
Hong Kong Hosts World's Largest ISSCR Stem Cell Gathering for the First Time
The four-day meeting held on June 11-14 gathers more than 2,400 local and international experts in stem cell research and regenerative medicine from 58 countries and regions, from Asia to North America, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and Mainland China. Pioneers share the latest advances in the field, with topics spanning the field of regenerative medicine including topics such as advances in cell therapies, fundamental discoveries, understanding disease processes and more.
Dr Peter Lam, HKTB Chairman, said, 'The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is a globally leading organisation in medical sciences and research, and its annual meeting is one of the world's most significant international academic conventions in medical science. Hong Kong is the first city chosen to host this annual event in Asia after a 13-year hiatus, underscoring the city's status as the 'World's Meeting Place'. I am grateful for the active participation of the Hong Kong Convention Ambassadors from the three local universities, who leveraged their influence and network during the bidding for the host of the event to make the event come true. We are also delighted to see that more professionals from a wider range of expertise are joining HKTB's league of Convention Ambassadors, and we believe their participation can help identify and contribute to the staging of more significant international events in Hong Kong.'
Valentina Greco, ISSCR President, remarked, 'Hosting ISSCR 2025 in Hong Kong marks a defining moment for global stem cell science. As a vibrant research hub at the crossroads of Asia and the world, Hong Kong offers an ideal setting to connect diverse scientific communities, spark new collaborations, and accelerate innovation. The ISSCR is deeply grateful to the city of Hong Kong and to our generous co-sponsors – the University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology – for their support and commitment to bringing The Global Stem Cell Event to this beautiful city. With the unwavering support of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, these three leading universities, and inspired leadership from our 2025 Annual Meeting Program Committee, this meeting exemplifies the power of partnership and shared vision. We are proud to return to Asia for the first time in more than a decade at a time when our collective progress in stem cell research and regenerative medicine and to advancing therapies that have life altering impact on patients depends on the exchange of bold ideas across borders.'
The extensive programme features plenary sessions, concurrent tracks, poster presentations, and networking opportunities. Contributing to the success of the event, the HKTB has provided comprehensive support, from arranging reconnaissance to venue sourcing, bid proposal, network support and more.
Hong Kong Convention Ambassador Programme Aligns a Record Lineup of 180 Industry Leaders
HKTB hosted the 'Hong Kong Conference Ambassador Appreciation Night' last year to honor the contributions of the ambassadors in reinforcing Hong Kong as a 'World Meeting Place'
Hong Kong Convention Ambassadors from the Mainland recently participated in a business forum.
HKCAs have been instrumental in winning the ISSCR 2025 Annual Meeting for Hong Kong. Launched in 2020 by the HKTB as a strategic initiative, the HKCA programme recruits high-level representatives of Hong Kong's eight universities, chambers of commerce, professional organisations, public bodies, industrial entities and professional societies to act as ambassadors for Hong Kong's convention sector. With their professional influence and networks, HKCAs have led efforts to bring in events ranging from medical sciences to innovation and technology (I&T), financial services, aviation, transportation and more. The close collaboration between HKCAs and the HKTB has proven effective in promoting Hong Kong as a premier hub for world-class conventions.
As an alliance of distinguished local and Mainland leaders in business, medicine, professional services, I&T and other fields, the HKCA programme has been growing from strength to strength, with 72 new members in the latest record-sized cohort for the 2025-2026 term, taking the total to about 180, some 30% more than the previous cohort.
Among the 76 international events for 2025 to 2027 lined up by the HKTB, with an estimated attendance of over 180,000 MICE visitor arrivals and 27 resulted from HKCAs' efforts. The events cover diverse fields ranging from I&T to aviation and medical sciences. Some are held in Hong Kong for the first time, including IEEE Electron Devices Technology and Manufacturing Conference held in March 2025, Routes World in September 2025 and World Cancer Congress 2026.
The HKTB is committed to working closely with HKCAs to welcome more world-class events to Hong Kong, attracting high-yield overnight business visitors to the city and reinforcing the city's status as the world's meeting place.
