Education
| 1985 | PhD (Molecular Biology), The Australian National University, Australia |
| 1980 | MPhil (Biology), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong |
| 1978 | BSc (Biology), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong |
Position
| 2002 | Professor (Dept of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) |
| 1992-2002 | Associate Professor (Dept of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) |
| 1988-1992 | Research Fellow (Molecular Haematology Group and Medical Molecular Biology Group, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University) |
| 1986-1988 | Research Associate (Department of Virology and Epidemidology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA) |
Concurrent Position
- Adjunct professor of the Soochow University, China
- Visiting Professor of the First Military Medical University, China
- Deputy Chief Editor of the "Journal of Tropical Medicine"
- Editor of the "Chinese Journal of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases"
Professional Activities
Appointments in the following Professional Organizations:
- Chairman of the Hong Kong Society for Immunology (2003-)
- Organizing Committee of the 11th Annual Conference 2003 of the Hong Kong Institution of Science
- Organizing member (the International Symposium on "Lymphocytes in Health and Disease") (1995)
- Session Moderator/Chairman (the International Symposium on "Hypertrophic Scars") (1995)
- Council member (the Hong Kong Society for Immunology 94/95, 99/01) (1994-95, 1999-2001)
Membership in the following Professional Organizations:
- American Society for Microbiology
- Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Australian Society for Immunology
- Australian Society for Medical Research
- Australian Society for Parasitology
- Hong Kong Society for Immunology
- Hong Kong Institution of Science
Invited Speaker in the following Talk:
- Soochow University, Nanjing University and Sun Yat-Sen University on: "DNA Vaccine" (Nov 2002)
- The Hong Kong Society for Immunology on: "Biology of Cytokines and Cytokine Receptors" (1994)
- The Institute of Biology (Hong Kong Branch) on: "Genetic Engineering in Medicine" (1994)
Research Interests
From Basic to Applied Haematology and Immunology
- Discovery of a new drug for treating beta-haemoglobinopathies such as beta-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia (Patent pending, USA)
- Development of a multi-epitopic DNA vaccine against Toxoplasma gondii (Patent pending, China)
- Host-parasite immunology of Schistosoma japonicum
- Cercariae stage specific antigens
- Molecular analysis of the acetylcholinesterase and phophatidylinositol glycan-class N, potential drug targets
- Immunological studies of the anti-inflammatory protein – Sj16
Representative Publications
- Hu, S., Law, P.K., Lv, Z., Wu, Z., Fung, M.C. (2008) Molecular characterization of a calcium-binding protein SjCa8 from Schistosoma japonicum. Parasitology Research DOI: 10.1007/s00436-008-1090-5.
- Leung, P.S., Lee, Y.S., Tang, C.Y., Kung, W.Y., Chuang, Y.H., Chiang, B.L., Fung, M.C., Chu, K.H. (2008) Induction of Shrimp Tropomyosin-Specific Hypersensitivity in Mice. International Archives of Allergy and Immunology 147: 305-314. [Pub Med]
- Haritunians, T., Gueller, S., Zhang, L., Badr, R., Yin, D., Xing, H., Fung, M.C., Koeffler, H.P. (2008) Cucurbitacin B induces differentiation, cell cycle arrest, and actin cytoskeletal alterations in myeloid leukemia cells. Leukemia Research 32: 1366-1373. [Pub Med]
- Tang, H.L., Lung, H.L., Wu, K.C., Le, A.H., Tang, H.M., Fung, M.C. (2008) Vimentin supports mitochondrial morphology and organization. The Biochemical Journal 410: 141-146. [Pub Med]
- Lau, K.W., Ren, J., Fung, M.C., Woo, P.C., Yuen, K.Y., Chan, K.K., Qian, P.Y., Wong, P.K., Wu, M. (2007) Fangia hongkongensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel gammaproteobacterium of the order Thiotrichales isolated from coastal seawater of Hong Kong. International journal of systematic and evolutionary microbiology 57: 2665-2669. [Pub Med]
