HKU's landmark study advances treatment for common cold

Cheng Wong

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong's medical school have created the world's first human respiratory organoids, enabling the cultivation of the previously uncultivable human rhinovirus C.

This breakthrough is crucial for advancing the development of vaccines and treatments for this virus.

HRV is the leading cause of common colds, responsible for about 40 percent of cases, significantly surpassing influenza, at 14 percent, and Covid-19 at 15 percent.

Furthermore, HRV is associated with more severe respiratory issues, including wheezing and exacerbation of asthma.

Jane Zhou Jie, assistant professor in the HKUMed Department of Microbiology, said that clinical approaches to HRV-C have largely centered on supportive care, with a notable absence of targeted therapies.

This gap poses a significant challenge for public health.

Over the past two decades, more than 60 subtypes of HRV-C have been identified, yet none have been successfully replicated or cultured in standard laboratory cell lines.

To develop effective vaccines and treatments, researchers must isolate the virus from clinical specimens and culture it in these conventional cell lines.

The HKUMed research team, led by Zhou and in collaboration with Hans Clevers from the Hubrecht Institute, dedicated seven years to developing the first organoid culture system that closely mimics the human respiratory epithelium.

This organoid has broad applications for modeling respiratory diseases, as well as for vaccine and drug development.

The development of a related vaccine is expected to take about five to 10 years.