Large-scale conventions facilitated by Hong Kong Convention Ambassadors:
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The Star
6 days ago
- The Star
How Covid-19 triggered more skin allergies
Childhood eczema – a condition that causes the skin to become inflamed, dry, itchy and bumpy – is a constant source of worry for parents. Children can scratch until they bleed, they can't sleep, and they may end up often skipping nursery or school. When the child itches and cries uncontrollably, parents are at their wits' end, not knowing how to pacify their young one. The lives of the child and parents are seriously affected. Conventional treatment includes applying topical corticosteroids and emollients to restore skin integrity. While eczema can affect anyone at any age, symptoms usually appear during early childhood. There is no cure for eczema, but the condition may improve after childhood. However, 30% will persist into adulthood or even emerge suddenly for the first time in later life. Globally, roughly one in five adults have some sort of skin allergy, hypersensitivity or eczema. Of late, a number of studies have highlighted the close relationship between gut dysbiosis and a variety of skin conditions, including eczema, acne, urticaria, psoriasis and hair loss. Gut dysbiosis is an imbalance in the composition and function of the microbiome. It can involve a decrease in beneficial bacteria, an overgrowth of potentially harmful bacteria, or a reduction in overall microbial diversity. The human gut microbiome refers to the trillions of microbes, such as bacteria, fungi and other microbes that live in our intestines. This community of microbes is also known as the microbiota. The gut microbiome is unique to each individual as infants inherit their first gut microbes during vaginal delivery or breastfeeding. Later, diet and other environmental exposures introduce new microorganisms to your microbiome. Some of these exposures can harm and diminish the microbiota. The interrelationship between gut microbes and skin conditions is known as the gut-skin axis. Atopic dermatitis, a common form of eczema, has been specifically linked to gut dysbiosis. This imbalance, detected through stool samples, often involves a decrease in beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium breve and Bifidobacterium bifidum . More emerging evidence is also showing that the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in regulating the immune system. 'Hyper-hygienic' ways The skin – our body's largest organ – plays a vital role in the immune system by acting as a physical barrier against pathogens, as well as housing its own immune cells. An imbalance in our gut microbiome can have negative consequences on other organs, including the skin. — TNS As 70% of our immune system lies in the gut, an imbalance in the gut microbiome will indirectly influence the immune cells on the skin as well. Intent on investigating this link, a team of gut microbiome researchers from The Chinese University of Hong Kong's (CUHK's) Medicine Faculty set out to explore the burden of eczema in Hong Kong and its underlying causes in a large-scale study. They analysed data from 1,152 children aged between one and four years, and found a 46% rise in the incidence of allergy in toddlers born in Hong Kong during the Covid-19 pandemic, compared to before the pandemic. By sequencing 700 infant stool samples, they also found that the amount of beneficial bacteria associated with immunity in the gut of babies born during the pandemic were less than in those born pre-pandemic. The alarming findings were published last year (2024) in the journal Gut Microbes . 'We found babies born during the pandemic had something bad going on in their gut. 'There was a depletion in richness of microbiome diversity, even now after the pandemic. 'These babies were not exposed to normal bugs because it was a very sterile environment during Covid-19 – we wore masks, washed or disinfected our hands constantly and sterilised spaces. 'We also used a lot of antibiotics and socially isolated ourselves, which changed our immune system. 'Due to these reasons, we are now seeing an increase in skin allergy conditions in children,' explains study co-investigator and gastroenterologist Professor Dr Siew C. Ng. This higher incidence of eczema correlated directly with a 72% drop in B. breve , a strain integral in helping the infant gut and immune system to develop and mature. Extreme hygiene practices during the pandemic had literally wiped out B. breve , leading to weaker immune systems, higher risks of allergies and gut issues. The team also found that pandemic-born babies were three times more prone to harbouring bad bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, which are resistant to antibiotics. Additionally, the mode of birth governs the type of bacteria found in the gut. She explains: 'Infants born vaginally may have Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains, but if they came out via a caesarean birth, they would have acquired bacteria from the nurses' skin, hospital bed sheets, air conditioner, etc. 'A common strain found here is Staphylococcus that can cause gut dysbiosis. 'Hence, caesarean babies are more likely to have eczema.' ALSO READ: Rubbing mum's vaginal fluid on caesarean section babies helps gut health Basically, how you were born and what you were fed makes a difference. As previous research had already shown that breastfed babies had better balanced gut bacteria, the team decided to exclude them from their study. Prof Ng, who is also the Medicine Faculty's associate dean, says: 'Gut microbes need to be happy to talk to your skin and brain, but if in your early life, you already don't have enough good bugs and your immune system is imbalanced, then we're going to see a higher rate of skin allergies in the future.' She adds: 'Unlike Lactobacillus, which you can get from foods such as yoghurt, B. breve is not easily obtained from the diet. 