Understanding the meaning of the human genome codes is one of the keys to unlock the secrets of life. Despite having a fairly good grasp of the sequences of the human genome, we are still far from... Show moreUnderstanding the meaning of the human genome codes is one of the keys to unlock the secrets of life. Despite having a fairly good grasp of the sequences of the human genome, we are still far from understanding the functions of most parts of the genome and their involvement in diseases. The application of the CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing systems revolutionized the way to study the function of the genome, not only the coding genes but also the non-coding genome. In this thesis, multiple CRISPR screening systems were designed and used to study the transport of chemotherapeutic drugs and the functions of non-coding regulatory elements in distinct biological pathways. Using the CRISPR screening systems, we identified previously known drug exporters such as ABCB1 and ABCG2 and a new doxorubicin importer gene SLC2A3 (GLUT3). We used an innovative dual-CRISPR system to study the functions of noncoding regulatory elements (NCREs) in their endogenous genomic environment. We provide the broad research community with a new tool to study the functions of NCREs in different biological aspects, and it is expected many more important NCREs will be discovered in the future, which would not only be relevant to fundamental biology but also to human diseases. Show less
Immunotherapy and chemotherapy are major strategies in current cancer treatments. In the first half of this thesis, a new way of antigen cross-presentation from apoptotic cells to APCs, mediated by... Show moreImmunotherapy and chemotherapy are major strategies in current cancer treatments. In the first half of this thesis, a new way of antigen cross-presentation from apoptotic cells to APCs, mediated by gap junctions, is described. And potential anti-tumor applications of gap junction mediated antigen cross-presentation are discussed in the context of the current knowledge. In the second half of this thesis, an unexpected novel mechanism of action__selective induction of histone eviction__is described, which could explain the long standing clinical observation that anthracycline members, like doxorubicin, daunorubicin and aclarubicin, are efficient but with long term side-effects such as cardiotoxicity Show less
