Professor Godfrey Chi-Fung Chan (陳志峰)
DMD (U. East, Phil), MD (U. East, Phil), LMCHK, MSc (U. Birmingham, UK), Dip Palliative Med (U Wales, UK), MRCP (UK), FHKAM, FHKCPaed, FRCP (Edin), FRCPCH (UK), FAAP (USA)
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Paediatric Haematology/ Oncology/ Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
H-index: 52
Total citations: 10285
RG score: 48.14
Our group have been studying the biology of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), dendritic cells (DCs) and neuroblastoma cells (NB), in particularly how they interact with each other. MSCs are the most potent immunosuppressive cells whereas DCs are the most potent antigen presenting cells in our body. While MSCs have been applied clinically as immunosuppressor for GvHD in transplantation setting, we found that MSCs have unique chemo-sensitivity pattern and they contribute significantly to cancer growth and metastasis. MSCs also alter the cancer microenvironment and provide various chemo-resistant and immuno-tolerant supports to cancer cells. Utilizing MSCs sensitive chemotherapeutic drugs such as anti-microtubule agents can minimize the protective role of MSCs to cancer. We also identified several purified compounds such as beta-glucan from ganoderma which can enhance DCs maturation and function. This may facilitate the adaptive immune response against cancer especially as adjuvant to monoclonal antibody immunotherapy. In clinical setting, my focus is on finding new treatment modalities for neurogenic tumors such as neuroblastoma and brain tumors. We are among the first groups to start using anti-GD2 in metastatic neuroblastoma since 1999.
304 published articles in indexed journals; 127 published abstracts; 10 book chapters; one book
Childhood blood diseases (i.e. ITP, thalassaemia, haemophilia); childhood cancers (i.e. leukaemia, MDS, neuroblastoma, brain tumors) and haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (i.e. autologous, allogeneic & haploidentical transplant)