Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Xiaoying Cui
The Unversity of Queensland, Australia
Keynote: Noncoding RNA regulation of neuroblastoma growth and apoptosis via epigenetic pathways
Time : 9:30 - 10:15
Biography:
Xiaoying Cui has completed her PhD in 2004 from Harbin Medical University and Singapore General Hospital. Her postdoctoral studies are at the Queensland Brain Institute, the University of Queensland. She is currently a senior research fellow in the Neurodevelopmental Group in the Queensland Brain Institute. She has published more than 31 papers in reputed journals, which attracted over 1480 citations (Google Scholar) and has been serving as reviewer for multiple renowned journals.
Abstract:
Neuroblastoma is a severe disorder that affects infant and young children. The survival rates of the patients with highly aggressive tumour is less than 50%, despite intensive multimodal therapy. Recently, a growth body of evidence have shown that noncoding RNAs played critical role in the tumour growth and are now the novel drug targets for multiple tumours. Long intergenic noncoding RNA HOX-antisense intergenic RNA myeloid 1 (HOTAIRM1) had been found to be associated with a few cancers including leukemia, colon cancer and breast cancer. In this study, we showed that low HOTAIRM1 was expressed at low abundance in human and mouse neuroblastoma. Knockdown HOTAIRM1 altered cell cycle progression and delayed the retinoic acid-induced dopaminergic differentiation of human SHSY5Y cells. The dopamine related genes including tyrosine hydroxylase (the rate limiting enzyme for dopamine synthesis and dopamine neuronal marker), vesicular monoamine transporter 2 and monoamine oxidase were reduced by HOTAIRM1 attenuation. Furthermore, we observed a dramatic increase in the number of caspase 3 positive cells when HOTAIRM1 was decreased, suggesting reduction of HOTAIRM1 could lead to apoptosis of human neuroblastoma. We also found that reducing HOTAIRM1 modulated DNA methylation and histone methylation, indicating that HOTAIRM1 modulate cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis via epigenetic pathways. Collectively, we revealed that noncoding RNA HOTAIRM1 modulates the growth and apoptosis of human and mouse neuroblastomas. This noncoding RNA could be a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of human neuroblastoma.
Keynote Forum
Mehrnaz Ajorloo
Avicenna Research center, Iran
Keynote: New approaches to cervical cancer treatment by reformed sperms
Time : 10:15 - 11:00
Biography:
She is a Biotechnologist working in The society for Infertility Sciences, Avicenna Research centre, Tehran, Iran. She completed her medical studies in Genetic engineering at Rudehen Azad University, Tehran, Iran. She has published more than 10 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an editorial board member of repute.
Abstract:
Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that started from the cervix of rheum and it spreads to other parts of the textures of the target or other organs. Across the world, this type of cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in women, According to the global statistics out of every 528000, 266000 deaths have been reported that occurs mostly in developing countries. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are commonly used in this cancer, as you know, chemotherapy-based treatments will have very serious side effects for the body and may cause serious damage to healthy cells close to the tumor during the removal of cancer cells.
According to researches and expert studies on effective methods for the delivery of therapeutic drugs to tumors and adequate knowledge of the structure and function of sperms, recently, we have come to the conclusion that these mobile cells can be used to deliver medications to the tumor site. This method has many advantages, including the packaging of the drug for treating cervical cancer that this makes it so do not dilute medications in body fluids and do not leak out and also the desired medication keep away from existing enzymes and they do not stimulate the immune response. Another advantage of this treatment method is that Sperms are inherently motile and could transmit them exactly to the place of the tumors by magnetic panels that added to these drug carriers until according to their normal function release the drug into tumors in the cervix that this causes to the drug reach to deeper cancer cells in the masses. This therapeutic mechanism has been a very low risk and currently, it is under experimentally discussion and research.
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases | Cancer Genomics and Epigenomics | Immune Response | Cancer Treatment and Therapies | Cancer Epigenetics | Viral STD | Drug Discovery and Techniques | HIV/STD Testing | Infertility & Birth Defects | Infection to Cancer
Location: Japan
Biography:
Abstract:
Statement of the Problem: A massive earthquake on 25th of April 2015 in Nepal disrupted health service delivery. In such disastrous condition, pre-studies about adherence to ART, treatment failure and antiretroviral drug resistance among HIV infected people were not available. However, notorious HIV stigma towards HIV infected people in non-disastrous situations and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be found. Th erefore, we assessed adherence to ART, treatment failure, and antiretroviral drug resistance including other socio-psychological issues such as stigma and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Method: Structured interviews to ART treated clients from 14 highly earthquake-aff ected districts were carried on at health facilities in two stages; at 6 months and 12 months of post-earthquake in Nepal. 305 participants were interviewed and 40 blood samples from treatment failure cases were taken. Adherence to ART was based on past 4-day missed doses and treatment failure was based on WHO's guidelines. Adherence could not be assessed among them just aft er the disaster time. Multivariate Logistic Regression analysis was done to measure associations of adherence to ART and treatment failure with other underlying factors while HIV-1 genomic fragments were amplifi ed and sequenced to identify Drug Resistance Mutations (DRMs). Pared t-test was applied to compare the level of adherence to ART and PTSD in two stages.
