Eunice Ngai

Contact

• workMalaysia Campus
  Jalan Broga
  43500 Semenyih
  Selangor Darul Ehsan
  Malaysia
• work+6 (03) 87248186
• Eunice.Ngai@nottingham.edu.my

Teaching Summary

I am primarily involved in the teaching in the following modules:

1. Biotechnology in Animal Physiology (BIOS3058)

2. Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (BIOS3081)

3. Applied Bioethics: Sustainable Food Production, Biotechnology and the Environment (BIOS3060)

4. Epigenetics and Developmental Biotechnology (BIOS2096)

Research Summary

Targeting epigenetics for cancer therapy in invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast:

- Elucidating the mechanisms involved in the modulation of apoptotic pathways in CDH1 re-expressed human breast adenocarcinoma cells upon sensitization by Zebularine and Trichostatin A followed by TRAIL.

- Epigenetic modulation by curcumin in combination with pterostilbene for ERα re-expression in triple-negative breast cancer cells through DNA demethylation and histone acetylation.

Selected Publications

• SONIA HOW MING WONG, CHEE MUN FANG, LAY-HONG CHUAH, CHEE ONN LEONG and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2018. E-cadherin: Its dysregulation in carcinogenesis and clinical implications. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology. 121, 11-22.
• SONIA HOW MING WONG, WEI YANG KONG, CHEE MUN FANG, HWEI-SAN LOH, LAY-HONG CHUAH, SYAHRIL ABDULLAH and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2019. The TRAIL to Cancer Therapy: Hindrances and Potential Solutions Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology. 143, 81 - 94
• SER HUI SAN and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2024. E-cadherin re-expression: Its potential in combating TRAIL resistance and reversing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Gene. 909, 148293
• SIEW CHING NGAI, 2020. Curcumin sensitizes cancers towards TRAIL-induced apoptosis via extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways Current Drug Targets. 21(6),

• View all publications

Past Research

Characterization of the cellular and molecular profiles of CDH1 re-expressed breast adenocarcinoma cells treated with Zebularine and Trichostatin A followed by tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL).

Zebularine and Trichostatin A sensitized human breast adenocarcinoma cells towards tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis.

Investigating the anticancer potential of phytocompounds isolated from Clinacanthus nutans, as monotherapy and in combination with cisplatin, against triple-negative breast cancer.

DNA methylation and histone deacetylation as the silencing factors of tumor suppressor gene in human breast adenocarcinoma cell line.

5-azacytidine and Trichostatin A enhance the expression of E-cadherin (CDH1) tumor suppressor gene in human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines.

Transgene silencing following lentiviral gene delivery into hematopoietic stem cells.

Purification and reaction of a recombinant lipase from Bacilus sp. Strain 42.

