Tag: National Taiwan University

A groundbreaking study published in Science confirmed that a fossil discovered in Taiwan belonged to a male Denisovan, marking the first molecular evidence of this ancient human lineage in low-latitude regions. The research was led by an international team of 15 scientists, including Associate Professor Cheng-Hsiu Tsai from National Taiwan University and collaborators from Taiwan, Japan, and Denmark. Using ancient protein analysis (paleoproteomics), the team identified Denisovan traits in the fossil and further determined the individual’s sex by detecting the male-specific amelogenin Y protein.

The discovery is significant because Denisovan fossils with molecular confirmation have so far been limited to Siberia and Tibet, even though genetic studies suggest their presence across East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania. Until now, warmer regions lacked direct fossil evidence. This Taiwanese specimen therefore fills a critical gap, expanding our understanding of Denisovan distribution and the complexity of human evolution.

While ancient DNA could not be retrieved, the successful extraction of proteins offered crucial molecular insights. The fossil, curated at the National Museum of Natural Science in Taiwan, was recovered from the seabed between Taiwan and the Penghu Islands, where other prehistoric animal remains such as Stegodon have also been found. The findings highlight the scientific importance of Taiwan’s fossil record for studying ancient humans and evolutionary history.

This is not the first time fossils from Taiwan have drawn global attention. In 2023, Tsai’s lab contributed to another Science paper on island extinctions, demonstrating the international impact of Taiwan’s paleontological research. Together, these discoveries reaffirm Taiwan’s role in uncovering key chapters of life’s evolutionary journey.

The Max Planck-IAS-NTU Center (MPC) for Particle Physics, Cosmology, and Geometry has been founded through cooperation between the Max Planck Society in Germany, the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton, and National Taiwan University (NTU). The Center will begin operations in July 2025 with five years of initial funding. An opening symposium will be held at NTU in September 2025, followed by a kick-off conference at IAS in March 2026.

Led by co-directors Johannes Henn (Max Planck Institute for Physics), Nima Arkani-Hamed (IAS), and Daniel Baumann (NTU), the Center unites leading scholars in particle physics, cosmology, and geometry. Their goal is to develop new frameworks for quantum field theory, study particle interactions, and explore the origins of the Universe.

The initiative will act as a global hub for collaboration, engaging faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and students from around the world. Planned activities include international workshops, summer schools, and research exchanges across institutions and disciplines.

Funded by NTU and Taiwan’s National Science and Technology Council, the Center is part of the broader Max Planck Centers program. NTU President Wen-Chang Chen emphasized that this collaboration strengthens Taiwan’s role in global science and will spark exciting new discoveries in fundamental physics.

Liver disease remains a major health issue in Taiwan, driven by the high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV). A research team at National Taiwan University (NTU) Hospital, led by Vice Superintendent Jia-Horng Kao, has been investigating the interaction between hepatitis viruses and metabolic abnormalities. Their latest findings, published in the Journal of Hepatology, have drawn global attention.

Prof. Tung-Hung Su and Dr. Shang-Chin Huang reported that HBV patients with metabolic syndrome face a significantly higher risk of death. In contrast, those with only simple fatty liver but no other metabolic issues have a 50% lower long-term mortality rate. For HCV, Prof. Chen-Hua Liu showed that even after patients are cured with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy, those with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, obesity) remain at a substantially higher risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). These findings stress the importance of early intervention for metabolic abnormalities alongside antiviral treatment.

Prof. Jun-Ren Liu, Director of National Taiwan University (NTU) Hospital’s Hepatitis Research Center, emphasized that in addition to controlling hepatitis viruses, patients must also manage metabolic health through weight control, diet, and regular monitoring. Timely screening for blood pressure, blood sugar, and lipid abnormalities, combined with regular liver ultrasound, can help reduce risks of cirrhosis and liver cancer and improve long-term prognosis.

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Professor Guo Baihsu of NTU’s Department of Public Health and the Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine has contributed to a study under the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, collaborating with researchers worldwide. The groundbreaking research was published in Nature on January 2025.

Bipolar disorder is a severe psychiatric condition that not only diminishes quality of life and functionality but also significantly increases suicide risk. Clinically, bipolar disorder is categorized into Bipolar Disorder I (BD-I), marked by episodes of mania and depression, and Bipolar Disorder II (BD-II), characterized by hypomania and depression. Despite its relatively high prevalence, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder typically takes an average of eight years, and its biological mechanisms remain poorly understood.

This study represents the largest multi-ethnic genomic investigation of bipolar disorder to date, analyzing data from 2.9 million individuals—including over 150,000 patients—from European, East Asian, African American, and Latino populations. By scanning 6.7 million common genetic variants, researchers identified 298 loci associated with increased risk for bipolar disorder—four times the number previously known. Advanced gene-mapping methods further pinpointed 36 genes with strong links to bipolar disorder. Additionally, the team discovered differences in genetic features among clinical, community, and self-report samples, which appear to correlate with the prevalence of BD-I and BD-II, highlighting the influence of data collection methods on research outcomes.

