CHAN, Wai David
Associate Professor (Teaching)
Ph.D (Monash University)
M.Phil (The University of Hong Kong)
B.Sc. (Hons) Applied Biology (Hong Kong Baptist University)
Prof. David Wai Chan received his Ph.D. from Monash University, Australia, in 2002. He had worked at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Australia, and did his Postdoctoral training at The University of Hong Kong from 2003 to 2006. He served as a Research Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor, and Scientific Officer undertaking administration, postgraduate supervision, laboratory management, teaching, PBL tutorial and academic advisor for MBBS students at the LKS Faculty of Medicine, HKU, from 2007 to 2021. He then joined an international biotech company as a Senior Vice-President for the scientific development and GMP manufacturing of cell therapies, and worked as a Research Associate in School of Biomedical Sciences of CUHK before joining the School of Medicine, CUHK-Shenzhen as an Associate Professor for pre-clinical teaching in 2022.
Prof. Chan’s research areas include genetic and epigenetic alterations in tumor development, tumor microenvironment impact on chemoresistance and metastatic progression, and precision cancer medicine. His research mainly utilizes clinical data and cellular and animal models combined with bioinformatics to decipher signaling pathways of tumor-stromal interactions, onco-immunology, and cancer cell metabolism in the metastatic progression. His team has successfully established an omental conditioned media model to imitate the ascites microenvironment to study peritoneal metastases of ovarian cancer and therapeutic translational research. He has identified MAP30 bioactive protein from bitter melon playing as a natural AMPK activator in enhancing the efficancy of platinum-based chemotherapy in ovarian cancer. His recent research mainly focuses on nano-based drug delivery, genomic analysis and organoid-drug screening systems in targeted therapy. The research outcomes were granted patents and published in more than 78 peer-reviewed papers receiving >12,380 citations (Google Scholar). His works have also attracted not only academic centers from Hong Kong, mainland China, and USA/UK but also pharmaceutical companies in seeking collaborations and funding supports such as RGC-GRF, HMRF, and ITF of Hong Kong, NSFC and SZ-NSF of mainland China. In academic society, he now serves as an Associate Editor of Journal of Ovarian Research (JCR Q1 in Reproductive Biology) and Frontiers in Pharmacology (JCR Q1 in Pharmacology & Pharmacy), as well as a Guest editor of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (JCR Q1 in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology), and Frontiers in Oncology (JCR Q2 in Oncology).
Patents
1. A Chinese patent application number CN202010143127.4 was filed on 4 March 2020,
2. A Hong Kong patent application number 42021043211.8 was filed on 26 November 2021
Title: Use of MAP30 protein from bitter melon in the manufacture of a medicament or a chemotherapeutic supplement for the treatment and preventing ovarian cancer.
Inventors: PI: David W CHAN and Co-I: Hextan YS NGAN
Applicant: The University of Hong Kong
Selected Publications
- Yung MMH, Siu MKY, Ngan HYS, Chan DW*, Chan KKL*. Orchestrated Action of AMPK Activation and Combined VEGF/PD-1 Blockade with Lipid Metabolic Tunning as Multi-Target Therapeutics against Ovarian Cancers. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2022 Jun 20;23(12):6857. (*Co-corresponding author.)
- Jiang YX, Siu MKY, Wang JJ, Leung THY, Chan DW, Cheung ANY, Ngan HYS, and Chan KKL. PFKFB3 regulates chemoresistance, metastasis and stemness via IAP proteins and the NF-kB signaling pathway in ovarian cancer. Frontiers in Oncology, 2022 Jan 28;12:748403.
- Xuan Y, Yung MMH, Chen FS, Wang HG, Chan WS, Chan YS, Ngan HYS, Chan KKL* and Chan DW*. SCD1/FADS2 fatty acid desaturases equipoise lipid metabolic activity and redox-driven ferroptosis in ascites-derived ovarian cancer cells. Theranostics 2022 12(7): 3534-3552. (*Co-corresponding author.)
- Wang JJ, Siu MKY, Jiang YX, Leung THY, Chan DW, Wang HG, Ngan HYS, Chan KKL*. Combination of glutaminase inhibitor 968 and PD-L1 blockade boosts immune response against ovarian cancer. Biomolecules 2021 vol 11 (12).
- Li J, Zhang Y, Sun J, Chen LY, Gou WF, Chen CW, Zhou Y, Li ZQ, Chan DW, Huang RL, Pei HD, Zheng W, Li YL, Xia MH, and Zhu W*. iDiscovery and characterization of potent And-1 inhibitors for cancer treatment. Clinical and Translational Medicine. 2021 11 (12) e627
- Wang XY, Yung MMH, Shama R, Chen FS, Poon YT, Lam WY, Li B, Ngan HY, Chan KKL* and Chan DW*. Epigenetic Silencing of miR-33b Promotes Peritoneal Metastases of Ovarian Cancer by Modulating the TAK1/FASN/CPT1A/NF-κB Axis. Cancers 2021 13(19), 4795. (*Co-corresponding author.)
- Liang R, Yung MMH, He, FF, Jiao PL, Chan KKL, Ngan HY and Chan DW*. The Stress-Inducible BCL2A1 is Required for Ovarian Cancer Metastatic Progression in the Peritoneal Microenvironment. Cancers 2021 13(18), 4577. (*Corresponding author. )
- Chan DW*, Lam WY, Chen FS, Yung MM, Chan YS, Chan WS, He FF, Liu SS, Chan KK, Li B, Ngan HY. Genome-wide DNA methylome analysis identifies methylation signatures associated with survival and drug-resistance of ovarian cancers. Clinical Epigenetics 2021 13:142 (*First and Co-corresponding author. )
- Han CY, Patten DA, Kim SI, Lim JL, Chan DW, Siu MK, Han YJ, Carmona E, Parks RJ, Lee C, Di LJ, Lu Z, Chan KK, Ku JL, Macdonald E, Vanderhyden BC, Mes-Masson AM, Ngan HY, Cheung AN, Song YS, Bast RC, Harper ME, Tsang BK. Nuclear HKII-P-p53 (Ser15) interaction is a prognostic biomarker for chemoresponsiveness and glycolytic regulation in epithelial ovarian cancer. Cancers 2021 13(14), 3399
- Wang H, Yung MM, Ngan HY, Chan KK and Chan DW*. The Impact of the Tumor Microenvironment on Macrophage Polarization in Cancer Metastatic Progression. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2021, 22(12), 6560. (*Corresponding author)
- Guan Y, Du YZ, Gou HQ, Xue YL, Xu JS, Li EH, Chan DW, Wu D, Xu PQ, Ni PH, Xu D, Hu Y. Overexpression of PLXDC2 in Stromal Cell-Associated M2 Macrophages is Related to EMT and the Progression of Gastric Cancer. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 2021 9:673295.
- Li EH, Yang XB, Du YZ, Wang GZ, Chan DW, Wu D, Xu PQ, Ni PH, Xu D, Hu Y. CXCL8 associated dendritic cell activation marker expression and recruitment as indicators of favorable outcomes in colorectal cancer. Frontiers in Immunology 2021 May 7;12:667177.
- Klionsky DJ, ……..Chan DW……et al. Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition). Autophagy 2021 Jan.17(1):1-382
- Li J, Wu R, Yung M, Sun J, Li Z, Yang H, Zhang Y, Liu S, Cheung AN, Ngan H, Braisted J, Zheng W, Wei H, Gao Y, Nemes P, Pei H, Chan DW*, Li Y*, and Zhu W*. SENP1-mediated deSUMOylation of JAK2 regulates its kinase activity and platinum drug resistance. Cell Death & Disease 2021 Apr 1;12(4):341. (*Co-corresponding author. )
- Chan DW*, Yung MMH, Chan YS, Xuan Y, Yang HJ, Xu D, Zhan JB, Chan KKL, Ng TB, and Ngan HYS*. MAP30 protein from Momordica charantia is therapeutic and has synergic activity with cisplatin against ovarian cancer in vivo by altering metabolism and inducing ferroptosis. Pharmacological Research 2020 Nov;161:105157. (*First and Co-corresponding author.)
- Wang JJ, Siu MK, Jiang YX, Chan DW, Cheung AN, Ngan HY, Chan KK. Infiltration of T cells promotes the metastasis of ovarian cancer cells via the modulation of metastasis-related genes and PD-L1 expression. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2020 Nov;69(11):2275-2289.
- Jiang YX, Siu MK, Wang JJ, Mo XT, Leung TH, Chan DW, Cheung AN, Ngan HY, and Chan KK. Ascites-derived ALDH+CD44+ tumor cell subsets endow stemness, metastasis and metabolic switch via PDK4-mediated STAT3/AKT/NF-κB/IL-8 signaling in ovarian cancer. British Journal of Cancer. 2020 123:275–287.
- Wang JJ, Siu MK, Jiang YX, Leung TH, Chan DW, Cheng RR, Cheung AN, Ngan HY, Chan KK. Aberrant upregulation of PDK1 in ovarian cancer cells impairs CD8+ T cell function and survival through elevation of PD-L1. Oncoimmunology. 2019 Sep 5;8(11):e1659092.
- Han CY, Patten DA, Lee SG, Parks RJ, Chan DW, Harper ME, Tsang BK. p53 Promotes chemoresponsiveness by regulating hexokinase II gene transcription and metabolic reprogramming in epithelial ovarian cancer. Molecular Carcinogenesis 2019, 58(11):2161-2174
- Li ZQ, Zhou W, Zhang Y, Sun W, Yung MMH, Sun J, Li J, Chen CW, Li ZZ, Meng YX, Chai J, Zhou Y, Liu SS, Cheung ANY, Ngan HYS, Chan DW*, Zheng W*, and Zhu W*.ERK regulates HIF-1α-mediated platinum resistance by directly targeting PHD2 in ovarian cancer. Clinical Cancer Research. 2019, Jul 8. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-18-4145. (*Co-corresponding author.)
- Chen RR, Yung MMH, Xuan Y, Zhan SJ, Leung LL, Liang RR, Leung THY, Yang HJ, Xu D, Sharma R, Chan KKL, Ngu SF, Ngan HYS*, Chan DW*. Targeting of lipid metabolism with a metabolic inhibitor cocktail eradicates peritoneal metastases in ovarian cancer cells. Communications Biology. 2019 Jul 31;2:281. doi: 10.1038/s42003-019-0508-1. eCollection 2019. (*Co-corresponding author)
- Leung THY, Tang TWM, Siu MK, Chan DW, Chan KKL, Cheung ANY, and Ngan HYS. CD71(+) population enriched by HPV-E6 protein promotes cancer aggressiveness and radioresistance in cervical cancer cells. Molecular Cancer Research, 2019 24. doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-19-0068
- Yao KM, Ngan AWL, Tsui M, So HF, Leung WY, and Chan DW. Novel nuclear partnering role of EPS8 with FOXM1 in regulating cell proliferation. Frontiers in Oncology 2019, 9:154 (Last Author).
- Sun J, Cai X, YUNG MMH, Zhou W, Li J, Zhang Y, Li Z, Liu SS, Cheung AN, Ngan HYS, Li Y, Dai Z, Kai Y, Tzatsos A, Peng W, Chan DW*, Zhu W*. miR-137 mediates the functional link between c-Myc and EZH2 that regulates cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer. Oncogene 2019 Jan;38(4):564-580. (* Co-corresponding author)
- Meng Y, Chen CW, Yung MMH, Sun W, Sun J, Li Z, Li J, Li Z, Zhou W, Liu SS, Cheung ANY, Ngan HYS, Braisted JC, Kai Y, Peng W, Tzatsos A, Li Y, Dai Z, Zheng W, Chan DW*, Zhu W*. DUOXA1-mediated ROS production promotes cisplatin resistance by activating ATR-Chk1 pathway in ovarian cancer. Cancer Letters 2018, 428:104-116. (* Co-corresponding author)
- Zhou W, Sun W, Yung MM, Dai S, Cai Y, Chen CW, Meng Y, Lee J, Braisted J, Xu Y, Dr. Southall N, Shinn P, Huang S, Song Z, Chen X, Kai Y, Cai X, Li Z, Hao Q, Cheung A, Ngan HYS, Liu SS, Barak S, Hao J, Dai Z, Tzatsos A, Peng W, Pei H, Han Z, Chan DW*, Zheng W*. Autocrine activation of JAK2 by IL-11 promotes platinum drug resistance. Oncogene 2018 Apr 17. doi: 10.1038/s41388-018-0238-8 (* Co-corresponding author)
- Ying L, Yan F, Meng Q, Yu L, Yuan XL, Gantier M, Williams B, Chan DW, Shi L, Tu Y, Ni P, Wang X, Chen W, Zang X, Xu D, and Hu Y. (2018) PD-L1 expression is a prognostic factor in subgroups of gastric cancer patients stratified according to their levels of CD8 and FOXP3 immune markers. OncoImmunology 2018 7(6): e1433520.
- Yung MMH, Tang HWM, Cai PCH, Leung THY, Ngu, SF, Chan, KKL, Xu D, Yang HJ, Ngan HY and Chan DW* (2018). GRO-α and IL-8 enhance ovarian cancer metastatic potential via the CXCR2-mediated TAK1/NFκB signaling cascade. Theranostics 8(5):1270-1285 (* Corresponding author).
- Chen KM, Liu MX, Mak CS, Yung MMH, Leung THY, Xu D, Ngu SF, Chan KKL, Yang HJ, Ngan HY* and Chan DW* (2018). Methylation-associated silencing of miR-193a-3p promotes ovarian cancer aggressiveness via targeting GRB7 and MAPK/ERK pathway. Theranostics 8(2):423-436 (* Co-corresponding author).
- Wong JH, Sze SC*, Ng TB*, Cheung RC, Zhang KY*, Xiuli Dan, Chan YS, Cho WC, Ng CC, Waye MM, Liang W, Zhang J, Yang J, Ye X, Lin J, Ye X, Wang H, Liu F, Li G, Chan DW*, Ngan HY*, Tse TF*, and Chan H. (2018). Apoptosis and anti-cancer drug discovery: the power of medicinal fungi and plants. Curr Med Chem. 25(40) 5615 - 5626. (* Co-corresponding author)
- Ying L, Yan F, Meng Q, Yuan XL, Yu L, Williams BR, Chan DW, Shi L, Tu Y, Ni P, Wang XF, Xu D and Hu Y. (2017) Understanding immune phenotypes in human gastric disease tissues by multiplexed immunohistochemistry. Journal of Translational Medicine 15(1):206.
- Leung THY, Tang HWM, Siu MKE, Chan DW, Chan KKL, Cheung ANY and Ngan HY. (2017) HPV-E6 protein enriches the CD55(+) population in cervical cancer cells promoting radio-resistance and cancer aggressiveness. Journal of Pathology 244(2):151-163.
- Mak CS, Yung MMH, Hui LMN, Leung LL, Liang R, Chen KM, Liu SS, Qin Y, Leung THY, Lee KF, Chan KKL, Ngan HYS and Chan DW* (2017) MicroRNA-141 enhances anoikis resistance in metastatic progression of ovarian cancer through targeting KLF12/Sp1/survivin axis. Molecular Cancer 16(1):1-17. (*Corresponding author)
- Chan DW*, Hui WWY, Wang JJ, Yung MMH, Hui LMN, Qin Yiming, Liang RR, Leung THY, Xu D, Chan KKL, Yao KM, Tsang B and Ngan HYS (2017) DLX1 acts as a crucial target of FOXM1 to promote ovarian cancer aggressiveness by enhancing TGF-β/SMAD4 signaling. Oncogene 36(10):1404-1416. (First and Co-corresponding author)
- Yung MH, Ross FA, Hardie DG, Leung TH, Zhan JB, Ngan HYS and Chan DW*. (2016) Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) extract functions as a natural AMPK activator and synergistically enhances cisplatin cytotoxicity in ovarian cancer cells. Integrative Cancer Therapy 2016 15(3):376-89. (The most read paper in 2015/16) (*Corresponding author)
- Li CL, Liu VW, Chiu PM, Yao KM Ngan HYS* and Chan DW*. (2014) Reduced expression of AMPK-β1 during tumor progression enhances the oncogenic capacity of advanced ovarian cancer. Molecular Cancer 13:49 doi:10.1186/1476-4598-13-49. (* Co-corresponding author)
- Yung MM, Chan DW*, Liu VW, Yao KM and Ngan HY*. (2013) Activation of AMPK inhibits cervical cancer cell growth through AKT/FOXO3a/ FOXM1 signaling cascade. BMC Cancer 13:327 (* Co-corresponding author)
- Chan DW, Liu VW, Leung LY, Chiu PM, Yao KM, Chan KK, Cheung AN, Ngan HY. (2011) Zic2 synergistically enhances Hedgehog signaling through nuclear retention of Gli1 in cervical cancer cells. Journal of Pathology 225:525-534 (First author) .