• YEE TENG WONG, ASHLEY SAN ANN SOO, SER HUI SAN and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2026. Anticancer combination effects of Doxorubicin and Curcumin on the human breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7. Life Sciences, Medicine and Biomedicine. 10(1),
• SER HUI SAN, CHEE-MUN FANG and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2026. Combination of Trichostatin A and Zebularine along with re-expressed E-cadherin enhances TRAIL-induced apoptosis in human breast adenocarcinoma cells. In: 9th International Conference on Molecular Biology and Biotechnology 2026.
• ELISHEA ASUDAS, SIEW CHING NGAI, SUI-KIONG LING and CHEE-MUN FANG, 2025. Therapeutic advances in breast cancer: Clinacanthus nutans as a source of bioactive compounds and drug combinations. Current Pharmacology Reports. 11, 35
• SER HUI SAN, SONIA HOW MING WONG, CHEE-MUN FANG and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2025. Elucidating the potential of E-cadherin re-expression along with Trichostatin A and Zebularine in enhancing Tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis in human breast adenocarcinoma cells. Current Cancer Drug Targets.
• SER HUI SAN, CHEE-MUN FANG and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2025. The apoptotic effects of Trichostatin A and Zebularine in combination with TRAIL (TZT) on E-cadherin re-expressed human breast adenocarcinoma cells. In: Taylor’s Graduate Research Symposium 2024. 9. 203
• SIEW CHING NGAI, SER HUI SAN, SONIA HOW MING WONG and CHEE-MUN FANG, 2025. Elucidating the potential of E-cadherin re-expressed human breast adenocarcinoma cells towards TRAIL-induced apoptosis by Trichostatin A and Zebularine. In: 16th Malaysia International Genetics Congress.
• SER HUI SAN and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2025. The synergistic anticancer effects of curcumin in combination with breast cancer chemotherapy drugs. Life Sciences, Medicine and Biomedicine. 9(1), 173
• SER HUI SAN and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2024. E-cadherin re-expression: Its potential in combating TRAIL resistance and reversing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Gene. 909, 148293
• ELISHEA ASUDAS, SIEW CHING NGAI, SUI-KIONG LING and CHEE-MUN FANG, 2024. From your garden to medicine cabinets: Pioneering towards the development of targeted TNBC therapeutic using Clinacanthus nutans isolated compounds. In: International Cancer Research Symposium.
• SER HUI SAN and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2024. Effects of Trichostatin A and Zebularine in combination with TRAIL (TZT) on E-cadherin re-expressed breast adenocarcinoma cells. In: International Cancer Research Symposium.
• ASHLEY SAN ANN SOO, SER HUI SAN and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2024. The combined effects of doxorubicin and curcumin in apoptosis induction in the human breast cancer cells. In: 2024 Merging Health and Technology Next Generation of Care Conference.
• YEE TENG WONG, SER HUI SAN and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2024. Anti-cancer combination effects of doxorubicin and curcumin on the human breast cancer cell lines. In: 2024 Merging Health and Technology Next Generation of Care Conference.
• ELISHEA ASUDAS, SIEW CHING NGAI, SUI-KIONG LING and CHEE-MUN FANG, 2024. Elucidating the apoptotic modulatory role of phytoconstituents isolated from clinacanthus nutans, alone and in combination with cisplatin against triple-negative breast cancer. In: 2024 Merging Health and Technology Next Generation of Care Conference.
• SER HUI SAN and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2024. Enhancing the apoptotic effects in E-cadherin re-expressed human breast adenocarcinoma cells with Trichostatin A and Zebularine. In: 2024 Merging Health and Technology Next Generation of Care Conference.
• ASHLEY SAN ANN SOO, YEE TENG WONG, SER HUI SAN and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2024. Anticancer combinational effects of doxorubicin and curcumin on the breast cancer cells. In: 34th Intervarsity Biochemistry Seminar.
• SONIA HOW MING WONG, CHEE-MUN FANG and HWEI-SAN LOH, 2023. Trailing TRAIL resistance in human breast adenocarcinoma cells with Trichostatin A and Zebularine. Anti-cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry. 23(7), 817-831
