by Xin-xia Tian. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 195-212). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

by Nellie Yuk Fei Chung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-120). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / List of Abbreviations --- p.iii / Acknowledgements --- p.iv / Publication of this study --- p.vi / Table of Contents --- p.vii / Chapter Chapter1: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Multiple Myeloma --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- The Problem --- p.2 / Chapter Chapter2: --- Literature Review --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- Molecular Genetics of Multiple Myeloma --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Cytogenetics --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- Alterations of Proto-Oncogenes --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- c-myc --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Ras --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Bcl-2 and Related Protein --- p.10 / Chapter 2.3 --- Alteration of Tumor-Suppressor genes --- p.11 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- p53 Gene Mutations --- p.11 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Retinoblastoma (Rb) Gene --- p.11 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- p16 and p15 Genes --- p.13 / Chapter Chapter3: --- DNA Methylation and Cancers --- p.14 / Chapter 3.1 --- Role of DNA Methylation --- p.15 / Chapter 3.2 --- CpG Islands --- p.15 / Chapter 3.3 --- Abnormalities of DNA Methylation in Neoplasia --- p.16 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- DNA Hypomethylation in Cancer --- p.16 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- DNA Methyltransferase Activity in Cancer --- p.17 / Chapter 3.4 --- Regional DNA Hypermethylation in Cancer --- p.17 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- p16 and p15 Genes in Solid Tumors --- p.18 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- The p16 and p15 Genes in Leukemia and other Hematopoietic Malignancies --- p.19 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Retinoblastoma Gene --- p.20 / Chapter 3.5 --- Mechanism Underlying the DNA Methylation Changes --- p.21 / Chapter Chapter4: --- Background of Study --- p.23 / Chapter 4.1 --- Background of Study --- p.24 / Chapter 4.2 --- Project Objectives --- p.27 / Chapter Chapter5: --- Materials and Methods --- p.29 / Chapter 5.1 --- Patients Samples --- p.30 / Chapter 5.2 --- Normal Controls --- p.30 / Chapter 5.3 --- Storage of the Samples --- p.32 / Chapter 5.4 --- Materials --- p.32 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Chemicals --- p.32 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Primers --- p.33 / Chapter 5.4.3 --- Enzymes --- p.35 / Chapter 5.5 --- Methods --- p.35 / Chapter 5.5.1 --- Cloning of p16 and p15 Exon 1 Probes for Southern Analysis --- p.35 / Chapter 5.5.1.1 --- PCR Amplification of p16 and p15 exon1 Probes from Normal Blood DNA --- p.35 / Chapter 5.5.1.2 --- Recovery and Purification of p16 and p15 Exon 1 DNA Fragment --- p.36 / Chapter 5.5.1.3 --- Ligation --- p.37 / Chapter 5.5.1.4 --- Transformation --- p.37 / Chapter 5.5.1.5 --- Plating --- p.38 / Chapter 5.5.1.6 --- Screening of Recombinant Plasmid --- p.38 / Chapter 5.5.1.7 --- Confirmation of Cloned DNA by Sequencing --- p.42 / Chapter 5.5.2 --- DNA Extraction and Purification --- p.45 / Chapter 5.5.2.1 --- DNA Extraction from Bone Marrow Aspirate and Peripheral Blood --- p.45 / Chapter 5.5.2.2 --- Isolation of Plasmid DNA from Transformant Cutures --- p.46 / Chapter 5.5.2.3 --- Qualification and Quantification of DNA --- p.49 / Chapter 5.5.3 --- Detection of Hypermethylation by Southern Analysis --- p.50 / Chapter 5.5.3.1 --- Restriction Enzyme Digestion --- p.50 / Chapter 5.5.3.2 --- Agarose Gel Electrophoresis --- p.51 / Chapter 5.5.3.3 --- Southern Transfer --- p.51 / Chapter 5.5.3.4 --- Membrane Fixation --- p.51 / Chapter 5.5.3.5 --- Recovery and Purification of p16 and p15 Exon 1 Probes from Plasmid --- p.52 / Chapter 5.5.3.6 --- Probe Labeling --- p.54 / Chapter 5.5.3.7 --- Purification of Radioactive labeled DNA --- p.54 / Chapter 5.5.3.8 --- Southern Hybridization --- p.55 / Chapter 5.5.3.9 --- Post Hybridization --- p.55 / Chapter 5.5.3.10 --- Autoradiography --- p.56 / Chapter 5.5.4 --- Polymerase Chain Reaction-Single