LKCMedicine Brown Bag Seminar Chaired by Asst Prof Amartya Sanyal, School of Biological Sciences (SBS), Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, NTU Date: Time: Venue: 18th March 2015, Wednesday 1pm - 2pm Light lunch will be available from 12.45pm onwards School of Biological Sciences, Level B1, Classroom 8 in Quad Café (SBS-B1n-18) 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637551 Phenotypes of Monocytes and Macrophages in Cancer and Metabolic Disease by Dr Manesh Chittezhath, Senior Research Fellow, Molecular & Cellular Dysfunction in Diabetes Laboratory Monocytes/macrophages represent the major proportion of the leukocyte population within tumours. Their high density often correlates with poor prognosis, but their contributions to human cancer are poorly understood. Dr Manesh and the team first used molecular profiling, combined with functional assays, to investigate the role of these cells in human cancer progression. Blood monocytes from Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) patients displayed a tumourpromoting transcriptional profile that support functions like angiogenesis and invasion. Induction of this pro-tumour phenotype requires an interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R)-dependent mechanism. Indeed, the targeting of IL-1-IL-1R axis in a human RCC xenograft model abrogated the pro-tumour phenotype of tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) and reduced tumour growth in vivo. Supporting this, meta-analysis of gene expression from human RCC tumours showed IL1B expression to correlate with myelomonocytic markers, pro-tumour genes, and tumour staging. Analysing RCC patient tumours confirmed the pro-tumour phenotype of TAMs. These data provide direct evidence for a tumour-promoting role of monocytes and macrophages in human cancer progression. Similarly, infiltration of inflammatory cells has been observed in the pancreas of diabetic patients. The team is currently investigating the phenotype of pancreatic islet infiltrating innate immune cells in metabolic disorders such as diabetes. Preclinical Imaging Research using Small Animals and Non-Human Primates by Dr Wang Zhimin, Research Fellow , Translational Neuroscience Laboratory Preclinical imaging research offers a non-invasive way to image the anatomical or molecular changes in animal disease models and helps to translate the basic research finding obtained in these models into new diagnostic and therapeutic applications in human medicine. This emphasises the development of novel drugs and gene therapy solutions. In this talk, Dr Wang will share some insights into the basics of preclinical imaging, together with his previous and current research in this area. He will also share with the audience how the visualisation technology can provide us with the possibility of understanding the basic biochemical, biological and physiological processes in living animals in a quantitative manner.