Publications by authors named "Ka-fai To"

Acute leukemia with TCF3::ZNF384 is a distinct type of acute leukemia that present most commonly as B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia or mixed-phenotype acute leukemia (B/myeloid). We report the first case of TCF3::ZNF384 mixed-phenotype leukemia presenting as isolated extramedullary disease in the mediastinum. Diagnosis using RNA-sequencing and whole genome sequencing on the primary issue is illustrated.

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Background: Genomic screening uncovered interferon-gamma (IFNγ) pathway defects in tumours refractory to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). However, its non-mutational regulation and reversibility for therapeutic development remain less understood.

Objective: We aimed to identify ICB resistance-associated druggable histone deacetylases (HDACs) and develop a readily translatable combination approach for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

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  • Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have significantly changed how non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is treated, but resistance to these therapies is still a major issue.
  • The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a key role in how immune and stromal cells interact, affecting treatment responses and contributing to immunotherapy resistance.
  • This review explores these interactions and identifies potential new therapeutic targets to improve ICI effectiveness in NSCLC, offering insights into personalized treatment strategies.
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  • * The bacteria attach to CRC cells using a surface protein that activates pathways leading to tumor progression, making it a critical player in cancer development.
  • * P. stomatis contributes to resistance against treatments like EGFR and BRAF inhibitors, suggesting that it may hinder the effectiveness of common CRC therapies.
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KRAS gene mutations are common in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but targeting mutant KRAS is still challenging. Here, an endoribonuclease-prepared small interfering RNA (esiRNA) library was used to screen new kinases that play critical roles in PDAC driven by KRAS gene mutations, and serine/threonine kinase 31 (STK31) was identified and characterized as a potential therapeutic target for KRAS-mutant PDAC. Our results showed that STK31 was upregulated in KRAS-mutant PDAC patients with poor survival and highly expressed in PDAC cell lines with KRAS mutation.

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The Hippo-YAP1 pathway is an evolutionally conserved signaling cascade that controls organ size and tissue regeneration. Dysregulation of Hippo-YAP1 signaling promotes initiation and progression of several types of cancer, including gastric cancer. As the Hippo-YAP1 pathway regulates expression of thousands of genes, it is important to establish which target genes contribute to the oncogenic program driven by YAP1 to identify strategies to circumvent it.

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Introduction: Kidney cancer is a common urological malignancy worldwide with an increasing incidence in recent years. Among all subtypes, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents the most predominant malignancy in kidney. Clinicians faced a major challenge to select the most effective and suitable treatment regime for patients from a wide range of modalities, despite improved understanding and diagnosis of RCC.

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Background & Aims: Recent studies demonstrated the importance of fibrosis in promoting an immunosuppressive liver microenvironment and thereby aggressive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth and resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), particularly via monocyte-to-monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cell (M-MDSC) differentiation triggered by hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). We thus aimed to identify druggable targets in these immunosuppressive myeloid cells for HCC therapy.

Methods: M-MDSC signature genes were identified by integrated transcriptomic analysis of a human HSC-monocyte culture system and tumor-surrounding fibrotic livers of patients with HCC.

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  • The study investigates the use of PRAME immunostaining to diagnose genital melanocytic lesions, including invasive melanoma and atypical genital nevi, reporting that PRAME has shown significant promise in confirming malignancy.
  • After analyzing 66 cases, results indicated that invasive melanoma and melanoma-in-situ had much higher PRAME expression compared to atypical genital nevi and other benign lesions, suggesting that PRAME can help differentiate between these conditions.
  • However, the findings also caution that low levels of PRAME expression, particularly in atypical genital nevi, should not be seen as conclusive evidence of malignancy, highlighting the need for thorough histological examination.
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The unique virus-cell interaction in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated malignancies implies targeting the viral latent-lytic switch is a promising therapeutic strategy. However, the lack of specific and efficient therapeutic agents to induce lytic cycle in these cancers is a major challenge facing clinical implementation. We develop a synthetic transcriptional activator that specifically activates endogenous BZLF1 and efficiently induces lytic reactivation in EBV-positive cancer cells.

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Objective: Probiotic is known to confer health benefits to humans. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Design: abundance was evaluated in patients with CRC (n=489) and healthy individuals (n=536).

