Research Theme
| No. | Principle Investigator(s) | Title | Project ID (Funding Body) |
| 1 | Prof. Aiping Lu, Prof. Ge Zhang, Dr. Kangning Ren | The next generation aptamer screening system: a SMART, high yield, label-free and high throughput microfluidic platform (2018.04.01–2020.03.31, HK$3,000,000) | RC-IRMS/16-17/03 (HKBU-RC) |
| No. | Principle Investigator(s) | Title | Project ID (Funding Body) |
| 1 | Prof. Aiping Lu, Prof. Ge Zhang, Prof. Chengmin Qian | Structure-guided chemical modification of a DNA aptamer against PARP1 on plasma membrane for improving target affinity | T12-201/20-R (details in the funding list) |
| No. | Principle Investigator(s) | Title | Funding Body |
| 1 | Prof. Ge Zhang | Role of osteoclast-derived exosomal miR-214 in regulating osteoblastic bone formation (2017.1.1–2019.12.31, HK$1,334,644) | GRF/RGC |
| 2 | Prof. Ge Zhang | The role of osteoclastic miR-214-3p in early osteoarthritis development (2018.1.1–2020.6.30, HK$871,855) | GRF/RGC |
| 3 | Prof. Ge Zhang | Tumor cell-targeted delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 by aptamer-functionalized lipid nanoparticles for therapeutic genome editing of miR-214 in osteosarcoma (2018.3.1–2020.2.28, HK$2,993,400) | HKBU-RC |
| 4 | Dr. Baosheng Guo | Understanding mechanical stimulation-independent effects of skeletal muscle on bone: role of muscle-derived miRNA in regulating osteoblastic bone formation (2017.01.01–2018.12.31, HK$653,436) | GRF/RGC |
| 5 | Dr. Baosheng Guo | A delivery system specifically targeting osteoclasts for encapsulating osteoclastic miRNAs modulator to inhibit bone resorption (2016.1.1–2019.12.31, RMB600,000) | NSFC |
| 6 | Dr. Defang Li | The effect of miR-214-3p on osteolytic bone metastasis of breast cancer by regulating osteoclast differentiation (2017.1.1–2019.12.31, RMB190,000) | NSFC |
| 7 | Dr. Jin Liu | The role of osteoclastic miR-214-3p in subchondral bone remodeling during early osteoarthritis development (2018.1.1–2020.12.31, RMB200,000) | NSFC |
| 8 | Dr. Fangfei Li | Osteosarcoma-specific delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 by aptamer-functionalized lipopolymer for therapeutic genome editing of VEGFA in a patient-derived xenograft model (2019.1.1–2021.6.30, HK$882,090) | GRF/RGC |
| 9 | Dr. Fangfei Li | Aptamer-based targeted delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 for therapeutic genome editing in osteosarcoma (2017.07–2019.06, RMB300,000) | Science and Technology Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality |
| 10 | Dr. Fangfei Li | Tumor cell-targeted delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 by aptamer-functionalized lipopolymer for therapeutic genome editing of VEGFA in osteosarcoma (2018.01–2020.12, RMB200,000) | NSFC |
| No. | Principle Investigator(s) | Title | Project ID (Funding Body) |
| 1 | Dr. Yuanyuan Yu | Development of nucleic aptamer against sclerostin for osteoporosis therapy (2017.1.1–2019.12.31, RMB180,000) | NSFC 81601929 (NSFC) |
| 2 | Prof. Ge Zhang | Targeting sclerostin to reverse established osteoporosis: Aptamer characterization and evaluation for drug discovery (2017.1.1–2018.12.31, HK$1,000,000) | UIM298 (ITF) |
| 3 | Dr. Baoting Zhang | Toward Reversing Established Osteoporosis: Synthesis and In Vitro Evaluation of a Bispecific Aptamer Targeting both Sclerostin and Dickkopf-1 (2018.1.1–2019.12.31, HK$1,000,000) | UIM328 (ITF) |
| No. | Principle Investigator(s) | Title | Project Id (Funding Body) |
| 1 | Prof. Aiping Lu | Toward the next generation of smart anti-tumor drugs: a highly water-soluble nucleolin aptamer-paclitaxel conjugate with a serum-stable linker for tumor-specific targeting in ovarian cancer (2019.1.1–2021.6.30, HK$697,734) | HKBU 12102518 (GRF/RGC) |
| 2 | Prof. Ge Zhang | From precision medicine to drug discovery: osteoblast-specific inhibition of Smurf1 activity promotes bone formation in distinctive rats with age-related osteoporosis (2019.1.1–2021.12.31, HK$971,481) | HKBU 12100918 (GRF/RGC) |
| 3 | Prof. Ge Zhang | An innovative immuno-chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer: PD-L1 aptamer-paclitaxel conjugate. Funding Body: Science and Technology Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality (2019.1.1–2021.12.31, RMB3,000,000) | SCM-2016-SZTIC-001 (Science and Technology Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipality) |
| 4 | Prof. Aiping Lu | Strategic Development of Aptamer-based Drug Discovery Platform (2018.1.1–2019.12.31, HK$5,000,000) | SDF16-0603-P02 (HKBU-RC) |
| 5 | Prof. Aiping Lu | Toward precision medicine in aged osteoporotic subgroup with poor BMP responsiveness: Oligopeptide-chalcone derivative conjugate targeting osteoblasts for Smurf1 inhibition and bone formation enhancement (2018.01–2020.12, HK$1,998,900) | RC-ICRS/16-17/01 (HKBU-RC) |
| 6 | Prof. Aiping Lu | Does aberrantly overexpressed CKIP-1 suppress osteoblast-mediated articular bone repair in inflammatory arthritis? A collagen-induced non-human primate arthritis model (2017.1.1–2019.6.30, HK$795,400) | HKBU 12122516 (GRF/RGC) |
| 7 | Prof. Ge Zhang, Prof. Hong Zhou | Bone formation surfaces-targeted delivery of 11β-HSD1 inhibitor to protect against high-fat diet-induced obesity | Pending |
| No. | Principle Investigator(s) | Title | Funding Body |
| 2 | Prof. Aiping Lu, Prof. Weihong Tan | Towards precision medicine: Development of a novel aptamer-based classification kit for prediction of therapeutic response in leukemia patients | Funding to be sought. |
| 1 | Dr. Yuanyuan Yu | Evaluation of the cardiovascular risk of humanized monoclonal antibody against sclerostin in aortic aneurysm mice model | Funding to be sought |