Hsian-Rong Tseng
Professor
Molecular and Medical Pharmacology
University of California, Los Angeles
Seminar Information
Our research team at UCLA has demonstrated a highly efficient cell-affinity assay (known as NanoVelcro Microchips) capable of detecting and characterizing rare cells, e.g., circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating fetal cells (CFCs) in blood samples collected from cancer patients and expectant mothers, respectively. In addition to conducting the enumeration of these rare cells, we have been exploring the use of NanoVelcro Microchips for isolating single CTCs and CFCs without contamination by white blood cells (WBCs) in the background. The individually isolated CTCs and CFCs can then be subjected to molecular analyses by FISH, RT-PCR, microarray and/or next-generation sequencing, enabling a wide range of applications in the fields of cancer and prenatal diagnostics for the new era of precision medicine.
Dr. Tseng is a professor in the Department of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology at UCLA. He also holds memberships of the California NanoSystems Institute, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging and Institute for Molecular Medicine on the UCLA campus. Since he joined UCLA Pharmacology in 2003, Dr. Tseng’s group at UCLA has developed a series of nanotechnology- and microfluidics-enabled in vitro molecular diagnostic (IVMD) technologies. In collaboration with his physician colleagues, the goal of their joint team is to translate these new IVMD technologies from research bench to clinical practice.