Mission

The Cancer Biology & Experimental Therapeutics (CBET) thematic research program conducts research in understanding the basic mechanisms of tumor initiation and progression, with a long-term goal in translating this knowledge into effective cancer treatment. The Cancer Biology branch of CBET focuses on identifying and studying the molecular defects associated with cancers of the prostate, liver, pancreas, breast, nasopharynx, head and neck, and epidermoid carcinoma. Research activities include studying defects in signaling molecules that control cancer cell behaviors, global genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling of cancer cells, elucidating the role of inflammation in tumor development, and the development of bioinformatics tools for “omics” analysis. The Experimental Therapeutics branch focuses on translational cancer pharmacogenomics, preclinical studies of the anti-tumor effects of biologics and Chinese Herbal extracts, and developing new therapeutics for chemoprevention and the alleviation of chemotherapy-induced side effects including nausea and emesis. The strategic long-term vision of the CBET aims to promote synergism between basic and translational research with the goal of developing innovative molecular-based therapies for human cancers.

Major research projects

Cancer Biology

• Orphan nuclear receptor signalings in castration-resistant prostate cancer and prostate cancer stem cells
  Prof. CHAN Leung Franky
• Regulation of PTEN tumor suppressor in breast and brain tumors
  Prof. CHAN Man Lok Andrew
• Long and short non-coding RNAs in pancreatic and liver cancers
  Prof. CHEN Yangchao
• Transcriptional and epigenetic gene regulation in liver carcinogenesis
  Prof. CHENG Sze Lok Alfred
• Copy number variation (CNV)- and GPCR-induced carcinogenesis of epidermoid carcinoma
  Prof. CHEUNG Wing Tai
• The role of mast cells in the pathogenesis of cancer
  Prof. LAU Hang Yung Alaster
• Driver mutation discovery in Head and Neck cancer, and Nasopharyngeal cancer based on whole-exome sequencing
  Prof. LUI Wai Yan Vivian
• Bioinformatics; statistical/computational methodologies for “omics” studies
  Prof. SO Hon Cheong
• Functional roles of FHL2 family proteins in liver cancer
  Prof. TSUI Kwok Wing Stephen

Experimental therapeutics

• Small molecule modulators of microRNA for liver cancer treatment
  Prof. CHEN Yangchao
• Therapeutic immune potentiation by targeting transcriptional and epigenetic signaling in cancer
  Prof. CHENG Sze Lok Alfred
• Therapeutic antibody and cancer vaccine research and development
  Prof. CHEUNG Wing Tai
• Chemoprevention and synergistic anticancer effects of Chinese medicinal herbs
  Prof. LIN Ge
• Precision Medicine and Pharmacogenomics for Head and Neck cancer, and Nasopharyngeal cancer
  Prof. LUI Wai Yan Vivian
• Characterization of drugs to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and emesis
  Prof. Rudd John Anthony
• Mutation-drug matching for cancer patients
  Prof. TSUI Kwok Wing Stephen

Educational Mission

The major education goal of CBET is to train the next generation of cancer researchers. Members of the CBET are actively involved in training graduate students enrolled in the MPhil-PhD program in Biomedical Sciences. Apart from laboratory-based research, students are taught the latest advances in cancer research through didactic lectures, technical workshops, and journal clubs. The CBET is also participating in teaching undergraduate elective courses for students enrolled in the BSc in Biomedical Sciences. These courses will provide students with an introduction to the etiology, classification, and treatment of human cancers.

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