT signaling pathway in lupus nephritis. Clin Transl Med 2021; 11:e309.
  15. Gao X, Chan PKS, Lui GCY, Hui DSC, Chu IMT, Sun X, Tsang MSM, Chan BCL, Lam CWK and Wong CK (correspondence author). Interleukin-38 ameliorates Poly(I:C) induced lung inflammation: therapeutic implications in respiratory viral infections. Cell Death and Disease 2021; 12:53.