Dr. Xiang Lin is an Assistant Professor and Assistant Director in the School of Chinese Medicine at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), as well as an affiliated investigator at the State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.

For over 12 years, Dr. Lin has dedicated his research to understanding the immunopathogenesis of Sjögren’s disease (SjD) and developing novel therapeutic strategies. His contributions include: 1) Developing an inducible mouse model of experimental SjD, which has been instrumental in uncovering the critical roles of immune mediators such as Th17 cells, T follicular helper (Tfh) cells, regulatory B (Breg) cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs); 2) Extending this research into a novel humanized mouse model, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of anti-IL-17 therapy for SjD; 3) Discovering and patenting multiple drug candidates derived from medicinal herbs, including flavonoid phenolic compounds that effectively inhibit Tfh cells and synergize with methotrexate in both mouse models and human immune cells from SjD patients. Together, Dr. Lin’s work not only advances the understanding of SjD pathogenesis but also establishes a robust drug screening platform for future therapeutics, offering new hope for patients with this challenging autoimmune disorder.