• ZHI HUNG YAP, WEI YANG KONG, ABDUR RAHMAAN AZEEZ, CHEE-MUN FANG and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2022. Anti-cancer effects of epigenetics drugs scriptaid and zebularine in human breast adenocarcinoma cells. Anti-cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry. 22(8), 1582 - 1591
• ATHIRAH BINTI ZAHARI and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2022. TRAIL and curcumin combinational therapy in breast cancer. In: 32nd Intervarsity Biochemical Seminar.
• SONIA HOW MING WONG, CHEE-MUN FANG, HWEI-SAN LOH and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2021. Trichostatin A and Zebularine along with E-cadherin re-expression enhance tumour necrosis factor-1 related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated cell cycle arrest in human breast cancer cells. Journal of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. 29(1), 26-41
• WEI YANG KONG, SIEW CHING NGAI, BEY HING GOH, LEARN HAN LEE, THET THET HTAR and LAY HONG CHUAH, 2021. Is Curcumin the Answer to Future Chemotherapy Cocktail? Molecules. 26(14), 4329
• ZHI HUNG YAP, WEI YANG KONG, ABDUR RAHMAAN AZEEZ, CHEE-MUN FANG, HWEI-SAN LOH and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2021. Epigenetic drugs Scriptaid and Zebularine inhibited the proliferation of human breast adenocarcinoma cells via the Induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis In: 31st Intervarsity Biochemistry Seminar.
• SULEIMAN YUSUF ALHAJI, NORSHARIZA NORDIN, SIEW CHING NGAI, AKRAM AL ABBAR and LAI MEI I, 2020. Lack of methylation on transgene leads to high level and persistent transgene expression in induced pluripotent stem cells Gene. 758, 144958
• AKRAM AL ABBAR, SIEW CHING NGAI, NADINE NOGRALES, SULEIMAN YUSUF ALHAJI and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2020. Induced pluripotent stem cells: Reprogramming platforms and applications in cell replacement therapy BioResearch Open Access. 9(1), 121-136
• SIEW CHING NGAI, 2020. Curcumin sensitizes cancers towards TRAIL-induced apoptosis via extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways Current Drug Targets. 21(6),
• CHIN-KING LOOI, LING-WEI HII, SIEW CHING NGAI, CHEE-ONN LEONG and CHUN-WAI MAI, 2020. The role of Ras-Associated Protein 1 (Rap1) in cancer: Bad actor or good player? Biomedicines. 8(9), 334
• YUAN SENG WU, ZHONG YANG LEE, LAY-HONG CHUAH, CHUN WAI MAI and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2019. Epigenetics in metastatic breast cancer: Its regulation and implications in diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutics. Current Cancer Drug Targets. 19, 82-100
• KAR EN WONG, SIEW CHING NGAI, KOK-GAN CHAN, LEARN-HAN LEE, BEY-HING GOH and LAY-HONG CHUAH, 2019. Curcumin nanoformulations for colorectal cancer: A Review Frontiers in Pharmacology: section Ethnopharmacology. 10, 152
• WEI YANG KONG, ZONG YANG YEE, CHUN WAI MAI, CHEE MUN FAN, SYAHRIL ABDULLAH and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2019. Zebularine and Trichostatin A (TSA) sensitized human breast adenocarcinoma cells towards tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis Heliyon. 5(9), e02468
• SONIA HOW MING WONG, WEI YANG KONG, CHEE MUN FANG, HWEI-SAN LOH, LAY-HONG CHUAH, SYAHRIL ABDULLAH and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2019. The TRAIL to Cancer Therapy: Hindrances and Potential Solutions Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology. 143, 81 - 94
• ABDUR RAHMAAN AZEEZ, WEI YANG KONG, SONIA HOW MING WONG, CHENG FOH LE and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2019. The Effect of Zebularine, Scriptaid and the Combination Treatment on Induction of Apoptosis in Human Breast Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 In: 30th Intervarsity Biochemistry Seminar.
• SONIA HOW MING WONG, CHEE MUN FANG, LAY-HONG CHUAH, CHEE ONN LEONG and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2018. E-cadherin: Its dysregulation in carcinogenesis and clinical implications. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology. 121, 11-22.
• NGAI SIEW CHING and WONG HOW MING SONIA, 2018. Targeted TRAIL resistance for targeted cancer therapy. Biomedical Journal of Scientific and Technical Research. 4(1), 2018.
• AKRAM AL ABBAR, NORSHARIZA NORDIN, SIEW CHING NGAI and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2018. Production of lentiviral vector with polycistronic transcripts for reprogramming of mouse fibroblast cells Pertanika Journal of Science and Technology. 26(2), 627 – 640.
• SONIA HOW MING WONG, CHEE MUN FANG, SANDY HWEI SAN LOH, WEI YANG KONG and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2018. The potential of epigenetic drugs, Trichostatin A and Zebularine, in sensitizing the triple negative breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, towards TRAIL apoptosis-inducing effect In: 2nd Faculty of Science Postgraduate Research Showcase, UNMC.
• KONG WEI YANG, AMELIA FARAHANI BINTI ZULKIFLI, TON NU QUY THIEN, SOPHIA SOK PING MEOW and NGAI SIEW CHING, 2018. The anti-cancer effects of Zebularine and Scriptaid on breast cancer cells In: 2nd Faculty of Science Postgraduate Research Showcase, UNMC.
• SULEIMAN YUSUF ALHAJI, SIEW CHING NGAI and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2018. Silencing of transgene expression in mammalian cells by DNA methylation and histone modifications in gene therapy perspective. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews. 3(5), 1 - 25.
• SONIA HOW MING WONG, CHEE MUN FANG, SANDY HWEI SAN LOH and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2018. The treatment of epigenetic drugs, Trichostatin A and Zebularine, followed by Tumor Necrosis Factor-related Apoptosis-inducing Ligand (TRAIL) halts cell cycle progression in the triple-negative breast adenocarcinoma cells, MDA-MB-231 In: 8th Regional Conference on Molecular Medicine.
• SIEW CHING NGAI and WEI YANG KONG, 2018. The epigenetic drugs Zebularine and Trichostatin A enhanced the TRAIL-induced apoptosis in the aggressive triple negative breast cancer. In: 25th Biennial Congress of the European Association for Cancer Research. ESMO Open 3 (2). A42-A42
• SHAIMAA AHMED SALEEM AL ODEH, WEI YANG KONG, SONIA HOW MING WONG and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2017. Effects of epigenetic drugs Zebularine and Trichostatin A on human breast adenocarcinoma cells. In: 28th Intervarsity Biochemistry Seminar, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur.
• SONIA HOW MING WONG, CHEE MUN FANG, SANDY HWEI SAN LOH and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2017. The potential of epigenetic drugs, Trichostatin A and Zebularine, in sensitizing the triple negative breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, towards TRAIL apoptosis-inducing effect. In: 2nd Global Insight Conference on Breast Cancer, Rome, Italy.
• YUAN SENG WU, SIEW CHING NGAI, BEY-HING GOH, KOK-GAN CHAN, LEARN-HAN LEE and LAY-HONG CHUAH, 2017. Anti-cancer activity of surfactin and potential application of nanotechnology assisted surfactin delivery Frontiers in Pharmacology. 8, 761.
• SIEW CHING NGAI, SIMRAN VENKATRAMAN, WEI YANG KONG and SONIA HOW MING WONG, 2017. The epigenetic drugs Zebularine and Trichostatin A sensitized MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells towards TRAIL-induced apoptosis In: Cancer Research Conference, UTAR, Sg. Long, Selangor.
• SIEW CHING NGAI, 2016. Breaking the wall of breast cancer. In: Falling Walls Lab Malaysia 2016. AIMST University, Malaysia.
• JUN YEN NG, RHUN YIAN KOH, PREMDASS RAMDAS and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2016. Re-expression of CDH1 tumour suppressor gene by 5-azacytidine and Trichostatin A reduces metastatic breast cancer cell proliferation and migration rates. In: 2nd Annual Epigenetics Discovery Congress, London, United Kingdom.
• SONIA HOW MING WONG, CHEE MUN FANG, SANDY HWEI SAN LOH and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2016. The epigenetic drugs Zebularine and Trichostatin A treatment followed by Tumour Necrosis Factor-related Apoptosis Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) potentially induce apoptosis in drug resistant breast adenocarcinoma cells. In: Monash Science Symposium, Monash University, Malaysia.
• WEI YANG KONG, AMELIA FARAHANI BINTI ZULKIFLI, THIEN TON NU QUY, SOPHIA SOK PING MEOW, SONIA HOW MING WONG and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2016. The Effects of epigenetic drugs Zebularine and Scriptaid on breast cancer cells. In: Monash Science Symposium, Monash University, Malaysia.
• SULEIMAN Y. ALHAJI, OMAR HABIB, SHARIZA NORDIN, LAI M. I, NGAI S. CHING and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2016. Stable lentiviral gene expression driven by constitutive promoters in mouse pluripotent stem cells. In: 6th Malaysian Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Scientific Meeting (6th MTERMS) 2016 and 2nd Malaysian Stem Cell Meeting, Seberang Jaya, Penang.
• SONIA HOW MING WONG, CHEE MUN FANG, SANDY HWEI SAN LOH and SIEW CHING NGAI, 2016. TRAIL, an anti-cancer agent which does not kill the healthy cells. In: UNMC Research Showcase, University of Nottingham Malaysia.
