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Optic Nerve
Protection and Regeneration Lab
視神經保護及再生實驗室

Research Interests 研究興趣

Glaucoma, a chronic progressive optic neuropathy, is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. Whereas lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP) has been shown to be effective to slow optic nerve degeneration in glaucoma, a significant portion of glaucoma patients continue to develop progressive loss in vision despite adequate control of IOP. Development of neuroprotective therapy to prevent optic nerve degeneration by mechanisms other than IOP-lowering is an unmet need to alleviate the burden of glaucoma blindness. In addition to devising experimental models to decipher the mechanisms of optic nerve degeneration in glaucoma, our lab is undertaking clinical trials and animal studies to identify novel treatment targets for neuroprotection, neuroenhancement, and neuroregeneration in glaucoma, non-glaucomatous optic neuropathies, and retinal dystrophies.  

青光眼是一種慢性進行性視神經病變，是導致不可逆失明的主要原因。雖然降低眼內壓 (IOP) 已被證明可有效減緩青光眼中的視神經變性，但仍有相當一部分青光眼患者繼續發展視力逐漸喪失，儘管 IOP 得到了充分控制。通過降低眼壓以外的機制來預防視神經變性的神經保護療法的開發是減輕青光眼失明負擔的未滿足需求。除了設計實驗模型來破譯青光眼視神經變性的機制外，我們的實驗室還在進行臨床試驗和動物研究，以確定青光眼、非青光眼性視神經病變和視網膜營養不良的神經保護、神經增強和神經再生的新治療靶點.

Optic Nerve Protection and Regeneration Lab.png

Selected Publications 精選出版物

* Corresponding Author 通訊作者

  1. Mak HK, *Leung CKS. MicroRNA-based therapeutics for optic neuropathy: opportunities and challenges. Neural Regen Res. 2021 In Press (Invited Editorial).

  2. Mak HK, Yung JSY, Weinreb RN, Ng SH, Cao X, Ho TYC, Ng TK, Chu WK, Yung WH, Choy KW, Wang CC, Lee TL, *Leung CKS. MicroRNA-19a-PTEN Axis Is Involved in the Developmental Decline of Axon Regenerative Capacity in Retinal Ganglion Cells. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids. 2020;21:251-263.

  3. Qin Z, He S, Yang C, Yung JS, Chen C, Leung CKS, Liu K, Qu JY. Adaptive optics two-photon microscopy enables near-diffraction-limited and functional retinal imaging in vivo. Light Sci Appl. 2020;9:79.

  4. Mak HK, Ng SH, Ren T, Ye C, *Leung CKS. Impact of PTEN/SOCS3 deletion on amelioration of dendritic shrinkage of retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve injury. Exp Eye Res. 2020;192:107938.

  5. Chan KC, Yu Y, Ng SH, Mak HK, Yip YWY, van der Merwe Y, Ren T, Yung JSY, Biswas S, Cao X, Chau Y, *Leung CKS. Intracameral injection of a chemically cross-linked hydrogel to study chronic neurodegeneration in glaucoma. Acta Biomater. 2019;94:219-231.

  6. Wu J, Mak HK, Chan YK, Lin C, Kong C, *Leung CKS, Shum HC. An in vitro pressure model towards studying the response of primary retinal ganglion cells to elevated hydrostatic pressures. Sci Rep. 2019;9:9057.

  7. Cao X, Yung J, Mak H, *Leung CKS. Factors governing the transduction efficiency of adeno-associated virus in the retinal ganglion cells following intravitreal injection. Gene Ther. 2019;26:109-120.

  8. Lindsey JD, Duong-Polk KX, Hammond D, Leung CKS, Weinreb RN. Protection of injured retinal ganglion cell dendrites and unfolded protein response resolution after long-term dietary resveratrol. Neurobiol Aging. 2015;36:1969-81.

  9. Liu S, Li ZW, Weinreb RN, Xu G, Lindsey JD, Ye C, Yung WH, Pang CP, Lam DS, *Leung CKS. Tracking retinal microgliosis in models of retinal ganglion cell damage. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53:6254-62.

  10. Li ZW, Liu S, Weinreb RN, Lindsey JD, Yu M, Liu L, Ye C, Cui Q, Yung WH, Pang CP, Lam DS, *Leung CKS. Tracking dendritic shrinkage of retinal ganglion cells after acute elevation of intraocular pressure. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011;52:7205-12.

Selected Research Grants 選定的研究資助

1. Hong Kong Health and Medical Research Fund 醫療衛生研究基金：

Nicotinamide riboside as a neuroprotective therapy for glaucoma – A randomized controlled trial

Project Reference 項目編號：06171076

2. ​Hong Kong Research Grants Council Research Impact Fund 香港研究資助局研究影響基金：

Improving vision and quality of life in patients with glaucoma using non-invasive brain stimulation and perceptual learning: A Randomized Clinical Trial 使用非入侵性腦部刺激及知覺學習改善青光眼患者之視覺功能及生活質素：隨機臨床試驗

Co-Principal Investigator 共同首席研究員：Professor Christopher K.S. Leung 梁啟信教授

Project Reference 項目編號：R5047-19

3. Prevent Blindness/Stavros Niarchos Foundation International Research Collaborators Award ：

In vivo, multi-modal characterization of neurodegeneration and neuroprotection of the visual system in a novel experimental glaucoma model

Co-Principal Investigator 共同首席研究員：Professor Christopher K.S. Leung 梁啟信教授

4. Supported by a research grant from Huizhou Central People’s Hospital, Huizhou, PRC：

Gene therapy for treatment of optic neuropathies and inherited retinal degeneration

Co-Principal Investigator 共同首席研究員：Professor Christopher K.S. Leung 梁啟信教授

​5. Hong Kong Research Grants Council General Research Fund 香港研究資助局優配研究金：

Impact of PTEN/SOCS3 deletion on dendritic regeneration: A time-lapse in vivo imaging study 

PTEN/ SOCS3刪除對樹突再生的影響：一項延時在體成像研究 

Project Reference 項目編號：14109814

6. Hong Kong Health and Medical Research Fund 醫療衛生研究基金：

Investigation of MicroRNA-19a as an ocular gene therapy for glaucoma using a novel hydrogel-induced experimental glaucoma model

Principal Investigator 首席研究員：Dr. Heather Mak Kayew 麥嘉瑤博士

Project Reference 項目編號：07180846

7. Hong Kong Health and Medical Research Fund 醫療衛生研究基金：

Inhibition of microglial P2X4 receptor attenuates neuroinflammation and enhances photoreceptor survival in retinal degeneration

Principal Investigator: Dr. Tracy Y. C. HO 何燕昭博士

Project Reference 項目編號：05161116

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Patents 專利

Leung CKS, Chau Y, Yu Y. Induction of chronic elevation of intraocular pressure with vinysulfonated hyaluronic acid (HA-VS) and thiolated hyaluronic acid (HA-SH) hydrogel (US 9895394 B2). Filed on 10 March 2015. Date of Patent: 20 February, 2018.

Professor-Christopher-Kai-Shun-Leung_1553133772.png

Professor Christopher

K. S. Leung 

梁啟信教授

Principal Investigator 

首席研究員

Research Team Members 研究團隊成員

Dr. Heather Mak Kayew, Postdoctoral Fellow

 麥嘉瑤博士，博士後研究員

Dr. Tracy Ho, Postdoctoral Fellow

何燕昭博士，博士後研究員

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