Day 3 :
Keynote Forum
Wei-Dong Chen
Henan University, China
Keynote: The nuclear receptor FXR in different diseases
Time : 10:00-10:40
Biography:
Wei-Dong Chen is currently working as a Professor in the School of Medicine, Head of Key Laboratory of Receptor-Mediated Gene Regulation and Drug Discovery, Henan University, P R China. He has received his PhD from Tianjin University, P R China in 2002. He then worked at the GSF in Germany and Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope National Medical Center in USA. Then he served as a Professor at Henan University. He has authored several publications in various journals and books. His publications reflect his research interests in nuclear receptor functions in different diseases.
Abstract:
The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a key metabolic and homeostatic regulator in digestion system. Our publication has shown that bile acid nuclear receptor FXR is required for the promotion of liver regeneration/repair after physical resection or liver injury, and FXR is a key negative regulator in chronic inflammation and liver carcinogenesis. We found that defective activation of FXR could be an intrinsic defect in aging regenerating livers, and other transcription factors are present as constituents of the multi-protein-DNA complex at the IR-0 element in intron 3 of Foxm1b In liver carcinogenesis, we identified a novel role of FXR in antagonizing c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway by activating SOD3 transcription. FXR may regulate SOD3 expression to suppress ROS production, resulting in decreasing JNK activity. The results highlight FXR as a potential target for drug design for prevention and treatment of liver cancer and insufficient liver regeneration after segmental liver transplantation or resection, which may also have potential implications for treatment of other age-related diseases. In recent days, we found that FXR activation suppresses cervical cancer and ovarian cancer cell proliferation and induces cancer cell apoptosis (unpublished data). These findings identify FXR as a negative mediator not only for digestive system cancers but also reproductive system cancers that may serve as an attractive therapeutic tool for human different cancers.
Keynote Forum
Emmanouil Karteris
Brunel University, UK
Keynote: Liquid biopsies: A multitude of potential clinical applications for cancer patients
Time : 10:40-11:20
Biography:
Emmanouil Karteris is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the CBCEL. So far, he has published 54 research manuscripts and presented over 100 research abstracts in leading national and international conferences. Many of these papers are generating a strong and influential impact not only to the biomedical field but also to the society as they deal with topical issues such as the effect of stress during pregnancy and use of liquid biopsies as cancer biomarkers. He is also an Expert in intellectual property for life sciences. The main areas of his research focus on the relationship between 7-transmembrane domain receptors and nuclear receptors with relation to placental physiology and metabolic complications during pregnancy and the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals in human reproduction.
Abstract:
Over the past years, the concept of liquid biopsies has been introduced as an alternative to a conventional tissue biopsy. However, identifying circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in multiple ways from lung cancer patients based on EpCAM as the identifiable antigen (Ag), or other enrichment technologies has met with limited success. Here we report a holistic approach interrogating liquid biopsies using CTC enumeration and characterization, DNA Integrity Index and gene expression (RNA seq) from total blood. CTC enumeration from healthy controls and lung cancer (LC) patients was generated using Imagestream™, a multispectral imaging flow cytometry system. Changes in gene expression from total blood RNA were assessed from 3 LC-matched tissue and blood samples, with three matched tissue and blood samples from controls; using RNA sequencing. Moreover, plasma samples were collected from 29 LC patients and 19 controls and Alu repeat ratio and confounders were measured. CTCs were seen in all LC patients. We report significantly higher levels of CTCs (based on pan-cytokeratin marker) in LC patients compared to controls; these levels were associated with a poorer prognosis. Using RNA seq, we identified 272 genes differentially expressed in the tumour tissue compared to controls, and 335 in cancer blood samples compared to control bloods. Of all these, 21 genes have statistical significant expression differences between sample and control in both tissue and blood samples. Finally, a higher DNA Integrity Index was seen in advanced LC cases compared to both early stage and controls. In this study, we provide evidence that the presence of genetic tumour material in the blood opens the potential for liquid biomarker discovery and in some instances might work as a surrogate to tissue biopsies.
Keynote Forum
Manuela Matesan
University of Washington, USA
Keynote: PET imaging in lymphoma: An update on clinical trails guidelines and clinical practice indications
Time : 11:40-12:20
Biography:
Manuela Matesan involved in imaging interpretations in particular PET scans for oncologic patients. I was previously involved in several oncologic treatment projects including radioimmunotherapy using 90Yttrium labeled anti-CD20 (Ibritumomab tiuxetan) and radiolabeled anti-CD 45 antibodies in patients with hematologic malignancies. Results of these studies have been materialized in published manuscripts and conferences presentations. Also, I am currently involved in projects regarding side effects of lymphoma treatments.
Abstract:
This presentation includes a case-based review illustrating the importance in clinical practice of 18F-FDG -PET images utilization for the initial staging and treatment response assessment in lymphoma patients. A discussion regarding 18F-FDG -avidity for different types of lymphomas and the side effects of the first and second line lymphoma treatments which every nuclear medicine radiologist needs to be familiar with in order to avoid pitfalls in image interpretation is provided. There is included also an overall review of changes presented in the new response evaluation criteria RECIL 2017 as compared to the standard previously published criteria. Learning Objectives include identify differences in Fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) -avidity based on the histopathologic subtype of lymphoma and becoming familiar with particularities of different types of lymphoma; Summarize the major indications to perform FDG-PET in patients with lymphoma and pearls and pitfalls in image interpretation. Discuss criteria for oncologic response assessmentfamiliar with the side effects from the first and second line medication used in lymphoma.