Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1999

1999 on a t w o - m o n t h - o l d i n f a n t w i t h nesidioblastosis, a rare condition i n v o l v i ng the excessive g r ow th of certain pancreatic cells that results i n u n c o n t r o l l ed i n s u l i n secretion. N i n e t y - f i ve pe r cent of the b a b y 's malfunctioning pancreas was removed after a three-hour operation, allowing the output of i n s u l in to be controlled an d saving the baby f r om possible b r a i n damage. I n the past m a n y i n f a n ts w i t h t h is c o n d i t i on became me n t a l ly r e t a r ded because b o t h medical and surgical treatments were less than optimal. Light Shed on Sudden Infant Death The majority of sudden infant deaths do not have pathological cause and knowledge of the p r o b l em is l i m i t e d . H o w e v e r genetic research carried out by the Department of Chemical Pathology and the Department of Paediatrics at the Faculty of Medicine has successfully i d e n t i f i e d a genetic disease wh i c h can cause sudden infan t deaths. The findings were reported i n Human Molecular Genetics. What triggered intensive research into the phenomenon at the University was a case i n wh i ch t wo infants f r om the same family died suddenly. Primary carnitime deficiency, an i n h e r i t ed me t a b o l i c d i s ea s e, wa s diagnosed for both deaths. Further research led to the identification of a gene associated w i t h p r i ma ry c a r n i t i me deficiency, n o w called OCTN2. It is believed tha t mutations i n OCTN2 lead to this disease. N o w early genetic diagnosis of affected c h i l d r e n is possible and appropriate treatmen t can be provided in advance. Patent for New Invention The University has successfully applied fo r the US paten t for a t ea c h i ng mo d e l for beating heart coronary artery anastomoses newly invented by Prof. Mo h amma d Bashar Izzat of the Department of Surgery. It was the ninth US patent that has been granted to the University to date. The instrument is a model of a beating heart consisting o f a mo v i ng platform wh i c h holds the model of a coronary artery. It allows t r a i n i n g surgeons to practise p e r f o r m i n g anastomosis w i t h i n a preset time. New Training and Research Centres The Orthopaedic Learning Centre The Orthopaedic Lea r n i ng Centre of the Faculty of Medicine was officially opened on 26th A p r i l 1999. The centre, located at the Prince of Wales Hospital, is the first of its k i n d i n Ho ng Kong to t r a i n p r o f e s s i o n a l s to u t i l i z e n e w technology i n the management of various m u s c u l o s k e l e t al c o n d i t i o n s . I t w a s established w i t h generous donations from Li Ka Shing Foundation Ltd., the estate of M r . Tang Yuk Wai, a n d S t r y k e r - Howme d i c a International. Equ i pped w i t h the latest i n f o rma t i on technology and a b i o s k i ll laboratory , this i n n o v a t i ve an d comprehensive t r a i n i ng centre provides hands-on bioskill training for orthopaedic surgeons. Epithelial Cells Biology Research Centre The University has established the Epithelial Cell Biology Research Centre jointly w i th the C h i n e s U n i v e r s i t y B u l l e t i n A u t u m n • W i n t e r 1999 56