CANCER SYMPOSIUM UNCOVERS NEW GROUND

- by Lo Tien Yen

Mysteries of cells – how they work, live and die – were topics for discussion at the 2nd NUS Cancer Symposium (22 to 23 Nov 2005), organised by the University's Cancer Programme and Office of Life Sciences.

Sharing the latest breakthroughs in both basic and clinical research in cancer at the Symposium were 12 renowned scientists from the US , Japan and Singapore . Among them, Professor Shigekazu Nagata of Osaka University , research the mechanisms leading to cell death. Many cancers develop from cells that just would not die. He said that finding out how and why death mechanisms fail for such cases would help in preventing cancer. How cancer cells can be stopped from migrating from one part of the body to another was discussed by Associate Professor Hooi Shing Chuan, Head, NUS Physiology Department. He has identified three proteins on cell surfaces which could be responsible for making colorectal cancer cells migrate to the liver.

NUS big on cancer research

Dean of Medicine, Professor John Wong announced at the Symposium that NUS will expand its investment into cancer research, education and treatment capabilities. Two new buildings will be added to the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, with one devoted to translational research including an Experimental Surgery Centre and a Clinical Research Facility, both of which will have a strong cancer presence. “We are also in active discussion with the National University Hospital about the development of the treatment facilities to allow better integration and expansion of all the various branches of clinical oncology, and to site these facilities in a strategic area to allow ease of interaction between scientists and clinicians,” said Professor Wong.

LATEST IN RESEARCH: Associate Professor Hooi Shing Chuan, one of the speakers at the Cancer Symposium.

NEW FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE

The NUS Tissue Engineering Programme plays a big part in the emergence of biomedical engineering as a leading science in Singapore . At the 12th International Conference on Biomedical Engineering (7-10 Dec 2005), Professor Lee Eng Hin from the NUS Tissue Engineering Programme, in his keynote lecture Cell-based Therapy in Musculoskeletal Disease highlighted their work in using bone marrow-derived stem cells for repair and regeneration of various musculoskeletal tissues such as bone and cartilage. They are also currently characterising adult's stem cells. “Useful information can be generated to enable us to differentiate these cells into various tissue types under optimum conditions and to expand them in adequate numbers for implantation,” said Professor Lee.

Professor Shu Chien, a world-renowned bioengineer from The Whitaker Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of California San Diego , said in the opening lecture that bioengineering is the key discipline to integrate biology, medicine and engineering for the advancement of health sciences and improvement of health care delivery.

Some 600 doctors, scientists, engineers and biomedical professionals from 35 countries attended the conference jointly organised by NUS Faculty of Engineering, the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the Biomedical Engineering Society (Singapore).