News

Professor Wong Hoi-leong Xavier has secured HK$1.4 million from Innovation and Technology Support Programme of the Innovation and Technology Fund to develop a first-in-class colorectal cancer drug.  The funded project, “Development of a Cholestenone‑Based Drug for Dual Inhibition of EGFR and Mutant KRAS in Colorectal Cancer Treatment”, is a collaboration with Dr. Pallavi Asthana, Research Assistant Professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, and Dr. Mohamad Koohi-Moghadam, Research Assistant Professor at The University of Hong Kong.

Colorectal cancer is one of the world’s most common malignancies, and its treatment remains exceptionally challenging as tumors frequently develop resistance to existing targeted therapies. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and mutations in the KRAS gene are two key drivers of disease progression; however, there is currently no approved drug that can effectively target both EGFR and mutant KRAS simultaneously.

Professor Wong and his team have identified 4‑cholesten‑3‑one (4C3), a gut‑microbiota‑derived metabolite of cholesterol, as a highly promising anticancer candidate. In preclinical studies, 4C3 demonstrated potent activity across multiple colorectal cancer models by directly inhibiting EGFR signalling and suppressing  mutant KRAS activity, the primary cause of resistance to standard anti‑EGFR therapies such as cetuximab. By leveraging the dual mechanism, 4C3 overcame resistance and reduced tumour growth in settings where EGFR‑targeted treatments had failed, tackling the drug resistance seen with current therapies.

Professor Wong stated, ‘We will combine cutting-edge technologies such as bioinformatics and artificial intelligence to develop a “first-in-class” anticancer drug based on 4C3. Our ultimate goal is to translate the discovery into hope for colorectal cancer patients.’

The School affirms this novel concept for treating colorectal cancer, supports the research for the benefit of patients, and remains committed to advancing translational medicine.