Recent Research Grants

• Molecular features and functional consequences of a novel recurrent t(14;20)(q32;q13.12)/ IGHSμ-PRKCBP1 translocation in gastric and other B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas [RGC GRF 2011]
• Inactivation of the transcriptional repressor PRDM1 and imbalance in the expression of PRDM1 α and β isoforms in NK-cell malignancies, and their roles in the pathogenesis [RGC GRF 2009]
• Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and clinicopathological significance of the silencing of a 6q22.33-q23.2 putative tumor suppressor PTPRK gene in NK-cell neoplasms [RGC GRF 2007]
• Therapeutic potential and mechanisms of antitumor activity of proteasome inhibitor bortezomib in NK-cell neoplasms [RGC GRF 2006]
• Molecular mechanisms and clinicopathological significance of the aberrant nuclear BCL10 expression and constitutive NF-kB activation in NK-cell neoplasms [RGC GRF 2005]
• Role of CD44 in the pathogenesis of gastric lymphoma [RGC GRF 2004]
• Characterization of the role of IGH translocations in the pathogenesis of gastric lymphoma [Michael Kadoorie Cancer Genetics Research Fund 2004]

Ten Selected Publications from the Group

Hu XT, Chen YW, Liang AC, Au WY, Wong KY, Wan TS, Wong ML, Shen L, Chan KK, Guo T, Chu KM, Tao Q, Chim CS, Loong F, Choi WW, Lu L, So CC, Chan LC, Kwong YL, Liang RH, Srivastava G: CD44 activation in mature B-cell malignancies by a novel recurrent IGH translocation. Blood. 2010, 115(12): 2458-2461.

Shen L, Au WY, Wong KY, Shimizu N, Tsuchiyama J, Kwong YL, Liang RH, Srivastava G. Cell death by bortezomib-induced mitotic catastrophe in natural killer lymphoma cells. Mol Cancer Ther. 2008, 7(12): 3807-3815.

Shen L, Au WY, Guo T, Wong KY, Wong ML, Tsuchiyama J, Yuen PW, Kwong YL, Liang RH, Srivastava G. Proteasome inhibitor bortezomib induced apoptosis in NK-cell leukemia and lymphoma: an in vitro and in vivo preclinical evaluation. Blood. 2007, 110(1): 469-470.

Chen YW, Hu XT, Liang ACT, Au WY, So CC, Wong MLY, Shen L, Tao Q, Chu KM, Kwong YL, Liang RHS, Srivastava G. High BCL6 expression predicts better prognosis, independent of BCL6 translocation status, translocation partner, or BCL6 deregulating mutations, in gastric lymphoma. Blood. 2006, 108(7): 2373-2383.

Chen YW , Liang ACT, Au WY, Chu KM, Wong KY, Hu X , Lu L , Tang JCO, Chan KW, Beh SL, Kwong YL, Liang RHS, Srivastava G. Multiple BCL6 translocation partners in individual cases of gastric lymphoma. Blood. 2003, 102(5): 1931-1932.

Shen L, Liang ACT, Au WY, Lu L, Chen YW, Wong KY, Tang JCO, Chan KW, Beh SL, Kwong YL, Liang RHS, Srivastava G. BCL10 mutations are irrelevant to its aberrant nuclear localization in NK-cell neoplasms. Leukemia. 2003, 17(11): 2240-2242.

Shen L , Liang ACT, Lu L, Au WY, Wong KY, Tin PC, Chan KW, Ko KH, Chen YW, Beh SL, Shimizu N, Tsuchiyama J, Tang JCO, Kwong YL, Liang RHS, Srivastava G. Aberrant BCL10 nuclear expression in NK-cell neoplasms. Blood. 2003, 102(4): 1553-1554.

Srivastava G, Wong KY, Chiang AKS, Lam KY, Tao Q. Coinfection of multiple Epstein-Barr virus strains in normal immunocompetent individuals: Reassessment of the viral carrier state. Blood. 2000, 95(7): 2443-2445.

Tao Q, Chiang AKS, Srivastava G, Ho FCS. TCR-CD56+CD2+ nasal lymphomas with membrane-localized CD positivity: Are the CD3+ cells neoplastic or reactive? Blood. 1995, 85: 2993-2996.

Tao Q, Srivastava G, Chan ACL, Ho FCS. Epstein-Barr-virus-infected nasopharyngeal intraepithelial lymphocytes. Lancet. 1995, 5: 1309-1310.

Postgraduate Students Supervision

Recruitment of New PhD Students
As some of my MPhil and PhD students have recently finished their PhD studies, I am currently looking to recruit 2-3 new MPhil and PhD students. As research on malignant lymphoma is rather challenging, only the students with first class honours or equivalent grades (over 85% marks) should apply to do MPhil or PhD studies.

