Mechanism of trichosanthin action: Trichosanthin is a type I ribosome inactivating protein with antiviral activity. It inhibits replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as well as Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). The mechanism is not known. Results found in this laboratory support the hypothesis that trichosanthin selectively induce apoptosis in viral infected cells while sparing uninfected cells. Infected cells die prematurely and therefore limit viral replication. The mechanism appears to involve the MAPK signal pathway.
Genetic adaptation of high altitude: Studying the genetic difference between Tibetan and Han and looking for genes contributing to better survival in high altitude.
Zhang GH, Wang Q, Chen JJ, Zhang XM, Tam SC and Zheng YT (2005), The Anti-HIV effect of Scutellarin, BBRC 334, 812-816.
Herman Chan & Siu-Cheung Tam (2005), Role of blood transfusion in trichosanthin induced anaphylaxis, Environmental Toxicology & Pharmacology: 20, 73-76.
Ouyang DY, Chan H, Wang YY, Huang H, Tam SC and Zheng YT (2006), An inhibitor of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (CEP-11004) counteracts the anti-HIV-1 action of trichosanthin, BBRC 339, 25-29.
Hai Huang, Herman Chan, Yuan-Yuan Wang, Dong-Yun Ouyang, Yong-Tang Zheng, and Siu-Cheung Tam (2006), Trichosanthin suppresses the elevation of p38 MAPK, and Bcl-2 induced by HSV infection in Vero cells, Life Sciences 79, 1287-1292.
Chan Hoi Ming, Leung Po Sing and Tam Michael SC (2007), Effect of angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonist on D-galactosamine-induced acute liver injury, Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology 34, 985-991.
Wang Rui Rui, Yang Liu Meng, Wang Yun Hua, Pang Wei, Tam Michael SC, Tien Po and Zheng Yong Tang (2009), Sifuvirtide, a potent HIV fusion inhibitor peptide, BBRC 382, 540-544.
Tam Michael SC, Pang Wei and Zheng Yong Tang (2009), Current peptide HIV type-1 fusion inhibitors, Antiviral Chemistry and Chemotherapy 20, 1-18.
Long Jing, Zhang De Hua, Zhang Gao Hong, Rao Zhi Kun, Wang Yun Hua, Tam Michael SC, He Yang Ping and Zheng Yong Tang (2010), The Anti-HIV activity of three 2-alkylsulfanyl-6-benzyl-3, 4-dihydropyrimidin-4 (3H)-one derivatives acting as non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor in vitro, Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 45, 228-234.
Sun Yi, Ouyang Dong Yun, Pang Wei, Tu Yuan Quan, Li Yu Ye, Shen Xiao Mei, Tam Michael SC, Yang Hong Ying and Zheng Yong Tang (2010), Expression of syncytin in leukemia and lymphoma cells, Leukemia Research 34, 1195-1202.
Beall Cynthia M, Cavalleri Gianpiero L, Deng Libin, Elston Robert C, Gao Yang, Knight Jo, Li Chaohua, Li Jiang Chuan, Liang Yu, Mccormack Mark, Montgomery Hugh E, Pan Hao, Robbins Peter A, Shianna Kevin V, Tam Michael SC, Tsering Ngodrop, Veeramah Krishna R, Wang Wei, Wangdui Puchung, Weale Michael E, Xu Yaomin, Xu Zhe, Yang Ling, Zaman M Justin, Zeng Changqing, Zhang Li, Zhang Xianglong, Zhaxi pingcuo and Zheng Yong Tang (2010), Natural selection on EPAS1 (NIF2a) associated with low hemoglobin concentration in Tibetan highlanders, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) 107, 11459-11464.