Professor Dr. Loke Chui Fung selected for WHO Innovator List to promote the medical application of Sabah snake grass – China Press
(Kuala Lumpur, 20th) Professor Dr. Loke Chui Fung, Vice President of Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) and a cancer biology research expert, has been successfully selected as one of the World Health Organization’s 2025 “H21” Global Innovators List for its development of “Sabah Snake Grass” into a medical skincare solution. She is the only representative from Malaysia and has achieved remarkable success.
The university stated that Professor Dr. Loke Chui Fung transformed the herb known colloquially as ” Sabah snake grass” (a type of herb) into a high-tech medical solution and collaborated with Aurora Health to commercialise years of laboratory research results, launching the groundbreaking, innovative Imimate cream, a non-invasive topical cream specifically designed for precancerous skin lesions such as actinic keratosis.
“In 2015, Professor Dr. Loke Chui Fung witnessed her relatives, colleagues and their families suffering from skin damage and complications caused by conventional cancer treatments, which made her determined to devote herself to cancer-related research.”
Professor Dr. Loke Chui Fung became the only Malaysian to be selected for H21’s list of global innovators by developing “Sabah Snake Grass” (a type of herb) into a medical skincare solution.
The statement also quoted Professor Dr. Loke Chui Fung’s sharing, saying that her original intention was to develop a scientifically based, safer and gentler alternative therapy that could inhibit abnormal cell growth, alleviate patients’ pain, and improve their quality of life.
In Southeast Asian traditional medicine, Clinacanthus nutans has always been used to reduce inflammation and treat skin diseases, which sparked the interest of Professor Dr. Loke Chui Fung’s team. Therefore, her team proposed a bold hypothesis that the bioactive components of Clinacanthus nutans may inhibit abnormal cell growth.
Professor Dr. Loke Chui Fung and her team combined Clinacanthus nutans with controlled photoactivation technology (i.e., photodynamic therapy) to develop this innovative cream, which uses light to stimulate natural compounds to precisely and gently target damaged skin cells.
She stated frankly that the team spent years testing and improving the product to make it safe, effective, and easy to use. Their initial goal was not simply to sell the concept of traditional herbal medicine, but to create a medical solution supported by scientific evidence.
She firmly believes that such innovations will help provide early intervention and affordable treatment options for common precancerous lesions, thereby reducing the national healthcare burden.
Link: https://www.chinapress.com.my/?p=4945107&utm_medium=mobile_app_share_button&utm