'It's usually from the mother and the environment, so the only way to get it is through oral supplementation.' 'We then took these babies with mild, moderate and severe eczema, and gave them a patented microencapsulated formula, which can withstand stomach acid. 'To develop the formula, we used Asian people's data because our diet is very different from Caucasians, and artificial intelligence to pick out which bacterium was depleted in children or adults with eczema. 'Then we identified the right ratio. "It contains B. breve and B. bifidum , the two most important strains for children to develop the immune system.' Surprising discovery After three months of daily supplementation, the researchers found that all the babies with moderate eczema had their condition turn mild and half of those with severe eczema had turned moderate. Prof Ng says our extremely hygienic environment during Covid-19 has led to a decrease in beneficial gut bacteria in early life. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star The subjects' sleep patterns were much better, their quality of life improved and parents were delighted. Says Prof Ng: 'We checked their stool samples before and after supplementation, and discovered that not only were the Bifidobacterium strains higher, but surprisingly, other good bacteria also started blooming, so their gut ecosystem was richer.' Based on metagenomic sequencing – the direct genetic analysis of genomes contained within an environmental sample – the researchers found an increase in 23 types of beneficial bacteria in the gut. 'These two strains actually do more than just colonise the gut; they changed the environment to become healthier, and that improved the immune system and reduced eczema,' she says. The results of this study were published in the journal Scientific Reports last year (2024). While some children started displaying symptoms again upon stopping the formula, others were fine and managed to wean off the formula. 'We've been following these children and are going to start a second clinical study soon. 'I actually suspect we need to colonise these bacteria for a longer duration. 'Perhaps then they can reduce flare-ups, eliminate eczema or reduce reliance on steroids or biologics,' she says. The formula is now available as probiotics in sachet form at selected Malaysian pharmacies. Prof Ng, who has published over 350 papers in international journals, says that as we grow older, there is a drop in these two strains. 'We found that those lacking in Bifidobacterium strains are prone to certain illnesses and are more likely to be infected with Covid-19. "When they get it, their symptoms are also more severe. 'It's all to do with the immune system, although the virus is external.' she says. Read StarHealth on July 13 (2025) for more on CUHK's research on restoring the gut microbiota to address long Covid.


The Sun
11-06-2025
- The Sun
Hong Kong Hosts World's Largest ISSCR Stem Cell Gathering for the First Time
HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 11 June 2025 - Reputed to be a leading research and development (R&D) hub for medical sciences, Hong Kong hosts the world's largest and most significant gathering of stem cell research and regenerative medicine, the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2025 Annual Meeting. The event is brought to Hong Kong for the first time, thanks to the joint effort of three local universities – The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, which are appointed organisations under the Hong Kong Convention Ambassador (HKCA) programme of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). The four-day meeting held on June 11-14 gathers more than 2,400 local and international experts in stem cell research and regenerative medicine from 58 countries and regions, from Asia to North America, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and Mainland China. Pioneers share the latest advances in the field, with topics spanning the field of regenerative medicine including topics such as advances in cell therapies, fundamental discoveries, understanding disease processes and more. Dr Peter Lam, HKTB Chairman, said, 'The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is a globally leading organisation in medical sciences and research, and its annual meeting is one of the world's most significant international academic conventions in medical science. Hong Kong is the first city chosen to host this annual event in Asia after a 13-year hiatus, underscoring the city's status as the 'World's Meeting Place'. I am grateful for the active participation of the Hong Kong Convention Ambassadors from the three local universities, who leveraged their influence and network during the bidding for the host of the event to make the event come true. We are also delighted to see that more professionals from a wider range of expertise are joining HKTB's league of Convention Ambassadors, and we believe their participation can help identify and contribute to the staging of more significant international events in Hong Kong.' Valentina Greco, ISSCR President, remarked, 'Hosting ISSCR 2025 in Hong Kong marks a defining moment for global stem cell science. As a vibrant research hub at the crossroads of Asia and the world, Hong Kong offers an ideal setting to connect diverse scientific communities, spark new collaborations, and accelerate innovation. The ISSCR is deeply grateful to the city of Hong Kong and to our generous co-sponsors – the University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology – for their support and commitment to bringing The Global Stem Cell Event to this beautiful city. With the unwavering support of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, these