• SIEW CHING NGAI, ROZITA ROSLI, AKRAM AL ABBAR and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2015. DNA methylation and histone modifications are the molecular lock in lentivirally-transduce hematopoietic progenitor cells. Biomed Research International. 2015, 346134
• POH TEE LOW, MEI AI LAI, SIEW CHING NGAI and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2014. Transgene expression from CpG-reduced lentiviral gene delivery vectors in vitro. Gene. 533, 451-455
• SIEW CHING NGAI, ROZITA ROSLI, RAJESH RAMASAMY and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2014. Decline in gene expression of the genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells following transplantation. Regenerative Medicine. 3(2), 124-126
• SIEW CHING NGAI, ROZITA ROSLI, RAJESH RAMASAMY and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2013. Comparison of efficiency and persistency of transgene expression delivered via viral and non-viral methods. In: International Congress on Chemical Biological and Environmental Sciences, Bali, Indonesia..
• SIEW CHING NGAI, ROZITA ROSLI, NORDIN NORSHARIZA, ABHI VEERAKUMARASIVAM and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2012. Lentivirus vector driven by polybiquitin C promoter without woodchuck posttranscriptional regulatory element and central polypurine tract generates low level and short-lived reporter gene expression. Gene. 498, 231-236
• SIEW CHING NGAI, RAJESH RAMASAMY and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2012. Production of lentivirus carrying green fluorescent protein with different promoters for in vitro gene transfer. Pertanika Journal of Science and Technology. 20(2), 269-281
• SIEW CHING NGAI, 2012. Epigenetics interplay between DNA methylation and histone modifications in breast cancer. Advances in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology. 1(1),
• SIEW CHING NGAI, RAJESH RAMASAMY, ROZITA ROSLI and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2012. Gene expression profile of hematopoietic stem cells transduced by lentiviral vector. In: 4th Malaysian Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Scientific Meeting, Langkawi, Malaysia.
• SIEW CHING NGAI, RAJESH RAMASAMY, ROZITA ROSLI and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2010. Comparison of transgene expression and gene transfer efficiency driven by UbC and CMV promoter in non-viral and viral gene delivery context in vitro. In: 19th Scientific Conference of Electron Microscopy Society of Malaysia. Langkawi, Malaysia.
• SIEW CHING NGAI, RAJESH RAMASAMY, ROZITA ROSLI and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2010. DNA methylation and histone deacetylation are factors of transgene silencing in hematopoietic stem cells transduced with lentiviral vector. In: XVIIIth Annual Congress of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. Milano, Italy.
• SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, SIEW CHING NGAI, RAJESH RAMASAMY and ROZITA ROSLI, 2010. Transgene Silencing in Transduced Haematopoietic Stem Cells In: 3rd Malaysian Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine(MTERM) Scientific Meeting.
• SIEW CHING NGAI, RAJESH RAMASAMY, ROZITA ROSLI and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2009. Transgene silencing in hematopoietic stem cells is associated with DNA methylation and histone deacetylation. In: 7th Asean Microscopy Conference. Bali, Indonesia.
• SIEW CHING NGAI, RAJESH RAMASAMY, ROZITA ROSLI and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2009. Lentiviral with CMV promoter mediates longer duration of transgene expression in vitro than lentiviral with UbC promoter. In: 8th Malaysia Genetics Congress. Awana Genting, Pahang, Malaysia.
• SIEW CHING NGAI, RAJESH RAMASAMY, ROZITA ROSLI and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2009. Optimization of the production of third-generation self-inactivating lentivirus carrying green fluorescent protein for in vitro gene transfer. In: 3rd Regional Conference on Molecular Medicine. Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia.
• SIEW CHING NGAI, RAJESH RAMASAMY, ROZITA ROSLI and SYAHRIL ABDULLAH, 2008. Optimization of lentiviral production carrying green fluorescent protein with different promoters for in vitro cell transfection. In: 17th Electron Microscopy Society of Malaysia (EMSM) Scientific Conference. Shah Alam, Malaysia.