HKBU-Infinitus Joint Lab of Polysaccharide Research

Globally, the incidence and mortality rates of pulmonary diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchial asthma, interstitial lung disease, pneumonia, lung cancer, tuberculosis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome are remarkably high. Pulmonary immunity is intricately linked to various respiratory system diseases, and enhancing pulmonary immune function is of significant importance for disease prevention, recovery acceleration, and prognosis improvement. The classic theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that "the lung and large intestine are interior-exterior counterparts" establishes a common mucosal defense mechanism between the lung and intestine through mucosal immunity, serving as a bridge to connect the two. Modern medicine has preliminarily identified the material basis and potential regulatory mechanisms of this theory and applied it to the treatment of challenging lung-intestine diseases such as COVID-19 and ulcerative colitis, where traditional Chinese medicine has demonstrated remarkable efficacy.

Polysaccharides, as key components of traditional Chinese medicine decoctions, exhibit diverse immunomodulatory bioactivities, including anti-tumor, antiviral, hypoglycemic, and anti-fatigue effects. Existing studies have shown the potential of polysaccharides in treating pulmonary diseases. For example, Radix Astragali polysaccharide (RAP) has been used in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia; dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (DOP) has been applied to treat H1N1 virus-induced lung infections and COPD; and ephedra polysaccharide has been utilized for asthma and PM2.5-induced lung injury. Notably, our preliminary research has made significant breakthroughs: RAP was found to be absorbed into the lymphatic system through M cells in Peyer's patches of the small intestine, activating dendritic cells to regulate immunity; DOP was identified to exert unique effects via the gut microbiota, with both polysaccharides demonstrating improvements in ulcerative colitis. However, the mechanisms by which polysaccharides influence pulmonary disease treatment through gut immunity—including their absorption, distribution, and metabolic characteristics after oral administration, as well as their interactions with the "polysaccharide-immunity" and "polysaccharide-microbiota-immunity" axes—remain unclear.

Given the close association between the lymphatic system and pulmonary immunity, as well as the lymph node-targeting immunomodulatory property of RAP, this study will use RAP, DOP, and other polysaccharides as research subjects to establish an evaluation system for pulmonary immune function of polysaccharides. The goal is to explore the regulatory mechanisms of polysaccharides on pulmonary immunity through the "gut-lung axis," providing scientific support for the development of pulmonary immune-modulating products and anti-colitis drugs, and promoting the in-depth application of polysaccharides in the medical field.

Natural polysaccharides possess complex structural characteristics and significant biological activity. After oral ingestion, most polysaccharides remain undigested in the stomach and small intestine due to the lack of enzymes required for their breakdown in mammals. Instead, these polysaccharides interact with gut microbiota in the large intestine, altering the structure and composition of the microbiome, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria, and inhibiting the proliferation of harmful bacteria, thereby maintaining gut health. Additionally, natural polysaccharides can protect the intestine from inflammatory damage through immune modulation, promoting the repair and regeneration of intestinal mucosal cells, which helps reduce the incidence of intestinal polyps. Our research focuses on exploring the structure of natural polysaccharides and their role and mechanisms in treating intestinal polyps, as well as how this structure-property relationship inhibits the occurrence and development of intestinal polyps.

Prof. Li is the Dean of School of Chinese medicine. She is an esteemed expert in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases by using Chinese medicine, a research scientist in the field of Autophagy, Chinese medicinal pharmacology in treating and prevention of Parkinson’s disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Prof. Li will provide guidance and supervision on the progress of the Joint Laboratory's research work.

Radix Astragali, plays a significant role in regulating the immune response. Renowned for its immunomodulatory properties, it enhances the body's resistance to infections and diseases by stimulating the production and activity of immune cells and balancing pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, Radix Astragali supports the body's natural defense mechanisms, making it valuable in both traditional and modern medicine for maintaining overall immune health.

Radix Astragali polysaccharide (RAP), isolated from Radix Astragali, has been shown to quickly enter Peyer's patches (PPs) to specifically activate dendritic cells (DCs) and trigger immune responses. Our aim is to identify the molecular mechanisms involved in RAP's activation of DCs and understand how these DCs shape our adaptive immune system, thus enhancing pulmonary immunity and inhibiting the formation of intestinal polyps.

This projects aims to employ polysaccharides from Ganoderma lucidum and composite polysaccharides from shiitake mushrooms, poria cocos and tremella as examples to establish an innovative platform for polysaccharide structural analysis and quality control, based on new standards for polysaccharide purity, new methods for polysaccharide structural characterization and oligosaccharide biomarkers identification. The successful establishment of this platform will provide technical support for the research and development activities in quality control.

This project will explore the potential mechanisms by which polysaccharides regulate lung immunity through the “gut-lung axis”, The findings obtained will provide scientific evidence and technical support for the development of composite polysaccharide products that possess pulmonary immune enhancing property.

The research includes:

  1. Establishment of different mouse models with pulmonary immune dysregulation
  2. Screening polysaccharides with the pulmonary immune enhancing function
  3. Evaluating the immune enhancing function of composite polysaccharides
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