Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 175-205). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-111). Also available in electronic version.

published_or_final_version / abstract / Pathology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Proefschrift--Universiteit Leiden, 2007. / Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Despite improvements in chemotherapy and radical surgical debulking, peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) remains among the most common causes of death for abdominal cancers. Immunotherapies have demonstrated efficacy in selected solid malignancies but their potential in PC is poorly explored. Here I report that intraperitoneal injection of an infected cell vaccine (ICV), consisting of autologous tumor cells infected ex-vivo with an oncolytic Maraba MG1 virus expressing interleukin-12 (IL-12), promotes the migration of activated natural killer (NK) cells to the peritoneal cavity in response to the secretion of interferon gamma-induced protein-10 (IP-10) from dendritic cells. This recruitment of cytotoxic, IFNγ-secreting NK cells is associated with a dramatic reduction in tumor burden and improved survival in a colon cancer model of PC. Even in mice with bulky PC (tumors >8 mm), a complete radiological response was demonstrated within 8-14 weeks, associated with 100% long-term survival. Importantly, these results were recapitulated in human lymphocytes exposed to human tumor cell lines infected with MG1-IL12. Finally, I demonstrate that MG1-IL12-ICV generates an effective CD4 and CD8 T cell response in mice following prophylactic immunization associated with the maturation of peritoneal dendritic cells and enrichment of tumor-specific peritoneal T cells. The research presented in this thesis suggests that an MG1-IL12-ICV is a promising therapy that could provide benefit to the thousands of patients diagnosed with PC each year.

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Cornell University, August, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-160).

Thesis (MTech (Biomedical Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011 / Introduction: A prospective study was conducted across the spectrum of cervical aberrancies with the aim of assessing the distribution of HPV relating to the degree of cervical abnormalities using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and P16INK4A assay as a marker for cervical disease progression. Patient demographics including their sexual, contraceptive and screening history were evaluated to determine whether subsidiary risk factors contribute towards the development of cervical lesions among Namibian women. Methods: From Feb 2006 to March 2007, 187 women with abnormal cervical cytology were examined. Cervical smears were immunostained using the P16INK4A assay (Dakocytomation, Heidelberg, Germany). Brown discolourisation of the nucleus and/or cytoplasm of abnormal cells were considered positive for P16 immunoexpression. Absence of brown decolourisation in the nucleus or cytoplasm of abnormal cells was considered negative for P16 immunoexpression. DNA was successfully extracted from 182 specimens, and the respective samples were subjected to PCR using GP5+/6+ primers. Type-specific (HPV types 16 and 18) PCR were also applied. Patients’ sociodemographics, sexual and reproductive history, HIV status, contraceptive use and Pap smear history were all recorded.