loader
Home
HUANG, Fang-Ping

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBER - HUANG, Fang-Ping


HUANG, Fang-Ping

Department of Pathology
China

BIOGRAPHY:

He received initial medical training in China (University of Shantou Medical College, 1977-82; STU First Teaching Hospital, 1983-87), and was awarded the Li Ka Sheng (LKS) Academic Foundation Fellowship to undertake postgraduate studies in the UK (University of Glasgow, 1987-90)and subsequently become engaged in active immunology research and teaching in the University of Glasgow (1990-97), University of Oxford (1997-2000), University of Hong Kong(2000-7) and Imperial College London (2007-14). Currently, he is affiliated to the State Key Laboratory for Liver Research (SKLLR)/Pathology Department, LKS Medical Faculty, HKU (since July 2014).

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

His research has been focused on immune regulation in systemic autoimmunity, mucosal inflammation, and tumor immunology. In brief, we study the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying systemic autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Based on his findings, he tried to understand how the immune system is normally regulated, why dysregulation of which may cause diseases and, whether and how, the so-called "self-reactivity" (autoimmune responses) can be alternatively switched on and effectively redirected, immunologically and/or molecularly, against tumors (i.e. the "altered self"): Immune regulation in systemic autoimmunity: Roles of dendritic cells (DC) and their complex interactions with dying cells, effector and regulatory T and B cells, as well as various cytokines of pro- vs anti-inflammatory nature, in systemic autoimmune (lupus, RA) and mucosal inflammatory (IBD) disorders; DC-based immunotherapies against cancers: Findings from his studies above in autoimmune mechanisms have also offered some crucial new insights into our understanding of the highly immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment, of the liver in particular. These may together provide explanations as to why the most effective way to enhance host immunity against tumour is by targeting the negative arm of immune regulation, hence a good basis for the development of novel cancer immunotherapy. In this direction, he has develop a novel, tailor-made & functionally conditioned stem cell-derived DC-based tumour vaccine for cancer treatment.