Strand Conformational Polymorphism Analysis (PCR-SSCP) --- p.56 / Chapter 5.5.4.1 --- 5'- end Radioactive Labeling of Primer --- p.56 / Chapter 5.5.4.2 --- Amplification of Target Sequence by PCR --- p.57 / Chapter 5.5.4.3 --- Non-denaturing Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophresis --- p.57 / Chapter 5.5.4.4 --- Direct DNA Sequence of PCR Products --- p.58 / Chapter 5.5.5 --- Prevention of Overall Contamination in PCR --- p.60 / Chapter 5.5.6 --- "Sensitivity, Specificity Controls" --- p.62 / Chapter Chapter6: --- Results --- p.64 / Chapter 6.1 --- Patient Characteristics --- p.65 / Chapter 6.1.1 --- General Patient Characteristics --- p.65 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Clinical and Laboratory Features --- p.65 / Chapter 6.2 --- Southern Blot Analysis of p16/p15 and Rb --- p.79 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Absence of Deletions or hypermethylationin Normal Controls --- p.79 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Absence of Homozygous Deletions or Mutationsin p16/15 and Rb among all MM Patients --- p.79 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Hypermethylation of p16 --- p.89 / Chapter 6.2.4 --- Hypermethylation of p15 --- p.92 / Chapter 6.3 --- Hypermethylation of p16/p15 and Clinico-pathologic Correlation --- p.94 / Chapter Chapter7: --- Discussion --- p.97 / Chapter 7.1 --- "Absence of Homozygous Deletions, Gene Rearrangements and Mutations in p16/p15 and Rb" --- p.98 / Chapter 7.2 --- Hypermethylation of p16/p15-An Alternative Way for Gene Inactivation --- p.100 / Chapter 7.2.1 --- Methylation of p15 Gene --- p.101 / Chapter 7.2.2 --- Methylation of 5'-CpG Island of p16/p15 and Lack of Gene Expression --- p.102 / Chapter 7.2.3 --- Comparison of Methylation Status of Primary Samples and Cell Lines in MM --- p.103 / Chapter 7.2.4 --- Progressive Gene Inactivation by Random Methylation Errors --- p.104 / Chapter 7.2.5 --- The Lack of Correlation of Tumor Contents Revealed by the Southern Analysis and Morphologic Assessment --- p.105 / Chapter 7.3 --- Knudson's Two-hit Model of Tumorigenesis --- p.106 / Chapter 7.4 --- Inverse Relationship of p16 and Rb --- p.107 / Chapter 7.5 --- Implications of Our Findings --- p.109 / Chapter 7.6 --- Future Studies --- p.109 / References --- p.111

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Hong Kong (21,300 new cases and 11,500 deaths in 2003), with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), esophageal cancer (ESCC), and colorectal cancer (CRC) among the common ones. For these tumors, most patients present with advanced stage disease and poor treatment outcome, with an urge of early detection. Epigenetic inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSG) by CpG methylation represents an important mechanism of tumorigenesis, in addition to genetic abnormalities. Tumor-specific methylation can also be used as biomarkers for the identification of novel TSGs and for cancer early diagnosis and prognosis prediction. / Finally, for the purpose of development of epigenetic biomarker for cancer molecular diagnosis, I screened gene methylation in the serum samples. Aberrant methylation of PCDH10 and DLC1 was detected in serum samples (2/14 (14%) and 4/14 (29%) respectively) from tumor patients but not in normal controls. It suggests that screening for PCDH10 and DLC1 methylation in sera could be a tumor-specific and non-invasive epigenetic biomarker for molecular diagnosis and prognostics. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) / In the second approach, 1-Mb array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) was carried out to detect DNA copy number aberrations, which contain potential TSG loci, in a panel of NPC and ESCC cell lines. Frequent deletions include: 1p36.3, 3p14-11, 4p16-15, 5p13-q12, 6p21-12, 8p22-cent, 9p, 9q22-31, 10p, 13q12, 14q32, 16q23-24, 17q11.2, 18q in NPC, and 1p21, 4q21, 7p21, 7q35, 8p22-23, 8q11, 10p11, 11q22, 13q31, 14q32, 18q11-23 in ESCC. Several deletions (3p14-11 and 16q23) were further investigated in detail in this study. More than 12 genes were identified to be frequently silenced by methylation in tumors, including FHIT (3p14), WNT5A (3p14), ADAMTS9 (3p14), FEZF2 (3p14), ROBO (3p12), CADM2 (3p12), EPHA3 (3p11), RAB (11q22), ADAMTS18 (16q23), and TUSC8 (16q23), while homozygous deletion of these genes was infrequently detected. Aberrant methylation of these genes was also frequently detected in primary tumors in a tumor-specific manner. The tumor suppressor functions of TUSC8, WNT5A, CADM2 and ROBO were further investigated and validated. Further experiment indicated that induction of tumor cell apoptosis may contribute to the tumor suppressor function of TUSC8. / Modified genomic methylation subtractive approaches using uracil-DNA glycosylase or combined with pharmacological demethylation were developed. GADD45G, PCDH10, ROR2, DLC1L1 were among a series of novel methylated targets identified by these approaches. Methylation-associated silencing of these genes was frequently detected in various types of tumor cell lines and primary tumors including NPC, ESCC and CRC, in a tumor-specific manner. Ectopic expression of these genes strongly suppressed tumor cell growth and colony formation of silenced tumor cells. Epigenetic inactivation of GADD45G is the major mechanism for the loss of its response to environmental stresses. Reintroduction of PCDH10 strongly suppressed tumor cell migration and invasion. Ectopic expression of DLC1L1 in silenced tumor cells resulted in a remarkable suppression of tumor cell clonogenicity, which depends on its GAP activity. Furthermore, DLC1L1, but not its inactivating mutants, inhibited Ras mediated oncogenic transformation. Thus, these identified genes are functional TSGs. / Ying Jianming. / "July 2007." / Adviser: Qian Tao. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-01, Section: B, page: 0083. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 147-173). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Poon Cho Sun. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-91). / Abstract also in Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.v / ABSTRACT --- p.vi / LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS --- p.x / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature review --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- Epidemiology and aetiology of cervical cancer --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Incidence and mortality --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Aetiology --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1.2.1 --- Oral contraceptive pills and cervical cancer --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.2.2 --- Human papilloma virus (HPV) and cervical cancer --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.2.3 --- Immunity and cervical cancer --- p.8 / Chapter 2.1.2.4 --- Socio-economic differences and cervical cancer --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.2.5 --- Smoking and cervical cancer --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.2.6 --- Male role and cervical cancer --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.2.7 --- Nutrition and cervical cancer --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2 --- Oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Oncogene --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Tumour suppressor gene --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Alterations of oncogene in cervical cancer --- p.16 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Alterations of tumour suppressor genes in cervical cancer --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3 --- Alterations of chromosome 1 in cervical cancer --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Cytogenetic tudy --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Molecular genetic study --- p.21 / Chapter 2.4 --- Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) --- p.21 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Materials and methods --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1 --- Materials --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Patients --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Specimens --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.2.1 --- Blood samples --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.2.2 --- Tumour tissue specimens --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Chemicals and reagents --- p.25 / Chapter 3.1.3.1 --- Chemicals --- p.25 / Chapter 3.1.3.2 --- Reagents --- p.27 / Chapter 3.1.3.3 --- Markers --- p.29 / Chapter 3.1.4 --- Major equipment --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2 --- Methodology --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- DNA extraction --- p.33 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- DNA amplification --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2.2.1 --- Validation of PCR primers and optimisation of PCR condition --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2.2.2 --- End labelling of the primer by (γ-32p)ATP --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2.2.3 --- PCR for LOH detection --- p.36 / Chapter 3.2.2.4 --- Electrophoresis --- p.37 / Chapter 3.2.2.5 --- Gel dry and radioautography --- p.38 / Chapter 3.2.2.6 --- PCR analysis of the D1S80 and D1S76 loci --- p.39 / Chapter 3.3 --- Determination of Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) --- p.39 / Chapter 3.4 --- Statistical analysis --- p.40 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Results --- p.41 / Chapter 4.1 --- LOH analysis in cervical cancer --- p.41 / Chapter 4.2 --- LOH and age in cervical cancer --- p.60 / Chapter 4.3 --- LOH and pathological grade in cervical cancer --- p.62 / Chapter 4.4 --- LOH and clinical stage in cervical cancer --- p.64 / Chapter 4.5 --- LOH and clinical status in cervical cancer --- p.66 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Discussion --- p.68 / Chapter 5.1 --- Microsatellite markers --- p.69 / Chapter 5.2 --- PCR condition --- p.70 / Chapter 5.3 --- LOH in cervical cancer --- p.72 / Chapter 5.4 --- Correlation of LOH with clinico-pathologic characteristics of cervical cancer --- p.76 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- LOH and age --- p.78 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- LOH and clinical stage --- p.78 / Chapter 5.4.3 --- LOH and pathologic grade --- p.79 / Chapter 5.4.4 --- LOH and clinical status --- p.79 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Conclusion --- p.80 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- References --- p.83

Medulloblastoma (MB) and supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor (stPNET) are pediatric embryonic brain tumors, which arise in a brain that is in the process of growth and development. They differ significantly from adult lesions and may involve unique genetic and epigenetic factors. However, the pathogenesis of these tumors is still elusive. My project consisted of four parts, investigating major genetic and epigenetic alterations of these tumors. / Multiple genetic studies have shown high frequency of loss (30--60%) on chromosome 8p in MBs. Microcell-mediated transfer of chromosome 8 suppressed tumorigenesis or the proliferation of colon and breast cancer cell, indicating that chromosome 8p is likely to include several TSGs in human cancers. In previous studies from our laboratory, results showed the frequency of loss on chromosome 8p is also rather high (66.7%). An overlapping HD region was identified in a 1.8cM interval on 8p22-23.1, between markers D8S520 and D8S1130, in two MBs (Yin et al., 2002), indicating that several candidate TSGs are located within or near this region. PinX1 on 8p23.1, a potential inhibitor of telomerase, is most likely the candidate TSG in MBs due to its location and function. To evaluate the genetic alterations of PinX1 and to investigate its role in MBs, the first part of my study is to perform mutation analysis in a series of 52 primary MBs, 3 MB cell lines and 4 primary stPNETs. Transcript expression of PinX1 was evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in microdissected tumors and normal cerebellum. Using the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay, 19 MBs, 2 stPNETs and all 3 MB cell lines were analyzed for telomerase activity. No somatic point mutations and loss of expression of PinX1 were detected in our series, suggesting that PinX1 is not the target gene on 8p23.1 in MBs. Although we did not find a significant association between PinX1 expression and telomerase activity, the presence of telomerase activity in 16 of 22 MBs and 1 of 2 stPNETs indicate that telomerase activation is associated with the development of this malignant disease. Our study represents the largest series of MB examined by telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) / Chang Qing. / "April 2005." / Adviser: Ho-Keung Ng. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-01, Section: B, page: 0191. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 201-228). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.