Y. Peng Loh,
Chief and Senior Investigator, Section on Cellular Neurobiology,
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Dr. Y. Peng Loh is the Chief, and Senior Investigator in the Section on Cellular Neurobiology, NICHD, NIH, USA. She received her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in Molecular Biology and did postdoctoral studies at NIH in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. Her laboratory research over the last 8 years focuses on two areas: First, the new role of carboxypeptidase E (CPE, now also named NF-a1) as a trophic factor in neuroprotection, depression and stem cell differentiation. Secondly, she investigates the important roles discovered in her laboratory, of CPE and a splice variant of the CPE gene (CPE-?N) in tumor growth, survival and metastasis. CPE/CPE-?N is being developed as a tumor tissue biomarker for predicting future recurrence/metastasis, especially in patients with early stage cancers of various types, as well as for blood-based (circulating exosome) screening of high risk patients for early detection of cancer. She has published more than 250 papers in reputable journals and book chapters and is on the editorial board of several journals. She has lectured world-wide, and received many prestigious awards including the FASEB Excellence in Science Award, NIH Director’s awards for Science and the Anita Roberts Distinguished Woman Scientist Award.
Carboxypeptidase E: A Prognostic Cancer Biomarker in Tumors and Circulating Exosomes
Tuesday, 17 November 2015 at 10:00
Add to Calendar ▼2015-11-17 10:00:002015-11-17 11:00:00Europe/LondonCarboxypeptidase E: A Prognostic Cancer Biomarker in Tumors and Circulating ExosomesSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
Carboxypeptidase E (CPE) and/or a splice variant of CPE (CPE-?N) have been reported to be a good prognostic biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), colorectal cancer and glioblastoma. Microarray data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) profile database have also indicated significant overexpression of CPE mRNA in many different human cancer types compared to normal tissue. These included metastatic non-endocrine cervical cancer, renal (clear cell) carcinoma, Ewing sarcoma, glioblastoma and various types of astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas. High expression of CPE mRNA was also found in neuroendocrine tumors, such as pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma, (PHEO/PGL), pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors and insulinomas. Circulating exosomes mirror the parent cell. Exosomes derived from cancer cells contain mRNA and protein that reflects the parent tumor. We have detected CPE mRNA in exosomes in cell culture media from cancer cell lines including liver, breast, prostate and colorectal cancer cell lines. We have also isolated exosomes from serum of PHEO/PGL patients and showed that they contain CPE/CPE-?N mRNA. In a pilot study the levels of CPE/CPE-?N mRNA was determined by qRT-PCR in circulating exosomes of cancer patients. There was a significantly elevated level of CPE/CPE-?N mRNA levels compared to normal controls. Since this biomarker is elevated in many types of cancers, a serum assay using circulating exsomes could be very useful for: 1. routine screening of population > 60 y of age for early diagnosis of cancer. 2. screening high risk patients for early detection of many cancers including patients with liver cirrhosis, smokers, men with positive PSA test, women with solid ovarian cysts, or carry the gene for breast cancer, PHEO/PGL patients with inherited gene mutations for the disease; 3. post-surgery screening of Stage I & II patients for early detection of recurrence; 4. in clinical trials to test the efficacy of the cancer treatment.
Add to Calendar ▼2015-11-16 00:00:002015-11-17 00:00:00Europe/LondonHigh-Value DiagnosticsSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
Add to Calendar ▼2015-11-17 10:00:002015-11-17 11:00:00Europe/LondonCarboxypeptidase E: A Prognostic Cancer Biomarker in Tumors and Circulating ExosomesSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