The research team also found that bipolar disorder-associated genetic signals are related to specific brain cells, including mid-GABAergic interneurons and medium spiny neurons in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, and unexpectedly, cells in the gut and pancreas may also be involved. Further studies are needed to elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying mood episodes in bipolar disorder. These findings promise to advance new therapies, early intervention strategies, and precision medicine, ultimately aiding clinicians in devising more effective treatment plans for patients.

Heart failure affects 23 million people globally, with limited treatment options. Unlike adult human hearts, which lack regenerative capacity, neonatal hearts retain the ability to repair damage. A research team led by Professor Kai-Jen Yang at NTU’s Institute of Pharmacology discovered that N-Cadherin, a neural cadherin protein, plays a crucial role in cardiomyocyte proliferation and heart regeneration.

Their study found that N-Cadherin levels are 2–3 times higher in neonatal cardiomyocytes than in adults and decline with age. Following heart injury, N-Cadherin expression increased, promoting cardiomyocyte proliferation. Loss of N-Cadherin reduced regeneration, while its overexpression reactivated cell cycling in adult mouse hearts, improving cardiac function post-myocardial infarction.

Mechanistically, N-Cadherin binds to β-Catenin, stabilizing its protein levels and activating Wnt signaling, which regulates genes essential for cardiac repair. These findings suggest that modulating N-Cadherin could serve as a novel heart failure therapy.

Observational data from Taiwan’s dense rainfall network reveal that tropical island mountain regions exhibit multiple precipitation peaks during summer afternoon convection—a finding that contrasts with the previously assumed single-peak behavior and suggests more intricate underlying processes. To investigate these multi-peak characteristics, NTU researchers designed an idealized terrain setup integrating ocean, plain, and mountainous features. Using a high-resolution (100-meter) Vector Vorticity Equation Model (VVM) developed by Professor Jianming Wu’s team, the study successfully reproduced the dual-peaked precipitation pattern locked by local topography.

The simulation results indicate that the first peak is predominantly driven by convective available potential energy (CAPE), while the second peak results from enhanced low-level moist static energy (MSE) transport by island-scale circulations. Notably, the study found that under drier free-atmosphere conditions, local circulations can intensify the second peak’s precipitation—a sensitivity that diverges from previous expectations. Furthermore, the interaction between the two convective peaks appears critical: the initial convective burst modifies environmental humidity and energy distribution, thereby influencing the intensity and structure of subsequent convection.

This research provides a novel perspective on tropical island afternoon convection and has significant implications for future studies on the impacts of climate change on extreme precipitation events. The NTU team plans to extend this work by integrating real-world topography and field observations to further validate their findings and offer more accurate scientific support for mitigating extreme weather challenges.

Professor Hsien-Ho Lin, Director of the Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at National Taiwan University’s College of Public Health, is leading a collaborative tuberculosis prevention project with the University of Namibia, Namibia’s Ministry of Health, and Harvard Medical School. The project, aimed at reducing the spread and economic burden of tuberculosis (TB), has received generous support from the Acer Foundation, which donated 300 tablets to assist with economic burden surveys and enhance local public health strategies, aligning with the goals of University Social Responsibility (USR).

Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s most serious infectious diseases, particularly in developing countries. While effective drug treatment can cure nearly 100% of cases, failure to diagnose and treat the disease in time can lead to a 50% mortality rate within three years. Namibia, classified by the World Health Organization as a high TB burden country, ranks ninth globally in TB incidence, with approximately 460 cases per 100,000 people annually—a rate 16 times higher than that of Taiwan.

The international team is currently working on the project “Hotspots, Hospitals, and Households: Enhanced Case Finding of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Namibia” (H3TB). This initiative focuses on proactive TB screening among household contacts of drug-resistant TB patients, hospital visitors, and members of community hotspot areas, aiming to identify and treat cases early, break transmission chains, improve treatment outcomes, and reduce the economic burden on affected families.

To assess the economic impact of proactive TB screening, the team will conduct a household TB burden survey to determine whether the intervention reduces the incidence of catastrophic economic hardship. In Namibia, where transportation is often difficult, these tablets with communication capabilities will greatly improve the efficiency of the survey and are expected to enhance TB control efforts.

On August 23, 2024, Acer Foundation CEO Jensen Kuo and Acer\’s Director of Tablet Computing, Chiang-Tsun Chen, visited NTU, where they were hosted by Dean Shou-Hsia Cheng and Director Lin. The meeting deepened mutual understanding and provided an opportunity for the Acer Foundation to learn more about the importance of public health and global health initiatives, with discussions on future collaborative opportunities.

The Acer Foundation’s commitment to social responsibility and significant contributions to global health and sustainable development goals are deeply appreciated. This partnership has opened new avenues for dialogue, and both parties look forward to further interdisciplinary collaboration and research.