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SMARCA4 mutation has emerged as a marker of poor prognosis in lung cancer and has potential predictive value in cancer treatment, but recommendations for which patients require its investigation are lacking. We comprehensively studied SMARCA4 alterations and the clinicopathological significance in a large cohort of immunohistochemically-subtyped non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A total of 1416 patients was studied for the presence of SMARCA4 deficiency by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

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  • S. anginosus is more prevalent in the gastric mucosa of patients with gastric cancer, and studies show it can colonize the mouse stomach and induce acute gastritis.
  • In both conventional and germ-free mice, S. anginosus infection leads to chronic gastritis-related changes, including parietal cell atrophy and dysplasia.
  • The bacteria promote gastric cancer progression by disrupting gastric barrier function and interacting with the TMPC surface protein, which activates MAPK signaling via the ANXA2 receptor on gastric cells.
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  • The study focuses on analyzing immune responses within tumor microenvironments using multiple antigen detection methods.
  • It outlines a detailed protocol for measuring levels of various target proteins at the single-cell level through a specific immunofluorescent technique.
  • The process includes preparing tumor tissue samples, performing multiplex staining, capturing images, and quantifying the immune cell data from patient or experimental models.
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Zinc metabolism at the cellular level is critical for many biological processes in the body. A key observation is the disruption of cellular homeostasis, often coinciding with disease progression. As an essential factor in maintaining cellular equilibrium, cellular zinc has been increasingly spotlighted in the context of disease development.

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Background: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), integral to the tumour microenvironment, are pivotal in cancer progression, exhibiting either pro-tumourigenic or anti-tumourigenic functions. Their inherent phenotypic and functional diversity allows for the subdivision of CAFs into various subpopulations. While several classification systems have been suggested for different cancer types, a unified molecular classification of CAFs on a single-cell pan-cancer scale has yet to be established.

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Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is a formidable malignancy with significant morbidity and mortality rates. Recent studies have shed light on the complex interplay between the nervous system and the GI system, influencing various aspects of GI tumorigenesis, such as the malignance of cancer cells, the conformation of tumor microenvironment (TME), and the resistance to chemotherapies. The discussion in this review first focused on exploring the intricate details of the biological function of the nervous system in the development of the GI tract and the progression of tumors within it.

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Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common tumours in East Asia countries and is associated with Helicobacter pylori infection. H. pylori utilizes virulence factors, CagA and VacA, to up-regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines and activate NF-κB signaling.

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Macrophage-myofibroblast transition (MMT) is a newly discovered pathway for mass production of pro-tumoral cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) in a TGF-β1/Smad3 dependent manner. Better understanding its regulatory signaling in tumor microenvironment (TME) may identify druggable target for the development of precision medicine. Here, by dissecting the transcriptome dynamics of tumor-associated macrophage at single-cell resolution, a crucial role of a hematopoietic transcription factor Runx1 in MMT formation is revealed.

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Tumour-Associated Macrophages (TAMs) are one of the pivotal components of the tumour microenvironment. Their roles in the cancer immunity are complicated, both pro-tumour and anti-cancer activities are reported, including not only angiogenesis, extracellular matrix remodeling, immunosuppression, drug resistance but also phagocytosis and tumour regression. Interestingly, TAMs are highly dynamic and versatile in solid tumours.

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While previous research has primarily focused on the impact of and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), emerging evidence suggests that other microbial influences, including viral and fungal infections, may also contribute to gastric cancer (GC) development. The intricate interactions between these microbes and the host's immune response provide a more comprehensive understanding of gastric cancer pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment. The review highlights the roles of established players such as and EBV and the potential impacts of gut bacteria, mainly , , hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and fungi such as .

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  • Calcified chondroid mesenchymal neoplasms are a recently identified group of tumors, usually linked to FN1 gene fusions, but a new study discovered tumors associated with a different gene fusion, PDGFRA::USP8.
  • A retrospective review identified four tumors that were multilobulated, featuring unique cells in a chondroid matrix with distinct calcification patterns, all showing the same PDGFRA::USP8 fusion.
  • The findings indicate a diversity in the genetics of these tumors, suggesting they may share a common mechanism of protein kinase activation, differing from the typical FN1 rearrangement seen in earlier reports.
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Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a devastating disease with a dismal prognosis, and despite significant advances in our understanding of its genetic drivers, like KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4, effective therapies remain limited. Here, we identified a new therapeutic target GRIN2D and then explored its functions and mechanisms in PDAC progression.

Methods: We performed a genome-wide RNAi screen in a PDAC xenograft model and identified GRIN2D, which encodes the GluN2D subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), as a potential oncogene.

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MLK4, a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase (MAP3K) family, has been implicated in cancer progression. However, its role in lung adenocarcinoma has not been characterized. Here, we showed that MLK4 was overexpressed in a significant subset of lung adenocarcinoma, associated with a worse prognosis, and exerted an oncogenic function in vitro and in vivo.

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