News & Events
News & Events
Institut Pasteur Korea and Hong Kong University Pasteur Research Pole signed a MOU for collaborative research on the influenza viruses
2018-03-27
Pangyo, Gyeonggi, 14 March, 2018 | On 14 March, 2018, Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK, CEO: Dr. Wang-Shick Ryu) and Hong Kong University Pasteur Research Pole (HKU-PRP, Co-Director: Dr. Roberto Bruzzone) signed a MOU for collaborative research on the influenza viruses.
Every year, influenza – or flu – is responsible for three to five million severe cases and 250,000 to 500,000 deaths worldwide. Also, Influenza virus causes substantial social and economic losses not only by affecting job performance in healthy adults but also by increasing morbidity and mortality in high-risk group.
The influenza drug discovery program at Institut Pasteur Korea was established in 2012. Currently, the main research objective is to develop new treatments for emerging and re-emerging strains of influenza viruses. To this end, we are utilizing target-free chemical genomics and target-based approaches to understand the host-pathogen relationship in an effort to simultaneously identify new targets and potential lead therapeutic compounds. Whereas HKP-PRP have extended our exploration of virus-host interaction and host response to viral infection by combining clinical studies and basic research investigations to gain insight into the mechanistic aspects of disease pathogenesis and adaptive immunity for improved protection.
Dr. Wang-Shick Ryu, the CEO of IPK, said, ” I am confident that the close tie with HKU-PRP will offer us opportunities to engage in international scientific activities such as oversea grant application, scientific symposium as well as collaboration. In particular, the international leadership of HKU-PRP will position our influenza research to be more internationally recognizable and competitive.”
Dr. Roberto Bruzzone, Co-Director of HKU-PRP, said, "I am delighted to see this signing materialize the close relationship that HKU-Pasteur Research Pole and Institut Pasteur Korea have developed over the years. I am persuaded that our synergies in studying influenza and respiratory viruses from animal surveillance to drug discovery will enhance the impact of our work and our mission to mitigate the threat of these and other emerging viruses.”
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About Institut Pasteur Korea
Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK) is an international research institute focused on addressing global health issues with a combination of cutting edge approaches in order to understand disease mechanisms and develop new treatments. By promoting multi-disciplinary projects, IPK is at the forefront of drug discovery and an economic growth engine that contributes to Korea's scientific intellectual and technical resources. IPK has four core missions of public interest; 1) Research, combining front line biology, IT, and chemistry, with innovative cell-based drug discovery platforms that identify novel molecular targets for potential new therapies to treat diseases, 2) Education, offering a wide range of programming to nurture the development of the next generation of scientists and health professionals, 3) Public Health, working in collaboration with national and international health authorities, and 4) Translation of biomedical discoveries to improve health via technology transfer and industrial partnerships.
IPK is a member of the Institut Pasteur International Network (Network). As a hub institution, IPK plays a key role in the Network, serving as a bridge between Korea and global bio-pharma science, expanding Korea's R&D base collaborative research projects with global alliances.
The institute was established in April 2004 in collaboration with Institut Pasteur Paris and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT). IPK also has a great supporter in the Gyeonggi Provincial government (2005 – 2015 : Block funding | 2016 – Present : drug discovery co-research fund for pharm industries).
Every year, influenza – or flu – is responsible for three to five million severe cases and 250,000 to 500,000 deaths worldwide. Also, Influenza virus causes substantial social and economic losses not only by affecting job performance in healthy adults but also by increasing morbidity and mortality in high-risk group.
The influenza drug discovery program at Institut Pasteur Korea was established in 2012. Currently, the main research objective is to develop new treatments for emerging and re-emerging strains of influenza viruses. To this end, we are utilizing target-free chemical genomics and target-based approaches to understand the host-pathogen relationship in an effort to simultaneously identify new targets and potential lead therapeutic compounds. Whereas HKP-PRP have extended our exploration of virus-host interaction and host response to viral infection by combining clinical studies and basic research investigations to gain insight into the mechanistic aspects of disease pathogenesis and adaptive immunity for improved protection.
Dr. Wang-Shick Ryu, the CEO of IPK, said, ” I am confident that the close tie with HKU-PRP will offer us opportunities to engage in international scientific activities such as oversea grant application, scientific symposium as well as collaboration. In particular, the international leadership of HKU-PRP will position our influenza research to be more internationally recognizable and competitive.”
Dr. Roberto Bruzzone, Co-Director of HKU-PRP, said, "I am delighted to see this signing materialize the close relationship that HKU-Pasteur Research Pole and Institut Pasteur Korea have developed over the years. I am persuaded that our synergies in studying influenza and respiratory viruses from animal surveillance to drug discovery will enhance the impact of our work and our mission to mitigate the threat of these and other emerging viruses.”
# # # # # # # # # #
About Institut Pasteur Korea
Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK) is an international research institute focused on addressing global health issues with a combination of cutting edge approaches in order to understand disease mechanisms and develop new treatments. By promoting multi-disciplinary projects, IPK is at the forefront of drug discovery and an economic growth engine that contributes to Korea's scientific intellectual and technical resources. IPK has four core missions of public interest; 1) Research, combining front line biology, IT, and chemistry, with innovative cell-based drug discovery platforms that identify novel molecular targets for potential new therapies to treat diseases, 2) Education, offering a wide range of programming to nurture the development of the next generation of scientists and health professionals, 3) Public Health, working in collaboration with national and international health authorities, and 4) Translation of biomedical discoveries to improve health via technology transfer and industrial partnerships.
IPK is a member of the Institut Pasteur International Network (Network). As a hub institution, IPK plays a key role in the Network, serving as a bridge between Korea and global bio-pharma science, expanding Korea's R&D base collaborative research projects with global alliances.
The institute was established in April 2004 in collaboration with Institut Pasteur Paris and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT). IPK also has a great supporter in the Gyeonggi Provincial government (2005 – 2015 : Block funding | 2016 – Present : drug discovery co-research fund for pharm industries).