Result: Findings revealed that around 8% of the participants were not adherent to ART, 13% reported treatment failure, 44% has PTSD symptoms, and 49.8% experienced stigma. ART adherence was signifi cantly associated with age, area of residence and earthquake-PTSD while antiretroviral treatment failure was associated with stigma. Among successful DNA-amplifi cation blood samples, 23% exhibited drug resistance mutations. Results also revealed that adherence to ART and PTSD level were signifi cantly improved at later stage aft er a year of earthquake.
Conclusion: Considerably high level of treatment failure (13%) and improved adherence level at later stage suggests that there could have been low adherence to ART just post-earthquake time. In future, emergency medical programs in disaster area should seriously consider antiretroviral drug distributions and psychological counseling service for victims and programs to reduce stigma are necessary to improve adherence to ART and reduce treatment failure. Hence antiretroviral drug resistance problems may be curved.
Masato Yonezawa
Active Motif, Inc. USA
Title: Novel technologies for analyzing epigenome of clinical cancer samples
Biography:
Abstract:
Large-scale cancer genome projects such as TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) and ICGC (International Cancer Genome Consortium) revealed a great number of potential new therapeutic targets among epigenetic factors. This raises the needs for systematic analysis of Epigenomic profiles and epigenetic mechanisms of cancer. Active motif specializes in epigenetic research tools and has developed a series of omics tools to study cancer epigenomes. This study highlights mass spec techniques to identify more than 80 different post-translational modifications of histone proteins, ATAC-Seq, a method for genome-wide identification of open chromatin regions and ChIP-Seq, a method for mapping histone modifications and transcription factor binding sites across the genome. We optimized protocols for analyzing formaldehyde-fixed samples by ATAC-Seq as well as FFPE-preserved samples by ChIP-Seq. Our technologies facilitate the analysis of clinical samples that have been difficult to work with previously. We discuss how these tools can help our understanding of the mechanisms underlying cancer and give insights into diagnostics and cancer therapy.
Asma Binte Aziz
International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh
Title: Evaluate the knowledge and behavior of female Intravenous Drug Users (IDUs) on their reproductive health in selected drop-in-centers in Dhaka City, Bangladesh: A descriptive cross sectional study
Biography:
Asma Binte Aziz currently works at the Program for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Sciences, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. Asma does research in Clinical Trials focusing on the insurance of healthy lives and promoting well-being for mother and infant in Bangladesh through effective vaccination and addressing most challenging global health issues like vaccine science and infectious disease. She is actively involved in about 12 on going vaccine trials including several Polio vaccine (OPV, IPV, fIPV), Flu, Infl uenza, Pneumococcal Vaccine, Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccine, Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, Heat stable Rota virus vaccine, Hepatitis E virus vaccine, and Measles Rubella Vaccines etc.
Abstract:
Background & Aim: Bangladesh has an estimated 20,000-40,000 people who inject drugs and 11.19% IDUs reported HIV infection. Little is known about female IDUs and their reproductive health issues at national and regional level. The impacts of these drugs on female reproductive health are largely unknown while main focus drawn to HIV/AIDS issues. This exploratory study was aimed to assess the reproductive health status and behaviour of female IDUs in selected drop-in-centre in Dhaka city, Bangladesh.
Methods & Material: This was a descriptive, cross sectional study conducted during January to July 2016 in two drop-incentres in Citipalli and Nayabazar, Dhaka. We visited these two centres once weekly to identify female IDUs and collected data on socio-demographics, knowledge, attitude and practice of safe sex, sexually transmitted disease, their care seeking behaviour and family planning practice using a structured questionnaire.
Results: Among 112 women, 60% were illiterate, 83% were sex worker by profession and mean age was 27 years. About 62% were married, 73% of them did not live with their families. 46% initiated drug use within 16-20 years of age. 41% spent less than Tk 3,000 (about US$40) on drugs in a month. Pethidine (90%) was the most commonly used drug and 15% respondents reported of using cocktail drug. 97% have knowledge about Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and their signs and symptoms. Around 96% respondents experienced STI in the last 12 months. 81% female IDUs were taking treatment from the respective drop-in-centres and most of them (86%) were satisfied. Condom was widely used (78%) among the female IDUs where emergency contraceptive pill was the least common (0.1%). They mainly used condom to avoid unwanted birth and
were self-motivated for using it. Majority thought using condom during sex was safe and peer education played a vital role in their knowledge.