- Wang Y, Chan DW, Liu VW, Chiu PM and Ngan HY (2010) Differential functions of GRB7 and its variant, GRB7v in the ovarian carcinogenesis. Clinical Cancer Research 16(9):2529-39
- Chan DW, Liu VW, To RM, Chiu PM, Lee WY, Yao KM, Cheung AN, Ngan HY. (2009) Overexpression of FOXG1 contributes to TGF-beta resistance through inhibition of p21(WAF1/CIP1) expression in ovarian cancer. British Journal of Cancer 101(8):1433-43 (First author)
- Chan DW, Liu VW, Tsao GS, Yao KM, Furukawa T, Chan KK, Ngan HY (2008) Loss of MKP3 mediated by oxidative stress enhances tumorigenicity and chemoresistance of ovarian cancer cells. Carcinogenesis 29:1742-50.(First author)
- Chan DW, Yu SY, Chiu PM, Yao KM, Liu VW, Cheung AN and Ngan HY (2008) Over-expression of FOXM1 transcription factor is associated with cervical cancer progression and pathogenesis. Journal of Pathology 215:245-52 (First author)
- Chan DW, Lee JM, Chan PC and Ng IO (2008) Genetic and epigenetic inactivation of T-cadherin in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. International Journal of Cancer 123:1043-52 (First author)
- Chan DW, Chan CY, Yam JWP, Ching YP and Ng IOL (2006) Prickle-1 negatively regulates Wnt/β-catenin pathway by promoting Dishevelled ubiquitination/degradation in liver cancer. Gastroenterology 131: 1218-1227. (First author)
- Zhang PP*, Chan DW*, Zhu YY, Li J, Ng IOL, Wan D and Gu JR (2006) Identification of Carboxypeptidase of Glutamate Like-B as a Candidate Suppressor in Cell Growth and Metastasis in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Clinical Cancer Research 12: 6617-6625. (*Co-first authorship).
- Chan DW and Ng IOL (2006) Knock down of hepatitis B virus X protein reduces the tumorigenicity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Journal of Pathology 208:372-380 (First author)
- Chan D, Wilson T, Xu D, Cowdery H, Sanij E, Hertzog P, Kola I (2003) Transformation induced by Ewing's sarcoma associated EWS/FLI-1 is suppressed by KRAB/FLI-1. British Journal of Cancer. 88:137-145. (First author)
- Xu D, Wilson T, Chan D, Luca ED, Zhou J, Hertzog P, Kola I (2002) Ets1 is required for p53 transcriptional activity in UV-induced apoptosis in embryonic stem cells. EMBO J 21:4081-4093.
- Ip WK, Lau YL, Chan SY, Mok CC, Chan D, Tong KK, Lau CS (2000) Mannose-binding lectin and rheumatoid arthritis in southern Chinese. Arthritis Rheum. 43:1679-1687.
- Mok CC, Lanchbury JS, Chan DW, Lau CS (1998) Interleukin-10 promoter polymorphisms in Southern Chinese patients with Systematic Lupus Erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum. 41:1090-1095.