CUHK has long been actively supporting the national strategy of developing of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). On 15 July, it reached another important milestone by signing an agreement with the Nansha District Government and Guangzhou First People’s Hospital to jointly establish the Greater Bay Area Clinical Trial Centre (Guangzhou Nansha). The Centre aims to strengthen clinical research capabilities and healthcare quality and foster medical innovation across the GBA.

This new initiative combines the complementary strengths of the three partners: Nansha’s pioneering policy advantages, CUHK’s world-leading research capabilities, and Guangzhou First People’s Hospital’s comprehensive clinical resources and national-level clinical trial platform, through the joint establishment of a premier hub for Guangzhou-Hong Kong cross-boundary clinical research collaboration.

The Centre will focus on medical innovation and translational research. Its inaugural study will externally validate a CUHK-developed AI algorithm for the screening of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) using portable, radiation-free 3D surface topography. The technology enables automated, quantitative assessment of spinal deformities from back surface images, offering a safer and more accessible alternative to conventional X-ray screening, and facilitating early detection and intervention to improve adolescent spinal health.

Another flagship initiative will be a Phase I clinical trial of allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy for knee osteoarthritis. As degenerative joint disease is highly prevalent among middle-aged and older people, regenerative medicine may offer more effective treatment options. The MSC therapy involves the injection of donor-derived mesenchymal stem cells into the affected joints to reduce inflammation, relieve pain and potentially repair damaged cartilage.

Coinciding with the establishment of the Clinical Trial Centre, the GBA Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation Center was also inaugurated on the same day. Jointly developed by Guangzhou First People’s Hospital, the Nansha District Health Bureau and CUHK’s Faculty of Medicine, the Centre will focus on musculoskeletal disorders, sports injuries and scoliosis. Working in synergy with the Clinical Trial Centre, it will further advance clinical research and research translation in musculoskeletal disorders, and enhance rehabilitation services across the GBA.