- Tsang, S.L., Leung, P.C., Leung, K.K., Yau, W.L., Hardy, M.P., Mak, N.K., Leung, K.N., Fung, M.C. (2007) Characterization of murine interferon-alpha 12 (MuIFN-alpha12): biological activities and gene expression. Cytokine 37: 138-149. [Pub Med]
- Li, S.Q., Fung, M.C., Reid, S.A., Inoue, N., Lun, Z.R. (2007) Immunization with recombinant beta-tubulin from Trypanosoma evansi induced protection against T. evansi, T. equiperdum and T. b. brucei infection in mice. Parasite immunology 29: 191-199. [Pub Med]
- Leung, K.N., Mak, N.K., Fung, M.C. (2005) Cytokines in the differentiation therapy of leukemia: from laboratory investigations to clinical applications. Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences 42: 473-514. [Pub Med]
- Yue, P.Y., Wong, D.Y., Ha, W.Y., Fung, M.C., Mak, N.K., Yeung, H.W., Leung, H.W., Chan, K., Liu, L., Fan, T.P., Wong, R.N. (2005) Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the angiogenic effects of ginsenoside Rg(1) in vivo and in vitro. Angiogenesis 8: 205-216. [Pub Med]
- Fung, M.C., Sia, S.F., Leung, K.N., Mak, N.K. (2004) Detection of differential expression of mouse interferon-alpha subtypes by polymerase chain reaction using specific primers. Journal of Immunological Methods 284: 177-186 [Pub Med]
- Mak, N.K., Leung, C.Y., Wei, X.Y., Shen, X.L., Wong, R.N., Leung, K.N., Fung, M.C. (2004) Inhibition of RANTES expression by indirubin in influenza virus-infected human bronchial epithelial cells. Biochemical Pharmacology 67: 167-174 [Pub Med]
- Chen, X.G., Li, H., Peng, H.J., Shen, S.M., Fung, M.C. (2002) Construction and characterization of the cDNA library from Schistosoma japonicum cercariae. Zhongguo Ji Sheng Chong Xue Yu Ji Sheng Chong Bing Za Zhi 20: 39-41 [Pub Med]
- Mak, N.K., Wong, R.N.S., Leung, K.N. and Fung, M.C. (2002) "Involvement of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-) in arsenic trioxide induced apoptic cell death of murine myeloid leukemia cells" Toxicology Letters 135, 79-87.
- Ming-Chiu Fung, Man-Tat Lau and Xiao-Guang Chen (2002) "Expressed sequence tags (ESTs) analysis of a Schistosoma japonicum cercariae cDNA library" Acta Tropica 82:215-224.
- Simeonovic, C.J., Townsend, M., Morris, C.F., Hapel, A.J., Fung, M.C., Mann, D.A., Young, I.G., and Wilson, J.D. (1999) "Immune mechanisms associated with the rejection of fetal murine proislet allografts and pig proislet xenografts: Comparison of intragraft cyokine mRNA profiles" Transplantion 67:963-971.
- Chan, S.C., Fung, M.C., Mak, N.K. and Leung, K.N. (1997) Involvement of interleukin-1 in the differentiation-inducing activity of tumor necrosis factor-a on a murine myeloid leukemia (WEHI-3B JCS). International Journal of Oncology 10:821-826.
- Mak, N.K., Wong-Leung, Y.L., Chan, S.C., Wen, J., Leung, K.N. and Fung, M.C. (1996) Isolation of anti-leukemia compounds from Citrus reticulata. Life Sciences 58:1269-1276.
- Morris, C.F., Simeonovic, C.J., Fung, M.C., Wilson, J.D. and Hapel, A.J. (1995) Intragraft expression of cytokine transcripts during pig proislet xenograft rejection and tolerance in mice. Journal of Immunology 154:2470-2482.
- Mak, N.K., Fung, M.C., Leung, K.N. and Hapel, A.J. (1993) Monocytic differentiation of a myelomonocytic leukemic cell (WEHI-3B JCS) is induced by alpha-tumour necrosis factor. Journal of Immunology 150:1-14.
- Zola, H., Weedon, H., Thomson, G., Fung, M.C., Ingley, E. and Hapel, A.J. (1991) Expression of IL-2 receptor p55 and p75 chains by human B lymphocytes: Effects of activation and differentiation. Immunology 72:167-173.
- Ingley, E., Cutler, R.L., Fung, M.C., Sanderson, C.L. and Young, I.G. (1991) Production and purification of recombinant human interleukin 5 from yeast and baculovirus expression systems. European Journal of Biochemistry 196:623-629.
- Fung, M.C., Chiu, K.Y.M., Weber, T., Chang, T.W. and Chang, N.T. (1988) Detection and purification of a recombinant human B lymphotropic virus (HHV6) in the baculovirus expression system by limiting dilution and DNA dot-blot hybridization. Journal of Virological Methods 19:33-42.
- Campbell, H.D., Ymer, S., Fung, M.C. and Young, I.G. (1985) Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the murine interleukin-3 gene. European Journal of Biochemistry 150:297-304.
- Hapel, A.J., Fung, M.C., Johnson, R.M., Young, I.G. and Metcalf, D. (1985) Biological properties of molecularly cloned and expressed murine interleukin-3. Blood 65:1453-1459.
- Fung, M.C., Hapel, A.J., Ymer, S., Cohen, D.R., Johnson, R.M., Campbell, H.D. and Young, I.G. (1984) Molecular cloning of cDNA for murine interleukin-3. Nature 307: 233-237.
Research Grants
Research Grants Council (RGC) Earmarked Grants
| 2001-2004 | Cercariae Stage Specific and Immunogenic Antigen of Schistosoma japonicum - HK$696,000 (Collaborator: Dr XG Chen) |
| 1998-2000 | Genetic Immunization against Toxoplasma gondii - HK$645,000 (Collaborators: Dr XG Chen and Dr KN Leung) |
| 1995-1996 | Molecular Cloning and Expression of the Helminth Excretory/Secretory Antigen (an Interleukin-5 like Molecule)- HK$531,000 (Collaborator: Dr Nai Ki Mak) |
| 1995-1996 | Biochemical and Immunological Characterization of Anti-leukemia drugs Isolated from Citrus species - HK$531,000 (Collaborators: Dr Nai Ki Mak, Dr YL Wong-Leung, and Dr Kwok Nam Leung) |
| 1994-1995 | Studies on Cardiovascular, Hepatoprotective and Cytokine Potentiating Activities of the Cultured Mycelial Products of Selected Mushroom Species - HK$743,000 (Collaborators: Dr VEC Ooi, Dr KW Chiu and Dr ST Chang) |
Industrial Support Fund
| 1995-1997 | Biodegradation of Indigo Dye (Cloning of Indigonase Gene and Obtaining a Thermostable Indigonase) - HK$1,320,000 (Collaborators: Dr Albert Y Chang, Dr Kai-Keung Mark, Dr Simon Kwong, Industry Department and the Biotechnology Committee) |
WHO Directors's Initiative Fund Research Grant
| 1999-2000 | Construction of the cDNA Library for Schistosoma japonicum cercariae - US$15,000 (Collaborators: Dr XG Chen, XH Zhou, H Li and HJ Peng) |
Commonwealth AIDS Research Grant
| 1991-1992 | Effects of Baculovirus Expressed HIV Glycoproteins on Haematopoesis - Aus$ 119,508 (Collaborators: AJ Hapel, and HC O'Neil) |
National Health and Medical Research Council
| 1990-1992 | The Role of HIV Envelope Glycoproteins in Viral Interference and Immunity - Aus$ 117,365 (Collaborator: AJ Hapel) |
Stanley Melbourne Bruce Fund
| 1988 | A Strategy to Combat AIDS - Aus$ 7,000 (Collaborator: AJ Hapel) |
Hong Kong University Grant Council (UGC) Direct Grants
| 2001-2002 | Interferon Alpha Subtypes and Antiviral Drugs - HK 24,773 |
| 2001-2002 | Cloning and expressiogene encoding Sj16, an anti-inflammatory protein from Schistosoma japonicum – HK$20,207 |
| 1999-2000 | Molecular Analysis of Different Interferon Alpha Subtypes - HK$32,516 |
| 1998-1999 | The Role of Prostaglandin D Synthase and Prostaglandin D in JCS Cell and Normal Bone Marrow Cell Differentiation - HK$53,107 (Collaborator: Dr NK Mak) |
| 1997-1998 | Studies of the Novel Genes Differentially Expressed during Myeloid Cell Differentiation and Embryo Development - HK$33,875 |
| 1996-1997 | Molecular Cloning of the Chitinase Gene from a Local Fungal Strain - HK$40,000 |
| 1995-1996 | Isolation of Chitinase Producing Soil Microbes and the Characterization of the Chitinolytic Enzyme - HK$30,000 |
Direct Grants of the Research Committee, CUHK
| 1994-1995 | Molecular Mechanism of TNF-a Induced Myeloid Leukemia Cell Differentiation - HK$53,000 |
| 1993-1994 | Molecular Analysis of the Immunoregulatory Effect of the Polysaccharide Bound Protein Complex on the Cytokine Gene Expression - HK$65,000 |
| 1992-1993 | Molecular Cloning of the Interleukin-5 (a cytokine) Like Molecule from the Helminth Parasite -- Taenia hydatigena (a tapeworm) and Fasicola hepatica (a liver fluke) - HK$100,000 |