Jiaohua Su Professorship in Paediatric Oncology and Transplant

Professor Wenwei Tu is a Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). Since joining HKU in 2006, he has built a highly regarded translational immunology research programme focusing on cancer immunotherapy, infection, transplantation, and immune regulation. His innovative contributions have earned him an outstanding international reputation, and in 2016 he was awarded the Chang Jiang Scholar Chair Professorship in Paediatrics by the Ministry of Education of China.

Professor Tu is widely recognised for his pioneering work on human γδ T-cells and their therapeutic applications. His laboratory has made major advances in defining the antiviral and antitumour functions of γδ T-cells and in developing γδ T-cell and γδ T-cell exosome-based immunotherapy platforms. He provided a proof-of-concept for a host-directed influenza treatment strategy that enhances γδ T-cell immunity, reducing the risk of viral drug resistance. His team also showed that pamidronate, a long-established osteoporosis drug, can boost γδ T-cell immunity against EBV-associated tumours, demonstrating a promising “new use of an old drug” approach that was highlighted in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In collaboration with colleagues in Mainland China, Professor Tu’s team conducted the world’s first clinical trial using allogeneic γδ T-cells to treat lung and liver cancers, demonstrating clinical safety and improved survival in patients with late-stage disease. His research has also uncovered key metabolic mechanisms regulating γδ T-cell antitumour activity, including the effects of fatty acids and dysregulated glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetes. More recently, he has pioneered γδ T-cell exosome-based antitumour strategies, including tumour vaccines and photosensitive hybrid exosome therapies. These innovations received two Gold Medals with Jury Commendations at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva in 2025, and one technology was selected as one of Hong Kong’s Top 10 Innovation and Technology News in 2025.

Another major area of Professor Tu’s work is the development of alloantigen-specific regulatory T-cells to induce immune tolerance in transplantation, graft-versus-host disease, and autoimmune disorders. He was also the first scholar in Greater China to establish a humanised mouse model, creating a valuable platform for studying human immunity, cancer, vaccines, stem cell biology, and infectious diseases.

Professor Tu has filed 15 patents, 12 of which have been granted in the USA, Europe, and China. He serves on the editorial boards of leading journals and reviews for major funding bodies in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and overseas. He has supervised 35 postgraduate students, trained around 20 research fellows, and received the HKU Outstanding Research Student Supervisor Award in 2025. Through leadership roles including President of the Hong Kong Society of Immunology and General Secretary of the International Alliance of Academicians, he actively promotes scientific exchange and Hong Kong’s global profile in biomedical innovation.