• Understanding metabolic need and plasticity in cancer
• Dysregulation of cell signaling in cancer
• Bioinformatics

Dr Wong is currently a Research Assistant Professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). He completed his BSc (Hons) in Food and Human Nutrition from Newcastle University and PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Cambridge. He then undertook postdoctoral training in the Faculty of Medicine, HKU under the supervision of Dr Stephanie Ma in the field of liver cancer.

Our research focuses on understanding the contribution of metabolism to cancer initiation and development. We employ multi-omics platform, organoid and mouse model to explore the mechanism of metabolic reprogramming in cancer. Using these knowledge, we aim to develop novel cancer treatment options targeting the metabolic pathways.

Research Articles:

1. Tong M, Wong TL, Zhao H, Zhang Y, Xie YN, Li CH, Zhou L, Che N, Yun JP, Man K, Lee TK, Cai Z, Ma S. Loss of tyrosine catabolic enzyme 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase HPD promotes glutamine anaplerosis through mTOR signaling in liver cancer. Cell Reports 2021; accepted.
2. Ng KY, Shea QT, Wong TL, Luk ST, Tong M, Lo CM, Man K, Yun JP, Guan XY, Lee TK, Zheng YP, Ma S. Chemotherapy enriched THBS2-deficient cancer stem cells drive hepatocarcinogenesis through matrix softness induced histone H3 modifications. (2021) Advanced Science, 8(5):2002483.
3. Loong JH, Wong TL, Tong M, Sharma R, Zhou L, Ng KY, Yu HJ, Li CH, Man K, Lo CM, Guan XY, Lee TK, Yun JP, Ma S. Glucose deprivation induced aberrant FUT1-mediated fucosylation drives cancer stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma. (2021) Journal of Clinical Investigation, 131(11):e143377.
4. Yan Q, Zhang Y, Fang X, Liu B, Wong TL, Gong L, Liu S, Yu D, Liu M, Jiang L, Wang X, Wei T, Jia Y, Li L, Sun L, Tang Y, Yuan YF, Li Y, Ma S, Guan XY. PGC7 promotes tumor oncogenic dedifferentiation through remodelling DNA methylation pattern for key developmental transcription factors. (2021) Cell Death and Differentiation, 28:1955-1970.
5. Che N, Ng KY, Wong TL, Tong M, Kau PWF, Chan LH, Lee TK, Huen MS, Yun JP, Ma S. PRMT6 deficiency induces autophagy in hostile microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma tumors by regulating BAG5-associated HSC70 stability. (2021) Cancer Letter, 501:247-262.
6. Ho NP, Leung CO, Wong TL, Lau EY, Lei MM, Mok EH, Leung HW, Tong M, Ng IO, Jun JP, Ma S, Lee TK. The interplay of UBE2T and Mule in regulating Wnt/β-catenin activation to promote hepatocellular carcinoma progression. (2021) Cell Death & Disease, 12:148.
7. Luk ST, Ng KY, Zhou L, Tong M, Wong TL, Yu H, Lo CM, Man K, Guan XY, Lee TK, Ma S. Deficiency in embryonic stem cell marker REX1 activates MKK6-dependent p38 MAPK signaling to drive hepatocarcinogenesis. (2020) Hepatology, 72(1):183-197.
8. Wong TL, Ng KY, Tan KV, Chan LH, Zhou L, Che N, Hoo RL, Lee TK, Richard S, Lo CM, Man K, Khong PL, Ma S. CRAF methylation by PRMT6 regulates aerobic glycolysis driven hepatocarcinogenesis via ERK-dependent PKM2 nuclear relocalization and activation. (2020) Hepatology, 71(4):1279-1296.
9. Chan LH*, Zhou L*, Ng KY*, Wong TL*, Lee TK, Sharma R, Loong JH, Ching YP, Yuan YF, Xie D, Lo CM, Man K, Artegiani B, Clevers H, Yan HH, Leung SY, Richard S, Guan XY, Huen MS, Ma S. PRMT6 Regulates RAS/RAF Binding and MEK/ERK-Mediated Cancer Stemness Activities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma through CRAF Methylation. (2018) Cell Reports 25(3):690-701. *Co-first author.
10. Lau CC., Ng KY, Wong TL, Tong M, Lee TK, Ming X, Law SY, Lee NP, Cheung A, Qin YR, Chan KW, Ning W, Guan XY, Ma S^. FSTL1 promotes metastasis and chemoresistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through NFκB-BMP signaling crosstalk. (2017) Cancer Research, 77(21):5886-5899.

Review:

1. Wong TL, Che N, Ma S. Reprogramming of Central Carbon Metabolism in Cancer Stem Cells. (2017) Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (Molecular Basis of Disease), 1863(7):1728-1738.

• As PI: Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) 2017 (Mini grant)
• As Co-I: National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) 2020

Cambridge International Scholarships (2011)