• Cell Therapy
• Musculoskeletal Aging
• Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

1) Advancing cell therapy for musculoskeletal problems: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are at the forefront of regenerative medicine. Wayne Lee’s research addresses the hurdles persist in bench to bedside translation by providing a GMP-compliant and innovative manufacturing platform that facilitate clinical trials, while also exploring new indications for MSCs therapy.

2) Uncovering new implications of osteocytes in musculoskeletal problems: Osteocytes remain underexplored as therapeutic targets, with limited global and local attention. At CUHK, Wayne has developed a research platform to enable in-depth investigations into osteocyte biology and its implications in age-related bone loss, knee osteoarthritis and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Wayne Lee obtained his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in 2009 and subsequently pursued postdoctoral training in the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at CUHK, focusing on cell therapy. He has published over 133 articles in peer-reviewed international journals (Scopus H-index: 38), including as corresponding author in top-tier journals such as Arthritis & Rheumatology, Cell Death & Differentiation, Science Advances, EClinicalMedicine, Aging Cell, and Bioactive Materials. His research has received funding support from the GRF, HMRF, ITF, InnoHK, and the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR). Wayne serves on the Youth Committee of the Journal of Orthopaedic Translation and acts as a reviewer for numerous international journals and renowned research societies, including the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) and ASBMR. He is currently the Co-Director of the Joint Scoliosis Research Society of CUHK and Nanjing University.

From 2022 to 2025, Wayne served as the Site Authorized Person of the ATP GMP Center at the Hong Kong Institute of Biotechnology, where he assisted in obtaining the first local institution-led manufacturing license for ATP and facilitated the release of several CAR-T products for local clinical trials. His focuses on three major areas of orthopaedics with significant clinical relevance: (a) elucidating the mechanisms underlying disease progression in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and developing novel prognostic models for curve prediction and personalized interventions; (b) investigating the roles of understudied osteocytes in age-related musculoskeletal problems; and (c) developing GMP-compliant advanced cell therapy solutions for musculoskeletal disorders.

1. 中華醫學科技獎三等獎, 中華醫學會 (2021)
2. ASBMR 2020 Rising Star Award, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (2020)
3. Shihao Liu-Xianyi Zhu Memorial Best Paper Award, 9th International Conference on Osteoporosis and Bone Research (2018)
4. Best Paper Recognition Award, International Combined Meeting of Orthopaedic Research Societies (2016)