Conclusion: The overall impact of injecting drugs in reproductive age groups is huge, as it plays a key role to transmit several deadly infections. Further large scale study is warranted to plan effective control strategies.
Saeed Soroush
Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Iran
Title: The study of the effect of DNA hypomethylation and miRNA expression in glioblastoma multiforme
Biography:
Saeed Soroush is a 5th year student pursuing Doctor of Medicine (MD) in Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Iran. He has published more than 10 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an Editorial Board Member of repute.
Abstract:
Glioblastoma is the most malignant type of brain tumor and primary brain tumor. This means that the origin of this tumor is in the brain and under the control of the central nervous system. The average survival rate of the disease is about one year. Epigenetic cancer treatment is considered to restore some of the defects due to the reversibility of epigenetic changes. Promoter area methylation in this mechanism leads to reducing expression of the desired gene in glioblastoma. In glioblastoma cancer cells, hypomethylation takes place followed by reduction in DNA expression. Subsequently, tumor suppressor genes such as NEG3 which is a cell growth regulator have an increased expression to repairing. Epigenetic mechanisms including DNA hypomethylation, changes in histones and miRNAs expression can be eff ective through effect on genome function and molecular pathology of glioma. miRNAs could had roles on disturbing genetic stability through effect on DNA methylation and demethylation and also through activating transposons. miRNAs are effective in both normal cells and abnormal cells such as cancer cells. Increasing and decreasing each of these causes the cells to become abnormal. miRNAs have roles in relation to the cancerous process of tumorization, metastasis and angiogenesis that they have a significant usage to detect prognosis as proprietary biomarkers that they can be effective through activating apoptosis in definite treatment.
Huan Wang
Sichuan University, China
Title: Status and associated factors of self-management in people living with HIV/AIDS in Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Liangshan, China
Biography:
Huan Wang got a bachelor degree in Sichuan University at Chengdu China, now is a Postgraduate student of West China School of Nursing, Department of Nursing, West China Hospital, Sichuan University at Chengdu China. The research interest is chronic disease management.
Abstract:
Background & Objectives: HIV self-management is the core measure for improving the health of People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). The Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Liangshan is one of the areas with backward economic development and serious AIDS infection in China. The objective of this study is to investigate the status and associated factors of self-management among PLWH in Liangshan area.
Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among 322 PLWH in two cities in Liangshan by stratified sampling and convenience sampling. Socio-demographic data, disease-related data, social support and self-management data were collected for each participant. Spearman rank correlation, t test, ANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis were used to explore the associated factors of self-management.
Results: The total score of self-management among PLWH was 38.26±7.17. Multiple linear regression model demonstrated gender (B=1.456, P=0.044), social support (B=0.127, P<0.001), marital status (divorced, B=4.021, P=0.006; widowed, B=3.262, P=0.029), Nation (B=-2.757, P=0.006) and resident place (B=-3.538, P=0.004) were the contributors to self-management.
Conclusion: The self-management of PLWH in Yi Autonomous Prefecture was relatively low. Nation, resident place, gender, marital status and social support were associated with HIV self-management. In the future, efforts should also be made to publicize the harm of drugs abuse and AIDS. The government and medical institutions should provide more support for the prevention and treatment of AIDS in Liangshan area, especially the rural areas where Yi people live.
Biography:
Yin Yao got her bachelor degree in nursing from Nanchang University, Jiangxi Province, China. Now she is a Postgraduate of west China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. She is interested in AIDS care.
Abstract:
Background & Aim: Nowadays nurses have an expanding role in HIV prevention and treatment. However, evidences showed People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) still experienced the HIV-related stigma among nurses which is still a barrier for HIV epidemic. And the research to explore the nurses’ HIV-related stigma is lacking in Liangshan. The purpose of his study was to assess the HIV-related stigma and examine some predictors of HIV related stigma among registered nurses.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from September to November 2017 using stratified, random cluster sampling method. And 1248 registered nurses were surveyed in 10 hospitals in Liangshan.
Results: The median score of HIV-related stigma was 50, ranging from 25 to 78. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that low prevalence region, higher educational levels compared to diploma, longer years of health care work, working in tertiary hospitals, no working experience in AIDS specialized hospitals and lower levels of knowledge significantly predicted higher levels of HIV-related stigma towards PLWHA. Interestingly, having received HIV/AIDS-related training was not a significant predictor of HIV-related stigma. However, the nurses who were willing to receive HIV/AIDS-related training had lower levels of HIV-related stigma.
Conclusion: Prevalent HIV-related stigma was found among registered nurses in Liangshan. Based on these important predictors, the study can assist policy-makers to better develop HIV-related stigma reduction strategies.