Macrophages form a major cell population in the tumor microenvironment. They can be activated and polarized into tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) by the tumor-derived soluble molecules to promote tumor progression and metastasis. Dr. Cheng-Chin Kuo and his team from the Institute of Cellular and System Medicine used comparative metabolomics coupled with…
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…
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…
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)…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