1. Dehghan-Baniani D, Mehrjou B, Li Y, Jiang Z, Lu X, Xiao Y, Chen H, Yiu TL, Wang CC, Wu H, Li G, Chu PK, Lee WYW. ChitoSilkBioPatch: A bio-inspired wound dressing scaffold for antibiotic-free diabetic wound management. Published online April 1, 2026. doi:10.1002/viw.20250140.
2. Zhang Z, Wang Y, Hu Z, Tian W, Li M, Tang Z, Chang L, Tang H him, Tang G, Li J, Wu Z, Xu H, Chui EC sing, Liu Z, Lau AY chung, Lam T ping, Mok DK wah, Chen H, Qiu Y, Cheng JCY, Zhu Z, Lee WYW. LBX1 alters polyamine pathway in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis – A new therapeutic target to mitigate curve progression. Journal of Orthopaedic Translation. 2026;57:101063. doi:10.1016/j.jot.2026.101063.
3. Wang R, Mehrjou B, Dehghan-Banian D, Wang BYH, Li Q, Deng S, Liu C, Zhang Z, Zhu Y, Wang H, Li D, Lu X, Cheng JCY, Ong MTY, Chan HF, Li G, Chu PK, Lee WYW. Targeting long noncoding RNA H19 in subchondral bone osteocytes and the alleviation of cartilage degradation in osteoarthritis. Arthritis and Rheumatology. 2025;77(3):283-297. doi:10.1002/art.43028.
4. Yang KG, Lee WYW, Hung ALH, Kumar A, Chui ECS, Hung VWY, Cheng JCY, Lam TP, Lau AYC. Distinguishing risk of curve progression in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with bone microarchitecture phenotyping: A 6-year longitudinal study. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 2024;39(7):956-966. doi:10.1093/jbmr/zjae083.
5. Li Y, Li L, Li Y, Feng L, Wang B, Wang M, Wang H, Zhu M, Yang Y, Waldorff EI, Zhang N, Viohl I, Lin S, Bian L, Lee WYW, Li G. Enhancing cartilage repair with optimized supramolecular hydrogel-based scaffold and pulsed electromagnetic field. Bioactive Materials. 2023;22:312-324. doi:10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.10.010.
6. Li Q, Wang R, Zhang Z, Wang H, Lu X, Zhang J, Kong APS, Tian XY, Chan HF, Chung ACK, Cheng JCY, Jiang Q, Lee WYW. Sirt3 mediates the benefits of exercise on bone in aged mice. Cell Death & Differentiation. 2022;30(1):152-167. doi:10.1038/s41418-022-01053-5.
7. Wang BYH, Hsiao AWT, Shiu HT, Wong N, Wang AYF, Lee CW, Lee OKS, Lee WYW. Mesenchymal stem cells alleviate dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy in mice and the involvement of ERK1/2 signalling pathway. Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 2023;14(1):195-. doi:10.1186/s13287-023-03418-0.
8. Sun J, Lo HTJ, Fan L, Yiu TL, Shakoor A, Li G, Lee WYW, Sun D. High-efficiency quantitative control of mitochondrial transfer based on droplet microfluidics and its application on muscle regeneration. Science Advances. 2022;8(33):9245. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abp9245.
9. Ho KKW, Lee WYW, Griffith JF, Ong MT, Li G. Randomized control trial of mesenchymal stem cells versus hyaluronic acid in patients with knee osteoarthritis – A hong kong pilot study. Journal of Orthopaedic Translation. 2022;37:69-77. doi:10.1016/j.jot.2022.07.012.
10. Wang Y, Li M, Chan CO, Yang G, Lam JCK, Law BCS, Lam T ping, Hung ALH, Cheng JCY, Mok DKW, Lee WYW. Biological effect of dysregulated LBX1 on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis through modulating muscle carbohydrate metabolism. The Spine Journal. 2022;22(9):1551-1565. doi:10.1016/j.spinee.2022.04.005.
11. Zhang J, Cheuk K yee, Xu L, Wang Y, Feng Z, Sit T, Cheng K lo, Nepotchatykh E, Lam T ping, Liu Z, Hung ALH, Zhu Z, Moreau A, Cheng JCY, Qiu Y, Lee WYW. A validated composite model to predict risk of curve progression in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. 2020;18:100236. doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2019.12.006.
12. Lo JH, U KP, Yiu T, Ong MT, Lee WYW. Sarcopenia: current treatments and new regenerative therapeutic approaches. Journal of Orthopaedic Translation. 2020;23:38-52. doi:10.1016/j.jot.2020.04.002. (Review)
13. Lin S, Cui L, Chen G, Huang J, Yang Y, Zou K, Lai Y, Wang X, Zou L, Wu T, Cheng JCY, Li G, Wei B, Lee WYW. PLGA/β-tcp composite scaffold incorporating salvianolic acid B promotes bone fusion by angiogenesis and osteogenesis in a rat spinal fusion model. Biomaterials. 2019;196:109-121. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.04.004.
14. Chen H, Zhang J, Wang Y, Cheuk KY, Hung ALH, Lam TP, Qiu Y, Feng JQ, Lee WYW, Cheng JCY. Abnormal lacuno-canalicular network and negative correlation between serum osteocalcin and cobb angle indicate abnormal osteocyte function in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. FASEB Journal. 2019;33(12):13882-13892. doi:10.1096/fj.201901227r.
15. Zhang J, Chen H, Leung RKK, Choy KW, Lam TP, Ng BKW, Qiu Y, Feng JQ, Cheng JCY, Lee WYW. Aberrant miR-145-5p/b-catenin signal impairs osteocyte function in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. FASEB Journal. 2018;32(12):6537-6549. doi:10.1096/fj.201800281.
16. Lin S, Lee WYW, Feng Q, Xu L, Wang B, Man GCW, Chen Y, Jiang X, Bian L, Cui L, Wei B, Li G. Synergistic effects on mesenchymal stem cell-based cartilage regeneration by chondrogenic preconditioning and mechanical stimulation. Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 2017;8(1):221-. doi:10.1186/s13287-017-0672-5.
17. Li J, Lee WYW, Wu T, Xu J, Zhang K, Wong DSH, Li R, Li G, Bian L. Near-infrared light-triggered release of small molecules for controlled differentiation and long-term tracking of stem cells in vivo using upconversion nanoparticles. Biomaterials. 2016;110:1-10. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.09.011.
18. Lee WY, Li N, Lin S, Wang B, Lan HY, Li G. miRNA-29b improves bone healing in mouse fracture model. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. 2016;430:97-107. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2016.04.014.
19. Lee WYW, Zhang T, Lau CPY, Wang CC, Chan KM, Li G. Immortalized human fetal bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell expressing suicide gene for anti-tumor therapy in vitro and in vivo. Cytotherapy. 2013;15(12):1484-1497. doi:10.1016/j.jcyt.2013.06.010.
20. Lee WYW, Lui PPY, Rui YF. Hypoxia-mediated efficient expansion of human tendon-derived stem cells in vitro. Tissue Engineering – Part A. 2012;18(5-6):484-498. doi:10.1089/ten.tea.2011.0130.