COVER STORY • 封面專題 19 2024 UMAGAZINE 30 • 澳大新語 the efficacy of these active ingredients in the body, with a focus on bioactive materials that can induce cellular activity or tissue regeneration. A team led by Wang Chunming, professor in SKL-QRCM and ICMS, has made significant progress. They extracted a polysaccharide dressing called EUP3 from Eucommia, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb known for promoting wound healing, which has shown notable effects on chronic wounds on the feet of diabetic mice. The team completed basic research in 2019, achieved technological translation in 2022, and initiated preclinical testing in 2023. Prof Wang’s team is developing these active polysaccharide dressings into formulations and conducting clinical trials in Class A tertiary hospitals in mainland China. They are also developing other polysaccharide-based products derived from Chinese medicine. Notably, an alcohol-free, antibacterial hand sanitising gel containing glucomannans from Bletilla striata is already on the market. On another front, Prof Wang’s team has recently discovered a distinctive oligosaccharide fraction and is collaborating with Sinopharm Group to develop it into a medical device. This substance can guide regulatory T cells (or Tregs, a type of immune cells) to gather around hair follicles, thereby accelerating hair growth in mice. ‘This research demonstrates the precise immune-modulating function of glycan materials,’ Prof Wang says. ‘It addresses the issue of traditional polysaccharide materials exhibiting varied activity with inconsistent therapeutic effects. This discovery unlocks the potential for safer, more 王春明教授 Prof Wang Chunming At the University of Macau (UM), the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine (SKL-QRCM) and the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) are working closely with the Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute, and State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City to conduct interdisciplinary studies. They focus on the application of advanced bioactive materials, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence in Chinese medicine research. Promoting Skin Tissue Repair With Natural Polysaccharide Drugs Many active ingredients of Chinese medicine are difficult for the human body to absorb. To address this, experts at UM are developing innovative materials derived from Chinese medicine to enhance 糖尿病足傷口敷料 A dressing for diabetic foot ulcers
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