School of Science Division of Life Science 22 Chinese Herbal Medicine for General Health Supervisor: LIANG Chun / LIFS Student: WONG Tin Lun / BCB Course: UROP 1100, Fall Insulin resistance (IR) is a metabolic condition characterized by the body’s reduced sensitivity to insulin, resulting in high blood glucose levels. The purpose of this work was to develop an IR cell model and assess the effects of several extracts from Polygonatum, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, on insulin sensitivity. The IR model was validated by significant changes in glucose uptake between non-insulin resistant and insulin resistant cells. Treatment with the conventional water extract (HJ1) resulted in the greatest improvement in insulin sensitivity, while more separated fractions (HJ2-HJ9) showed various degrees of effectiveness. Notably, HJ3 and HJ7 improved significantly, demonstrating that particular extraction procedures can identify active chemicals with therapeutic potential. These findings suggest that Polygonatum extracts may offer promising alternatives for managing insulin resistance and highlight the importance of extraction techniques in maximizing bioactive properties. DNA Replication-Initiation Proteins in Human Cells Supervisor: LIANG Chun / LIFS Student: ABBASOV Shahlar / BIOT-AB Course: UROP 1100, Fall A novel method to eliminate cancer cells was developed by targeting the inhibition of pre-replication complex (pre-RC) assembly to halt DNA replication. We conducted a CCK-8 assay, which demonstrated a significant decrease in cell viability as drug dosage increased, confirming the drug’s effectiveness, with an IC50 value of 8.802 nmol/m. A chromatin binding assay was used to examine the MCM and CDC6 protein expression levels in order to corroborate these results. The findings showed a significant decrease in these proteins’ availability in the nucleus, indicating that the medication successfully inhibited their expression. The potential of focusing on pre-RC assembly in cancer treatment is highlighted by this study. Human Complex Disease Genomics and Bioinformatics Supervisor: LIANG Chun / LIFS Co-Supervisor: XUE Hong / LIFS Student: AU Man Ting / BIOT-AB Course: UROP 1100, Fall Meningioma is the most prevalent primary tumor of the central nervous system. While many meningiomas grow slowly and remain asymptomatic, some can lead to significant neurological damage and may recur after surgery. This study explores the genetic differences between recurrent and non-recurrent meningiomas to better understand the factors influencing recurrence. Blood samples from meningioma patients were collected for DNA extraction, followed by amplification using inter-Alu PCR and fragmentation for next-generation sequencing (NGS). Results demonstrate successful DNA amplification and fragmentation; however, the limited sample size poses challenges in drawing conclusions. Further research with larger sample sizes and tissue DNA analysis is recommended.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDk5Njg=