【HKUMed Geneva Triumphs】 Gold Medal: Rapid Finger-Prick Blood Test for EBV-Associated Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

From #HKUMed Labs to Geneva Gold: nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is highly prevalent in southern China and Southeast Asia, yet current monitoring is often invasive, costly and too slow to catch relapse early.

HKUMed’s breakthrough diagnostic has been awarded Gold Medal with Jury Congratulations at the 51st International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.

Led by Prof. Victor Ho Fun LEE, together with Dr. Eymon Ka Chun Wu and Mr. Syrus Pak Hei LAI (Department of Clinical Oncology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, HKU), the team has developed a rapid, minimally invasive finger‑prick blood test based on a three-marker panel. It supports diagnosis, treatment monitoring and early relapse‑risk prediction, and demonstrates higher accuracy than conventional EBV DNA tests.

Patients can be monitored more comfortably, more frequently and with timely interventions that improve outcomes.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the invention, the team said:
“We learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic that nasoendoscopy could not be often performed because it is highly aerosol-generating. This may delay NPC diagnosis and prediction of its early relapse. We have been exploring an easier yet highly accurate point-of-care method for early diagnosis and treatment relapse prediction of NPC, so that its screening and diagnosis can be done even in community clinics in the near future.”

Congratulations to Prof. Lee and the team on this precision‑medicine milestone. The HKUMed Technology Transfer Unit | TTU is proud to accelerate its journey into clinics across Asia and beyond.

Learn more about the project: scan the QR code or click the link: https://lnkd.in/g7XHcvN7

Read the HKU full press release: https://lnkd.in/gCzi-RBK

 #HKUMed  #LKSFacultyOfMedicine  #NPC  #CancerDiagnostics  #PrecisionMedicine  #MedTech  #GenevaInventions  #GoldMedal  #Innovation