TRANSLATIONAL GENOMIC LANDSCAPE OF NPC

Prof Vivian Wai Yan LUI

School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine
The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is a very distinct subtype of head and neck cancer, with etiological
association with the oncogenic virus, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Interestingly, nearby the
nasopharynx, the oropharynx is another anatomical site that is uniquely prone to oncovirus-induced
cancer, namely the human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer. We and others, have
recently dissected the genomic landscapes of both of these 2 viral-associated head and neck cancers,
which revealed very distinct mutational profiles compared to viral-negative head and neck cancer.
Further, our recent exome-reanalysis efforts identified for the first time several novel commonalities
between EBV(+)NPC and HPV(+)HNSCC, which may essentially inform us the “essential common
drives” for these oncovirus-associated head and neck cancers. Importantly, among these “common
signals” are potential drug targets, which are to be investigated in the future for these cancers.
Therefore, these previously distinct cancer subtypes may be more similar than what we thought
previously, in terms of genomic compositions and druggability. With the increasing availability of the
genomic data and efforts for new model development, genomic-based therapeutic research on
HPV(+)HNSCC and EBV(+)NPC may benefit each other in the clinic in future.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures:

VWYL served as a Consultant for Novartis Pharmaceuticals (HK) Limited (Oct 2015-Oct 2016), and
obtained a research funding from the University-Industry Collaboration Program by the Innovation
Technology Fund (ITF, Hong Kong Government, Hong Kong) and the Lee’s Pharmaceuticals (HK) Limited
(grant UIM/329 from May 2018-April 2020). Currently, VWYL also receives research fundings from the
Research Grant Council, Hong Kong (#14168571, #17121616, General Research Fund), the Health and
Medical Fund (HMRF##15160691, the Health and Medical Research Fund, the Food and Health Bureau,
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), the Start-up Fund from the School
of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong
Cancer Fund, Hong Kong SAR.