PB – NHRI Communications

5-MTP ameliorates arterial denudation-induced intimal hyperplasia via opposing effects on vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells

PB January 6, 2020 January 6, 2020Highlights

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly among older adults. Despite the advent of medical technology, restenosis is still an issue after interventional procedures. Tryptophan metabolite 5-methoxytryptophan (5-MTP) has recently been shown to protect against systemic inflammatory responses. Dr. Shaw-Fang Yet from the Institute of…

What I learned from Prof. Kim Nasmyth’s closing remarks at the “Evolution, Structure and function of Chromosomes High Order Structure” Conference

PB September 16, 2019 September 16, 2019Events

I attended the four-day Pasteur Institute conference titled “Evolution, Structure and /function of Chromosomes High Order Structure” in memory of Francois Jacob from June 4 to 7. I was very fortunate to have this opportunity not only to learn the fundamentals about eukaryotic and prokaryotic chromosomes but also to add…

NHRI researchers conduct a benchmark dose study of prenatal exposure to DEHP and behavioral problems in children

PB August 26, 2019 August 26, 2019Highlights

Prenatal exposure to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has been reported to be associated with adverse effects on neurodevelopment that yield behavior syndromes in young children with an estimated median exposure lower than the currently recommended tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 50 μg/kg_bw/day and reference dose (RfD) of 20 μg/kg_bw/day. Given the…

NHRI researchers reports the effect of cetuximab-based sequential therapy as a primary treatment in advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma

PB August 16, 2019 August 16, 2019Highlights

Head and neck cancer — including cancers of the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx — is the 4th leading cancer among Taiwanese men. Despite the progressions in the treatment of advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), its prognosis remain poor. Cetuximab (Erbitux®) is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)…

NHRI researcher reports ZNF479 downregulates metallothionein-1 expression by regulating ASH2L and DNMT1 in hepatocellular carcinoma

PB August 2, 2019 August 2, 2019Highlights

Decreased expression of metallothionein-1 (MT-1) is associated with a poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Dr. Jun-Yang Liou and his team from the Institute of Cellular and System Medicine reported that MT-1 expression was suppressed by 14-3-3ε, and MT-1 overexpression abolished 14-3-3ε-induced cell proliferation and tumor growth. The team identified…

NHRI researcher reports carotid flow velocities and blood pressures are independently associated with cognitive function

PB July 29, 2019 August 16, 2019Highlights

A team led by Dr. Shao-Yuan Chuang from the Institute of Population Sciences investigated the association between carotid flow velocity, cognitive function, and blood pressure (BP) in a community-based population. A total of 1,684 elders aged more than 50 years without dementia were recruited from the I-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study…

NHRI researcher reports cordycepin suppresses endothelial cell proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, and tumor growth by regulating FAK and p53

PB June 14, 2019 August 16, 2019Highlights

Cordycepin, a major ingredient found in the related fungus-infected caterpillars of Cordyceps militaris, has been suggested to possess anti-tumor properties in various types of malignancies. A team led by Dr. Jun-Yang Liou from the Institute of Cellular and System Medicine has previously reported that cordycepin could suppress integrin/ focal adhesion…

NHRI researcher reports the relationship between ischemia-induced neurodegeneration and PKCε

PB June 10, 2019 June 10, 2019Highlights

Global cerebral ischemia resulting from cardiac arrest causes selective neurodegeneration in the hippocampal CA1 region. Protein Kinase C epsilon (PKCε) is a member of the novel PKC subfamily and plays a vital role in ischemic preconditioning. Previous studies have shown that pharmacological activation of PKCε confers neuroprotection. However, the role…

NHRI researcher reports inadequate prenatal care utilization among women with and without methadone-treated opioid use disorders in Taiwan

PB May 20, 2019 May 20, 2019Highlights

Prenatal visits have been recognized as a window of opportunity to deliver healthcare and prevention to reduce obstetric complications and adverse birth outcomes, which is particularly important for the subpopulations characterized by socially disadvantaged backgrounds and high-risk conditions (e.g., women involved in illegal drugs). With the rising number of women…

TLR2 promotes vascular smooth muscle cell chondrogenic differentiation and consequent calcification via the concerted actions of osteoprotegerin suppression and IL-6-mediated RANKL induction

PB April 3, 2019 April 3, 2019Highlights

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) transformation to an osteochondrogenic phenotype is an initial step toward arterial calcification, which is highly correlated with cardiovascular disease-related morbidity and mortality. TLR2 (toll-like receptor 2) plays a pathogenic role in the development of vascular diseases, but its regulation in calcification of arteries and VSMCs…

Author: PB