Department of Anatomy

Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine - A member of NUHS

Professor Bay Boon Huat

(PhD; MBBS)
Head of Department

Contact Information:
Department of Anatomy
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
National University Health System
MD10, 4 Medical Drive, #03-01
Singapore 117597

(65) 6516 3200, (65) 6516 6139 (Phone)
(65) 67787643 (Fax)
boon_huat_bay@nuhs.edu.sg & anthead@nus.edu.sg (Email)

 

Major Research Interest
  • The theme of my research is on the biology of cancers, in particular the utility of biological markers of malignancy.  Histopathological examination is currently still the gold standard for cancer diagnosis. However, biological  markers are playing an increasingly important role in cancer management. Understanding the  biological profiles of  a cancer would  better define its natural and clinical history, and consequently, the likely  course of the  disease. In this regard, a major focus of my group is to  investigate biological markers as  prognostication factors and in the  prediction of survival and response to therapy.  Better characterization of individual patient’s prognosis could aid in clinical  management and enable insightful personal decision-making.
  • Drug design based on tumor biology and molecular-targeted cancer therapy.
  • Nanotoxicology
Current Projects
  • Discovery of biomarkers for gastric cancer (with A/P George Yip and A/P Tan Puay Hoon).  
  • Evaluation and screening of scorpion sodium channel toxins for potential antitumor activity (with Prof Gopalakrishnakone).
  • YB-1 interacting partners in breast cancer progression (with Prof Antony Braithwaite).
  • Nanotoxicology of gold nanoparticles (in collaboration with A/P Lanry Yung). This study investigates the  cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of gold nanoparticles on  lung epithelial  cells and fibroblasts.
Other Areas of Collaborative Research
  • Metabolomics studies in lung fibroblasts (with Prof Ong Choon Nam)
    Electron microscopy studies in cell lines.
Selected Publications
  • Teng YH, Tan WJ, Thike AA, Cheok TY, Tse GM, Wong NS, Yip GW, Bay BH, Tan PH. Mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene in triple negative breast cancer: possible implications for targeted therapy. Breast Cancer Res. 2011 Apr 1;13(2):R35
  • Fan HM, Olivo M, Shuter B, Yi JB, Bhuvaneswari R, Tan HR, Xing GC, Ng CT, Liu L, Lucky SS, Bay BH, Ding J. Quantum dot capped magnetite nanorings as high performance nanoprobe for multiphoton fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging. J Am Chem Soc. 2010 Oct 27;132(42):14803-11
  • Lwin ZM, Guo C, Salim A, Yip GW, Chew FT, Nan J, Thike AA, Tan PH, Bay BH. Clinicopathological significance of calreticulin in breast invasive ductal carcinoma. Mod Pathol. 2010 Dec;23(12):1559-66
  • Toh PP, Li JJ, Yip GW, Lo SL, Guo CH, Phan TT, Bay BH.Modulation of metallothionein isoforms is associated with collagen deposition in proliferating keloid fibroblasts in vitro. Exp Dermatol. 2010 Nov;19(11):987-93
  • Tay SP, Yeo CW, Chai C, Chua PJ, Tan HM, Ang AX, Yip DL, Sung JX, Tan PH, Bay BH, Wong SH, Tang C, Tan JM, Lim KL. Parkin enhances the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 6 and negatively regulates the proliferation of breast cancer cells. J Biol Chem. 2010 Sep 17;285(38):29231-8
  • Li JJ, Hartono D, Ong CN, Bay BH, Yung LY. Autophagy and oxidative stress associated with gold nanoparticles. Biomaterials. 2010 Aug;31(23):5996-6003.
  • Seow SW, Cai S, Rahmat JN, Bay BH, Lee YK, Chan YH, Mahendran R. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG induces tumor regression in mice bearing orthotopic bladder tumors. Cancer Sci. 2010 Mar;101(3):751-8
  • Yap X, Tan HY, Huang J, Lai Y, Yip GW, Tan PH, Bay BH. Over-expression of metallothionein predicts chemoresistance in breast cancer. J Pathol. 2009 Mar; 217(4):563-70.
  • Tay WL, Yip GW, Tan PH, Matsumoto K. Yeo R, Ng TP, Kumar SD, Tsujimoto M, Bay BH. Y-Box-binding protein-1 is a promising predictive marker of radioresistance and chemoradioresistance in nasopharyngeal cancer. Mod Pathol.2009 Feb;22(2):282-90.
  • Du HY, Olivo M, Mahendran R, Huang Q, Shen HM, Ong CN, Bay BH. Hypericin photoactivation triggers down-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression in well-differentiated human nasopharyngeal cancer cells. Cell Mol Life Sci. 2007 Apr;64(7-8):979-88
  • Bay BH, Jin R, Huang J, Tan PH. Metallothionein as a prognostic biomarker in breast cancer.Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2006 Oct;231(9):1516-21
  • Koo CY, Bay BH, Lui PC, Tse GM, Tan PH, Yip GW. Immunohistochemical expression of heparan sulfate correlates with stromal cell proliferation in breast phyllodes tumors. Mod Pathol. 2006 Oct;19(10):1344-50.
  • Tan PH, Aw MY, Yip G, Bay BH, Sii LH, Murugaya S, Tse GM. Cytokeratins in papillary lesions of the breast: is there a role in distinguishing intraductal papilloma from papillary ductal carcinoma in situ? Am J Surg Pathol. 2005 May;29(5):625-32.
  • Zheng ZY, Bay BH, Aw SE, Lin VC.  A novel antiestrogenic mechanism in progesterone receptor-transfected breast cancer cells. J Biol Chem. 2005 Apr 29;280(17):17480-7.
  • Huang J, Tan PH, Li KB, Matsumoto K, Tsujimoto M, Bay BH.Y-box binding protein, YB-1, as a marker of tumor aggressiveness and response to adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer. Int J Oncol. 2005 Mar;26(3):607-13.
  • Du HY, Olivo M, Tan BK, Bay BH. Photoactivation of hypericin down-regulates glutathione S-transferase activity in nasopharyngeal cancer cells. Cancer Lett. 2004 Apr 30;207(2):175-81.
  • Tai SK, Tan OJ, Chow VT, Jin R, Jones JL, Tan PH, Jayasurya A, Bay BH. Differential expression of metallothionein 1 and 2 isoforms in breast cancer lines with different invasive potential: identification of a novel nonsilent metallothionein-1H mutant variant. Am J Pathol. 2003 Nov;163(5):2009-19.
  • Jayasurya A, Dheen ST, Yap WM, Tan NG, Ng YK, Bay BH.Inducible nitric oxide synthase and bcl-2 expression in nasopharyngeal cancer: correlation with outcome of patients after radiotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2003 Jul 1;56(3):837-45.
  • Jin R, Chow VT, Tan PH, Dheen ST, Duan W, Bay BH. Metallothionein 2A expression is associated with cell proliferation in breast cancer.Carcinogenesis. 2002 Jan;23(1):81-6.
Honours and Awards
Other Appointments and Positions
  • Member of the University Promotion and Tenure Committee, NUS
  • Chairman, Yong Loo Lin SOM Conference Committee
  • Editorial Board Member, The ScientificWorld Journal
  • Editorial Board Member, Experimental Biology & Medicine
  • Board of Reviewers, Anatomical Record
Professional Organizations
  • Past President - Microscopy Society (Singapore) (1998-2000; 2001-2002)
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