Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1991

Successful Paediatric Bone Marrow Transplants Three bone marrow transplant operations were successfully performed by paediatricians of the University at the Prince of Wales Hospital. The first paediatric bone marrow transplant patient in Hong Kong is a 14-year-old Chinese girl. She suffered from chronic myeloid leukaemia, which is not curable by conventional drug therapy. Bone marrow transplant is perhaps the best and the only cure. Prior to the operation which took place on 6th February, the patient was placed in a germ free environment (laminar flow unit) for more than a week. After the operation, she was found to be in satisfactory condition and stayed in the hospital for 90 days, until there was evidence of a graft. The girl is now convalescing in a flat provided by the Social Welfare Department pending the full recovery of her immune system, which should take place within a year. The second operation was performed on a 10-year-old girl on 25th March, and the third one on a 14.5-year-old boy on 22nd May. Both operations have achieved initial successes. Together, these operations represent the first attempts at bone marrow transplant for children in Hong Kong. More Victories for CUHK Debaters The University's student debaters achieved impressive successes in three different debating contests held between February and March 1991. The Mandarin debating team first triumphed over their opponents from th e National Taiwan University in an intervarsity debate held on 10th February at New Town Plaza, Sha Tin. Mr. Cheung Leong on the CUHK team also won the best speaker award. The topic for the debate was 'Environmental protection hinders the progress of civilization', and the CUHK team was arguing against the motion. The Cantonese debating team then beat its Hong Kong University counterpart in the final of the Inter-postsecondary Debate held on 10th March at the Victoria Park. To enhance the impromptu nature of the debate, the topic — There should be representatives from China in the Provisional Airport Authority'— was disclosed to the contestants six hours before the debate. The CUHK team was speaking against the motion and won by a margin of four to one. That was the team's third victory in the same contest in three years. Two weeks later on 23rd March, another victory was achieved by the University's English debating team in the 20th Intervarsity Debating Contest between the University of Hong Kong and The Chinese University. The debate was held at the Sir Run Run Shaw Hall and the motion — 'That LegCo should reject the proposed 200 per cent increase in cigarette tax' — was disclosed to the two teams only 60 minutes before the debate. The CUHK team was again on the opposition side and won by a margin of three to two. Mr. Thomas Leung on the team was also selected best speaker in the contest. HKIB/Syntex Ltd. Established The Hong Kong Institute of Biotechnology (HKIB) recently signed an agreement with the Syntex Pharmaceuticals International Limited to establish a joint company to conduct pharmaceutical research. The new company, HKIB/Syntex Limited, will set up a research facility in Hong Kong to screen synthetic and natural compounds for their potential as novel pharmaceutical products. Two research institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are also key participants in this programme. The project represents the first tripartite collaboration on pharmaceutical research between Hong Kong, mainland China and the USA, and is a significant step in the development of a pharmaceutical industry in Hong Kong. NEWS 13