Department of Cancer Etiology

Chief: Associate Professor Wu Yi-Qian
Staffs: 4

The objectives of the Department are to do the research work on the etiology of common cancers and the mechanisms of carcinogenesis. First aim is to study the interactions of gene-gene and gene-environment in the development of cancer. The second one is to find genetic susceptibility biomarkers and to find high risk population and individuals by using multi-principle techniques including molecular biology, genetics, cytogenetic toxicology, analytic chemical and experiment pathology, and so on. The Department will also conduct chemoprevention and early-stage intervention study by means of the administration of natural or synthetic agents to enhance the detoxification of carcinogens and prevent carcinogenic reacting on DNA. The purpose of the study is to reduce or reverse human exposure to carcinogens.

The department has long term cooperative research activities with Johns Hopkins University, MIT and Texas Tech University. During the past ten years, the Department was awarded five prizes of the achievement on Science and Technology Progress from National, the Ministry of Health and Shanghai Municipal Government. At present, ongoing projects of the department are as following:

1.Studies on molecular biomarkers of environmental carcinogens and perspective cohort study of liver cancer.
2.Chemoprevention of liver cancer with cruciferous vegetables and green tea.
3.Mechanism study of interaction between HBV and Aflatoxins in hepato-carcinoma using transgenic mice carrying the hepatitis B virus X gene.
4.Studies on DNA repair genes XRCC1, XRCC3 and XPD polymorphism and risk of liver cancer.
5.Study on transgenic model of tree shrew carrying HBV X genes.