Field of Study of Current RPGs

• (Mr) Yuen Hau Chi, Alan  - Molecular targeting of NK-cell malignancies
• (Dr.) Lau Chi Pan, Patrick - Molecular targeting of NK-cell malignancies

Awards Received by Supervised PhD Students

• Dr. Chen, Yun-Wen received the ‘Abstract Achievement Award’ at the 53rd ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition, San Diego, USA (December 2011)
• Dr. Chen, Yun-Wen received the ‘Doris-Zimmern HKU-Cambridge Hughes Hall Fellowship’ (2010-2011)
• Dr. Hu, Xiaotong was awarded 2006 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Scholar-in-Training Award at the 97th Annual Meeting of the AACR, Washington D.C., USA (2006).
• Dr. Yip, Bon Ham (MPhil student) was awarded the ‘2005 Swire Scholarship'
• Dr. Shen, Lijun received the ‘2002-2003 Awards for Outstanding Research Postgraduate Student’. The award was set up by the Graduate School in 2002 to give "due recognition to research postgraduate students who have submitted a thesis of exceptional quality and have demonstrated outstanding performance in other academic aspects on an annual basis."
• Dr. Shen, Lijun received the ‘Young Investigator Award’ from European Hematology Association (EHA) for his presentation at the 7th Congress of the EHA in Florescence, Italy (June 2002)
• Dr. Chiang, AKS was awarded the prestigious ‘Li Ka Shing Prize’ for his PhD thesis entitled “Pathogenetic role of EBV in relation to tumor cell characteristics of nasal T/NK-cell lymphomas”. This prize is awarded on the basis of the academic excellence, one for a PhD and one for a MPhil thesis, within the four faculties of the University of Hong Kong (Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry, Science and Engineering) over a 2 years period (from 1/9/1997 to 31/8/1999 in this exercise).
• Dr. Hu, Ying Chuan was awarded the ‘2000 American Association for Cancer Research-ITO EN, Ltd. Young Investigator Scholar Award’ in recognition of promising cancer research at the 91st Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research, San Francisco, CA, USA (2000).
• The Faculty of Medicine, HKU, awarded Dr. Chiang AKS the ‘1998 Dr. KP Stephen Chang Gold Medal’ for his PhD thesis entitled “Pathogenetic role of EBV in relation to tumor cell characteristics of nasal T/NK-cell lymphomas”.
• Dr. Chiang, AKS was awarded the ‘1998 First Prize for the Best Oral Presentation’ for the free paper presentation entitled "Expression of human interleukin-10 as a mechanism of immune evasion in nasal T/NK-cell lymphoma" at the HKSI/FIMSA Advanced Course and Conference: From Basic to Applied Immunology, 1998, Hong Kong.
• The Faculty of Medicine awarded Dr. Tao, Qian the ‘1996 Dr. KP Stephen Chang Gold Medal’ for his PhD thesis entitled “Cellular localization and gene expression of EBV in non-neoplastic nasal mucosa and nasal lymphoma”.
• Dr. Chiang, AKS was awarded the ‘1995 Hong Kong International Cancer Conference (HKICC) Young Investigator Award’ at the 2nd Annual Meeting of HKICC, Hong Kong (1995) for the best free paper presentation on "Epstein-Barr virus latent gene expression in nasal NK and T-lymphoma".

Current Status of my Former PhD Students

• Professor Tao, Qian, Professor, Department of Clinical Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong. (Graduated in 1996)
• Dr. Chiang, Kwok Shing, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong. (Graduated in 1998)
• Dr. Liu, Tie Fu, Instructor, Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, USA. (Graduated in 1999)
• Dr. Xu, Weisheng, Pathology Residency Trainee, Nassau University Medical Center, Long Island, New York, USA. (Graduated in 1999)
• Dr. Ho, Wen-ying, Joanna, Teaching Consultant, Department of Biochemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. (Graduated in 2000)
• Dr. Hu, Ying-chuan, Gastrointestinal/Liver Pathology Fellow, Shands Hospital, University of Florida, USA. (Graduated in 2001)
• Dr. Tang, JCO, Johnny, Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong. (Graduated in 2001)
• Dr. Chen, Yun Wen, Wendy, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Pathology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong. (Graduated in 2003)
• Dr. Hu, Xiaotong, Associate Professor, Biomedical Research Centre, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China (Graduated in 2007)
• Dr. Chan, Ka-kui, Research Fellow, Centre for Cancer Research & Cell Biology, Queen’s University Belfast.  (Graduated in 2009)
• Dr. Guo, Tianhuan, Surgeon, The Second Hospital of Beijing, Beijing, China. (Graduated in 2010)

Research Publications Output List in 2011

Lo PH, Ko JM, Yu ZY, Law S, Wang LD, Li JL, Srivastava G, Tsao SW, Stanbridge EJ, Lung ML. The LIM domain protein, CRIP2, promotes apoptosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Lett. 2012 Mar;316(1):39-45.

