Biography
Leung, Yu-Leong Victor 梁宇亮
PhD (HKU), BSc (Hons)
Scientific Officer
Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology
The University of Hong Kong
Director, Intervertebral Disc Biology & Regenerative Engineering Research
Biography
Dr. Leung received Ph.D. in molecular and developmental genetics in The University of Hong Kong and later training in Rush Medical College and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, specializing in spine biology and regeneration. He joined The University of Hong Kong as faculty and was appointed as the Director of the Intervertebral Disc Biology & Regenerative Engineering Program. He was the recipient of 2010 Webster Jee Young Investigator Award of the International Chinese Musculoskeletal Research Society, and a standing member of the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Consortium, and Centre for Reproduction, Development and Growth of HKU. He has been an active member and served in the committee of the Orthopedic Research Society. Current research interests include understanding the inflammation and fibrosis pathways in intervertebral disc degeneration and other joint diseases; understanding gene function in disc development and homeostasis; discovery of novel biologics to modify joint degeneration; engineering progenitors or harnessing their activity to restore skeletal function; and regulation of circadian rhythm in chondrocytes.
Area of research
1. Pathophysiology of the spine and other skeletal disorders
2. Gene function and its interaction with environmental factors in musculoskeletal system
3. Regenerative medicine and bioengineering for joint degeneration
Current study focus
1. Regulation of inflammation and fibrogenesis in joint degeneration and its impact on progenitors
2. Role of cell adhesion and mechanosensing in spine development and homeostasis
3. Oxidative and hypoxic stress mediated pathways in spinal deformity
4. Small molecules and stem cell approaches for modifying osteoarthritis and disc degeneration
5. Fatty acid metabolism and its implication in intervertebral disc senescence and degeneration
Selected publications
1. Sun Y, Tam WK, Zhu M, Lu Q, Yu M, Hsu Y, Chen P, Zhang P, Lyu M, Huang Y, Zheng Z, Zhang X, Leung VY#. MMP12-dependent myofibroblast formation contributes to nucleus pulposus fibrosis. JCI Insight. In press.
2. Zhu M, Wu SC, Tam, WK, Wong CK, Liao P, Cheah KS, Chan D, James AW, Leung VY#. Biglycan fragment modulates TGF-β activity in intervertebral disc via an eIF6-coupled intracellular path. (2025) Science Advances. 11 doi:10.1126/sciadv.adq8545
3. Sun Y, Su N, Peng Y, So KK, Lu Q, Lyu M., Lyu F., Huang YC, Guan Z, Zheng Z, Zuo J, Cheung KM, Zhang X, Leung VY#. Fibrocyte enrichment and myofibroblastic adaptation causes nucleus pulposus fibrosis and associates with disc degeneration severity. (2025) Bone Research. 13, 10. doi: 10.1038/s41413-024-00372-2
4 Tam WK, Cheung JP, Koljonen PA, Kwan KY, Cheung KM, Leung VY#. (2022) Slow twitch paraspinal muscle dysregulation in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis exhibiting HIF-2α misexpression. JOR Spine. Nov 2;5(4):e1227. doi: 10.1002/jsp2.1227.
5. Sun Y, Tsui YK, Yu M, Lyu M, Cheung KM, Kao RY, Leung VY# (2022) Integration of miniaturized DMMB assay with high-throughput screening for identifying regulators of proteoglycan metabolism. Scientific Reports. 12, 1083
6. Au TY, Lam TK, Peng Y, Wynn SL, Cheung KM, Cheah KS, Leung VY# (2020) Transformation of resident notochord-descendent nucleus pulposus cells in mouse injury-induced fibrotic intervertebral discs. Aging Cell. Oct 21; doi: 10.1111/acel.13254.
7. Lv F, Cheung KM, Zheng Z, Wang H, Sakai D, and Leung VY# (2019) Intervertebral Disc Stem/ Progenitor Cells: A New Horizon For Understanding Disc Homeostasis And Repair. Nature Reviews Rheumatology. Feb;15(2):102-112. doi: 10.1038/s41584-018-0154-x.
8. Lv FJ, Peng Y, Lim FL, Sun Y, Lv M, Zhou L, Wang H, Zheng Z, Cheung KM, and Leung VY# (2016) Matrix metalloproteinase 12 is an indicator of intervertebral disc degeneration co-expressed with fibrotic markers. Osteoarthritis Cartilage, 24: 1826-1836.
9. Leung VY, Aladin DM, Lv F, Tam V, Sun Y, Lau RY, Hung SC, Ngan AH, Tang B, Lim CT, Wu EX, Luk KD, Lu WW, Masuda K, Chan D, and Cheung KM. (2014) Mesenchymal stem cells reduce intervertebral disc fibrosis and facilitate repair. Stem Cells 32, 2164-2177.
10. Huang S*, Leung VY*, Long D, Chan D, Lu WW, Cheung KM, and Zhou G. (2013) Coupling of small leucine-rich proteoglycans to hypoxic survival of a progenitor cell-like subpopulation in Rhesus Macaque intervertebral disc. Biomaterials 34, 6548-6558 (*co-first author).
Active RGC/External Projects
| Project Title | Funding Source | Award year |
| Developing a primitive human nucleus pulposus cell line capable of differentiation via inducible N-cadherin gene editing | Health and Medical Research Fund | 2022 |
| Establishing a genetically inducible human-like lumbar disc degeneration model in mice | General Research Fund | 2020 |
| Inflammation induced cell dedifferentiation program in vertebral joint degeneration | General Research Fund | 2019 |
| Target identification of a novel small molecule capable of modifying intervertebral disc degeneration | Innovation and Technology Fund -MRP | 2018 |
Contact
Email: vicleung@hku.hk
Tel: (852) 3917 6985
Fax: (852) 2818 5210
Office: L9-12, 9/F, Laboratory Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong