Publications by authors named "Alfred Lam"

Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the growing number of cancer survivors and investigates the connection between cutaneous melanoma (CM) and hematologic malignancies (HM), examining how genetic, biological, and environmental factors influence this association.!* -
  • A literature review and meta-analysis were conducted, analyzing data from ten studies on HM in CM patients and eleven studies on CM in HM patients, revealing significant incidence ratios for both cancers appearing after one another.!* -
  • The findings confirm a notable link between CM and HM, primarily driven by genetic factors (like specific gene mutations) and environmental risks (such as UV exposure and weakened immune systems).!*
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Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a particularly aggressive form of cancer with high mortality. In the present study, a novel 8‑hydroxyquinoline derivative (91b1) was investigated for its anticancer activities in ESCC along with its associated mechanisms. The cytotoxic effect of 91b1 were evaluated across five ESCC cell lines using MTS assay, with cisplatin serving as a comparative standard.

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  • - The study introduces a new detection method called the "PNA-LNA molecular switch" for identifying KRAS mutations in colorectal cancer, which is crucial for predicting patient response to targeted therapies.
  • - By using specialized nucleic acids and a loop-mediated amplification technique, the method effectively targets and amplifies mutant KRAS sequences while blocking normal ones, with results visualized through colorimetric and fluorescence assays.
  • - This novel approach demonstrated high sensitivity, reproducibility, and a wide detection range, making it faster, more cost-effective, and suitable for clinical use in detecting mutations across various diseases.
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Background: The LATE score (LATE: Left Atrial reservoir strain (LASr), Tricuspid regurgitation maximum velocity (TR Vmax), and E/e' average) is a novel framework for echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular filling pressure (LVFP). LATE = 0 indicates normal LVFP. LATE = 1 indicates resting LVFP is borderline elevated, and the patient may be at risk of pathological elevation of LVFP during exertion.

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It is often difficult to obtain adequate tissue for genomic study from distant metastases for assessment of targeted therapy in colorectal carcinomas. The study aims to explore the genomic differences between matched distant metastatic colorectal carcinomas (mCRC) and primary carcinoma using surgical specimens of both with adequate tissue. Thirty-four paired primary and distant metastatic colorectal carcinoma samples (liver, ovary, and lung) were obtained from surgical excisions (not small biopsies) and are microsatellite stable.

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Tumor protein p63 isoform ΔNp63 plays roles in the squamous epithelium and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), including esophageal SCC (ESCC). By integrating data from cell lines and our latest patient-derived organoid cultures, derived xenograft models, and clinical sample transcriptomic analyses, we identified a novel and robust oncogenic role of ΔNp63 in ESCC. We showed that ΔNp63 maintains the repression of cancer cell endogenous retrotransposon expression and cellular double-stranded RNA sensing.

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Aims: This study aims to identify associations between parathyroid adenoma (PTA) characteristics (histology, weight and size) with the change in parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcium levels.

Methods: A historical cohort study was conducted on adult patients with solitary PTA removed in the Gold Coast Health Precinct, Australia, between 2017 and 2022.

Results: PTA weight is correlated with the change in day 1 PTH level (r=0.

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) imposes a significant healthcare burden globally, prompting the quest for innovative biomarkers to enhance diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This study investigates the GPSM) family across several cancers and presents a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of the gene across several gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Leveraging bioinformatics methodologies, we investigated expression patterns, protein interactions, functional enrichments, prognostic implications, genetic alterations, and immune infiltration associations.

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Article Synopsis
  • Patients with kidney transplants (KTRs) have a significantly higher risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) following immunosuppressant treatment compared to those with glomerular disease (GD).
  • The study involved 61 KTRs and 51 GD patients, revealing that KTRs experienced a substantial increase in NMSC cases after transplantation, unlike the GD group which showed no significant change in NMSC numbers.
  • The research indicated that risk escalates over time for KTRs, with notable increases in NMSC incidence at 3 and 5 years post-immunosuppressants, suggesting the risk correlates with the intensity and duration of treatment.
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Hydrogen therapy has emerged as a possible approach for both preventing and treating cancer. Cancers are often associated with oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Hydrogen, with its unique physiological functions and characteristics, exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties, making it an attractive candidate for cancer treatment.

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Cancer stem cells have genetic and functional characteristics which can turn them resistant to standard cancer therapeutic targets. Identification of these cells is challenging and is done mainly by detecting the expression of antigens specific to stem cells. Currently, there is a significant number of surface markers available which can detect cancer stem cells by directly targeting the specific antigens present in cells.

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  • Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is one of the deadliest cancers and frequently occurs alongside differentiated thyroid cancers, but its aggressive nature is not well understood.
  • Researchers analyzed tumor DNA from 329 regions of thyroid cancer, revealing that anaplastic thyroid carcinomas have more mutations and unique mutational patterns compared to other thyroid cancers.
  • The study shows that although anaplastic and differentiated thyroid carcinomas can occur in the same patient, they have different mutated genes and share a common genetic origin that allows them to develop from a similar malignant environment.
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Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a serious adverse effect of cisplatin. The current study aimed to determine whether PEGylated nanoliposomal cisplatin can limit CIPN in an animal model.

Methods: Cisplatin-loaded PEGylated liposome nanoparticles (Cis-PL) were produced as a combination of lecithin, cholesterol, and DSPE-mPEG2000 in a molar ratio of 50:45:5 and were characterized by polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis, as well as encapsulation efficiency (EE).

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Background: The study aims to analyse the non-calcifying/Langerhans cell rich (NCLC) subtype of calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumour (CEOT).  METHOD: The features of cases of the NCLC subtype of CEOT noted in the English literature by PubMed as well as 3 new cases were reviewed.

Results: Overall, twenty-one cases were noted.

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Background: Acute Traumatic Coagulopathy (ATC) is a complex pathological process that is associated with patient mortality and increased blood transfusion requirements. It is evident on hospital arrival, but there is a paucity of information about the nature of ATC and the characteristics of patients that develop ATC in the pre-hospital setting. The objective of this study was to describe the nature and timing of coagulation dysfunction in a cohort of injured patients and to report on patient and pre-hospital factors associated with the development of ATC in the field.

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  • Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a poor prognosis, prompting research into new biomarkers for early diagnosis and survival prediction using RNA and microRNA sequencing alongside machine learning.
  • Analysis of gene expression from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and survival data identified 23 genes and several microRNAs that affect PDAC progression and patient survival.
  • Machine learning techniques, particularly Gradient Boosting Machines, were successful in pinpointing key genes and microRNAs, such as CTSW, which could serve as novel genetic markers for earlier detection of the disease.
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Combination strategies of inhibition with immunotherapy in treating advanced or recurrent colorectal carcinoma (CRC) may need to be assessed in circulating tumour cells (CTCs) to achieve better clinical outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the genomic variations of in CTCs and matched CRC tissues and compared mRNA expression of and between wild-type and -mutated CTCs and CRC tissues. Clinicopathological correlations were also compared.

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common cancer associated with poor outcomes, underscoring a need for the identification of novel prognostic and therapeutic targets to improve outcomes. This study aimed to identify genetic variants and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using genome-wide DNA and RNA sequencing followed by validation in a large cohort of patients with CRC. Whole genome and gene expression profiling were used to identify DEGs and genetic alterations in 146 patients with CRC.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Various biological markers, including proteins, genetic variations, and extracellular vesicles, are being investigated for CRC detection and prognosis, with numerous methods developed for their analysis.
  • * Despite advances in detection techniques, there is currently no gold standard that offers a reliable, inexpensive, and efficient method for accurately analyzing CRC, and a critical review of existing methods and their challenges has not been conducted.
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There is a complex interaction between pro-tumoural and anti-tumoural networks in the tumour microenvironment (TME). Throughout tumourigenesis, communication between malignant cells and various cells of the TME contributes to metabolic reprogramming. Tumour Dysregulation of metabolic pathways offer an evolutional advantage in the TME and enhance the tumour progression, invasiveness, and metastasis.

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Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzyme has been shown to be expressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its dysregulation is linked to tumor progression and a poor prognosis. Here we investigated the therapeutic potential of targeting CYP450 using lopinavir/ritonavir in CRC. The integrative systems biology method and RNAseq were utilized to investigate the differential levels of genes associated with patients with colorectal cancer.

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The present research reports the findings of three studies, with objectives to demonstrate the impacts of health-promoting behaviors on psychological well-being as well as the mediating roles of sense of control (SOC) and perceived severity of COVID-19 in these relationships. Study 1 was a cross-sectional survey conducted in 473 middle-aged and older Chinese adults before the COVID-19 pandemic to assess their health-promoting behaviors, personal mastery and perceived constraints, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms. Study 2 was conducted during the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong (between March to April 2020), in which 292 participants from Study 1 were successfully contacted to report their emotional responses to the pandemic.

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