Noma, a deadly, rapidly progressing, non-contagious infection that destroys the soft tissues and bones of the mouth and face, remains one of the world’s most neglected diseases. With a mortality rate of 80 to 90% if left untreated, the disease mainly affects young children living in extreme poverty and was only added to the World Health Organization’s list of neglected tropical diseases in 2023.

Researchers from the LKS Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) have found that using a commonly used pain killer (paracetamol or acetaminophen) during pregnancy does not increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention‑deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. This represents the first study in Hong Kong to apply a rigorous sibling-matched approach to compare siblings from the same mother to effectively account for shared genetic and environmental influences. The findings, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, offer timely reassurance for expectant mothers and clinicians in Hong Kong and globally regarding the safety of paracetamol use during pregnancy.

Researchers at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) have uncovered a critical, underrecognized trade-off in global environmental policies: while essential for improving public health, large-scale air pollution reductions are unintentionally intensifying warm-season surface urban heat islands (UHI) in humid climates. Published in the prestigious journal Nature Cities, the findings highlight the urgent need for integrated policies that address both air quality and urban heat adaptation, particularly in rapidly urbanising, humid regions.

The on-going evolution of SARS-CoV-2, particularly the rapid emergence of the Omicron variant and its sub-lineages, has weakened the effectiveness of existing vaccines and antiviral drugs, underscoring the potential risk of future coronavirus pandemics. In response, a joint research team from the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) and the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Tsinghua University has developed MB-32, a novel broad-spectrum small-molecule antiviral drug candidate. By targeting ACE2—a key receptor on the surface of human cells—MB-32 blocks coronavirus entry while preserving ACE2’s normal physiological functions, offering a new host-targeting strategy that is less vulnerable to viral mutations. The findings were published in the international journal Nature Communications.