three leading universities, and inspired leadership from our 2025 Annual Meeting Program Committee, this meeting exemplifies the power of partnership and shared vision. We are proud to return to Asia for the first time in more than a decade at a time when our collective progress in stem cell research and regenerative medicine and to advancing therapies that have life altering impact on patients depends on the exchange of bold ideas across borders.' The extensive programme features plenary sessions, concurrent tracks, poster presentations, and networking opportunities. Contributing to the success of the event, the HKTB has provided comprehensive support, from arranging reconnaissance to venue sourcing, bid proposal, network support and more. Hong Kong Convention Ambassador Programme Aligns a Record Lineup of 180 Industry Leaders HKTB hosted the 'Hong Kong Conference Ambassador Appreciation Night' last year to honor the contributions of the ambassadors in reinforcing Hong Kong as a 'World Meeting Place' Hong Kong Convention Ambassadors from the Mainland recently participated in a business forum. HKCAs have been instrumental in winning the ISSCR 2025 Annual Meeting for Hong Kong. Launched in 2020 by the HKTB as a strategic initiative, the HKCA programme recruits high-level representatives of Hong Kong's eight universities, chambers of commerce, professional organisations, public bodies, industrial entities and professional societies to act as ambassadors for Hong Kong's convention sector. With their professional influence and networks, HKCAs have led efforts to bring in events ranging from medical sciences to innovation and technology (I&T), financial services, aviation, transportation and more. The close collaboration between HKCAs and the HKTB has proven effective in promoting Hong Kong as a premier hub for world-class conventions. As an alliance of distinguished local and Mainland leaders in business, medicine, professional services, I&T and other fields, the HKCA programme has been growing from strength to strength, with 72 new members in the latest record-sized cohort for the 2025-2026 term, taking the total to about 180, some 30% more than the previous cohort. Among the 76 international events for 2025 to 2027 lined up by the HKTB, with an estimated attendance of over 180,000 MICE visitor arrivals and 27 resulted from HKCAs' efforts. The events cover diverse fields ranging from I&T to aviation and medical sciences. Some are held in Hong Kong for the first time, including IEEE Electron Devices Technology and Manufacturing Conference held in March 2025, Routes World in September 2025 and World Cancer Congress 2026. The HKTB is committed to working closely with HKCAs to welcome more world-class events to Hong Kong, attracting high-yield overnight business visitors to the city and reinforcing the city's status as the world's meeting place. Large-scale conventions facilitated by Hong Kong Convention Ambassadors:


Malay Mail
11-06-2025
- Malay Mail
Hong Kong Hosts World's Largest ISSCR Stem Cell Gathering for the First Time
Some 2,400 stem cell and regenerative medicine pioneers convene to chart new frontiers, resulting from bidding efforts of Hong Kong Convention Ambassadors of the Hong Kong Tourism Board The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, which are appointed organisations under the Hong Kong Convention Ambassador (HKCA) programme of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 11 June 2025 - Reputed to be a leading research and development (R&D) hub for medical sciences, Hong Kong hosts the world's largest and most significant gathering of stem cell research and regenerative medicine, the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2025 Annual Meeting. The event is brought to Hong Kong for the first time, thanks to the joint effort of three local universities –, which are appointed organisations under the Hong Kong Convention Ambassador (HKCA) programme of the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB). The four-day meeting held on June 11-14 gathers more than 2,400 local and international experts in stem cell research and regenerative medicine from 58 countries and regions, from Asia to North America, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and Mainland China. Pioneers share the latest advances in the field, with topics spanning the field of regenerative medicine including topics such as advances in cell therapies, fundamental discoveries, understanding disease processes and more. The four-day meeting held on June 11-14 gathers more than 2,400 local and international experts in stem cell research and regenerative medicine from 58 countries and regions, from Asia to North America, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and Mainland China. Pioneers share the latest advances in the field, with topics spanning the field of regenerative medicine including topics such as advances in cell therapies, fundamental discoveries, understanding disease processes and more. Dr Peter Lam, HKTB Chairman, said, "The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is a globally leading organisation in medical sciences and research, and its annual meeting is one of the world's most significant international academic conventions in medical science. Hong Kong is the first city chosen to host this annual event in Asia after a 13-year hiatus, underscoring the city's status as the 'World's Meeting Place'. I am grateful for the active participation of the Hong Kong Convention Ambassadors from the three local universities, who leveraged their influence and network during the bidding for the host of the event to make the event come true. We are also delighted to see that more professionals from a wider range of expertise are joining HKTB's league of Convention Ambassadors, and we believe their participation can help identify and contribute to the staging of more significant international events in Hong Kong." Valentina Greco, ISSCR President, remarked, "Hosting ISSCR 2025 in Hong Kong marks a defining moment for global stem cell science. As a vibrant research hub at the crossroads of Asia and the world, Hong Kong offers an ideal setting to connect diverse scientific communities, spark new collaborations, and accelerate innovation. The ISSCR is deeply grateful to the city of Hong Kong and to our generous co-sponsors – the University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology – for their support and commitment to bringing The Global Stem Cell Event to this beautiful city. With the unwavering support of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, these three leading universities, and inspired leadership from our 2025 Annual Meeting Program Committee, this meeting exemplifies the power of partnership and shared vision. We are proud to return to Asia for the first time in more than a decade at a time when our collective progress in stem cell research and regenerative medicine and to advancing therapies that have life altering impact on patients depends on the exchange of bold ideas across borders." The extensive programme features plenary sessions, concurrent tracks, poster presentations, and networking opportunities. Contributing to the success of the event, the HKTB has provided comprehensive support, from arranging reconnaissance to venue sourcing, bid proposal, network support and more. Hong Kong Convention Ambassador Programme Aligns a Record Lineup of 180 Industry Leaders HKTB hosted the "Hong Kong Conference Ambassador Appreciation Night" last year to honor the contributions of the ambassadors in reinforcing Hong Kong as a 'World Meeting Place' Hong Kong Convention Ambassadors from the Mainland recently participated in a business forum. HKCAs have been instrumental in winning the ISSCR 2025 Annual Meeting for Hong Kong. Launched in 2020 by the HKTB as a strategic initiative, the HKCA programme recruits high-level representatives of Hong Kong's eight universities, chambers of commerce, professional organisations, public bodies, industrial entities and professional societies to act as ambassadors for Hong Kong's convention sector. With their professional influence and networks, HKCAs have led efforts to bring in events ranging from medical sciences to innovation and technology (I&T), financial services, aviation, transportation and more. The close collaboration between HKCAs and the HKTB has proven effective in promoting Hong Kong as a premier hub for world-class conventions. HKCAs have been instrumental in winning the ISSCR 2025 Annual Meeting for Hong Kong. Launched in 2020 by the HKTB as a strategic initiative, the HKCA programme recruits high-level representatives of Hong Kong's eight universities, chambers of commerce, professional organisations, public bodies, industrial entities and professional societies to act as ambassadors for Hong Kong's convention sector. With their professional influence and networks, HKCAs have led efforts to bring in events ranging from medical sciences to innovation and technology (I&T), financial services, aviation, transportation and more. The close collaboration between HKCAs and the HKTB has proven effective in promoting Hong Kong as a premier hub for world-class conventions. As an alliance of distinguished local and Mainland leaders in business, medicine, professional services, I&T and other fields, the HKCA programme has been growing from strength to strength, with 72 new members in the latest record-sized cohort for the 2025-2026 term, taking the total to about 180, some 30% more than the previous cohort. Among the 76 international events for 2025 to 2027 lined up by the HKTB, with an estimated attendance of over 180,000 MICE visitor arrivals and 27 resulted from HKCAs' efforts. The events cover diverse fields ranging from I&T to aviation and medical sciences. Some are held in Hong Kong for the first time, including IEEE Electron Devices Technology and Manufacturing Conference held in March 2025, Routes World in September 2025 and World Cancer Congress 2026. The HKTB is committed to working closely with HKCAs to welcome more world-class events to Hong Kong, attracting high-yield overnight business visitors to the city and reinforcing the city's status as the world's meeting place. Large-scale conventions facilitated by Hong Kong Convention Ambassadors: Date Events (*first-ever in Hong Kong) Theme/Sector March 2025 IEEE Electron Devices Technology and Manufacturing Conference * Innovation & Technology May 2025 IEEE International Conference on Data Engineering Innovation & Technology Jun 2025 International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Annual Meeting* Medical sciences Sep 2025 Routes World* Aviation Dec 2025 The International Society of Sport Psychology 16th World Congress Sports & Medical sciences 2026 Asia-Pacific Association for International Education 2026 Conference and Exhibition Education 2026 17th Asian Congress of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Medical sciences 2026 Asian Venture Philanthropy Network Conference Philanthropy 2026 International Federation of Landscape Architects World Congress Architecture 2026 Lions International Convention Social Services 2026 The Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly Sports 2026 The Council Meeting of the Asian Patent Attorneys Association Intellectual property 2026 World Cancer Congress* Medical sciences 2027 International Association for Energy Economics Annual International Conference Economics 2027 Lions Clubs International Orient and Southeast Asian Lions Forum Social Services 2027 World Organization of Family Doctors Asia Pacific Regional Conference Medical sciences Hashtag: #HKTB The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.