Wong VC, Chen H, Ko JM, Chan KW, Chan YP, Law S, Chua D, Kwong DL, Lung HL, Srivastava G, Tang JC, Tsao SW, Zabarovsky ER, Stanbridge EJ, Lung ML. Tumor suppressor dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) impairs cell invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated phenotype. Int J Cancer. 2012 Jan 1;130(1):83-95.

Küçük C, Iqbal J, Hu X, Gaulard P, De Leval L, Srivastava G, Au WY, McKeithan TW, Chan WC. PRDM1 is a tumor suppressor gene in natural killer cell malignancies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Dec 13;108(50):20119-24.

Li L, Ying J, Li H, Zhang Y, Shu X, Fan Y, Tan J, Cao Y, Tsao SW, Srivastava G, Chan AT, Tao Q. The human cadherin 11 is a pro-apoptotic tumor suppressor modulating cell stemness through Wnt/β-catenin signaling and silenced in common carcinomas. Oncogene. 2011 Dec 5.

Shu XS, Geng H, Li L, Ying J, Ma C, Wang Y, Poon FF, Wang X, Ying Y, Yeo W, Srivastava G, Tsao SW, Yu J, Sung JJ, Huang S, Chan AT, Tao Q. The epigenetic modifier PRDM5 functions as a tumor suppressor through modulating WNT/β-catenin signaling and is frequently silenced in multiple tumors. PLoS One. 2011;6(11):e27346.

Hui MK, Lai KK, Chan KW, Luk JM, Lee NP, Chung Y, Cheung LC, Srivastava G, Tsao SW, Tang JC, Law S. Prognostic significance of phosphorylated RON in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Med Oncol. 2011 Nov 16.

Hui MK, Chan KW, Luk JM, Lee NP, Chung Y, Cheung LC, Srivastava G, Tsao SW, Tang JC, Law S. Cytoplasmic Forkhead Box M1 (FoxM1) in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Significantly Correlates with Pathological Disease Stage. World J Surg. 2011 Oct 6.

Yuen HF, McCrudden CM, Chan KK, Chan YP, Wong ML, Chan KY, Khoo US, Law S, Srivastava G, Lappin TR, Chan KW, El-Tanani M. The role of Pea3 group transcription factors in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Am J Pathol. 2011 Aug;179(2):992-1003.

Iqbal J, Weisenburger DD, Chowdhury A, Tsai MY, Srivastava G, Greiner TC, Kucuk C, Deffenbacher K, Vose J, Smith L, Au WY, Nakamura S, Seto M, Delabie J, Berger F, Loong F, Ko YH, Sng I, Liu X, Loughran TP, Armitage J, Chan WC; International Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma Project. Natural killer cell lymphoma shares strikingly similar molecular features with a group of non-hepatosplenic γδ T-cell lymphoma and is highly sensitive to a novel aurora kinase A inhibitor in vitro. Leukemia. 2011 Feb;25(2):348-58. Erratum in: Leukemia. 2011 Aug;25(8):1377.

Chan SH, Yee Ko JM, Chan KW, Chan YP, Tao Q, Hyytiainen M, Keski-Oja J, Law S, Srivastava G, Tang J, Tsao SW, Chen H, Stanbridge EJ, Lung ML. The ECM protein LTBP-2 is a suppressor of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tumor formation but higher tumor expression associates with poor patient outcome. Int J Cancer. 2011 Aug 1;129(3):565-73.

Low JS, Tao Q, Ng KM, Goh HK, Shu XS, Woo WL, Ambinder RF, Srivastava G, Shamay M, Chan AT, Popescu NC, Hsieh WS. A novel isoform of the 8p22 tumor suppressor gene DLC1 suppresses tumor growth and is frequently silenced in multiple common tumors. Oncogene. 2011 Apr 21;30(16):1923-35.

Dong G, Chanudet E, Zeng N, Appert A, Chen YW, Au WY, Hamoudi RA, Watkins AJ, Ye H, Liu H, Gao Z, Chuang SS, Srivastava G, Du MQ. A20, ABIN-1/2, and CARD11 mutations and their prognostic value in gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2011 Mar 15;17(6):1440-51.

Updated - February 6, 2012