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Tag: Taiwan

National Taiwan University Public Health Department Professor Guo Baihsu and International Research Team Identify Bipolar Disorder Susceptibility Genes in Landmark Global Study Published in Nature

Posted on by National Taiwan University

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.

National Taiwan University Identifies N-Cadherin as a Key Regulator of Cardiac Regeneration, Published in Nature Communications

Posted on by National Taiwan University

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.

Truth About Dengue: How Accurate Are Global Disease Estimates?

Posted on by Taipei Medical University

As dengue fever continues to rise globally, accurate data on disease burden is essential for informed public health planning and resource allocation. A recent study led by Professor Wei-Cheng Lo of Taipei Medical University examines discrepancies between the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) estimates and reported dengue case data in 30 high-burden countries, calling attention to the need for improved methodologies in disease modeling.

Understanding the Gaps in Global Estimates

The study compared GBD’s model-generated dengue estimates with official surveillance data from countries including Brazil, India, Indonesia, China, and Taiwan. The findings revealed substantial differences: in some instances, GBD estimates were several hundred times higher than reported cases. For instance, in China and India, the GBD estimated 570 and 303 times more cases, respectively, than national health data indicated.

In countries like Taiwan and Argentina, where dengue outbreaks vary dramatically by year, GBD figures showed relatively steady trends, potentially overlooking the episodic nature of epidemic spikes.

Modeling Assumptions and Their Limitations

The observed discrepancies are linked to how the GBD constructs its estimates. These models account for underreporting by adjusting data based on known limitations in surveillance systems. However, many of these adjustments rely on data collected before 2010. In locations where diagnostic tools and case reporting have significantly improved in recent years—such as Taiwan—current estimates may not reflect these advancements.

Additionally, the smoothing algorithms used to illustrate long-term trends may downplay sharp increases in case numbers during outbreak years, especially in regions with cyclic epidemic patterns.

Implications for Public Health Policy

Reliable disease estimates are a crnerstone of health policy and planning. When estimates deviate significantly from local data, they can influence policy decisions and funding allocation. This study emphasizes the importance of aligning global modeling with recent,country-specific data to better support public health decision-making.

Recommendations for Improved Disease Burden Modeling

The authors advocate for more frequent updates to global health models and greater integration of real-time surveillance and diagnostic advancements. They also suggest that future models incorporate the cyclical behavior of diseases like dengue to better capture the reality of epidemic patterns.

Broader Considerations

While this research focuses on dengue, it raises important considerations for global disease burden estimation more broadly. Refining modeling approaches across disease areas will support more effective global health strategies and ensure resources are targeted where they are most needed.

DeepRad.AI: Revolutionising medical imaging with AI innovation

Posted on by Taipei Medical University

Founded by Professor Cheng-Yu Chen of Taipei Medical University (TMU), DeepRad.AI is transforming the future of radiology through the integration of advanced artificial intelligence technologies and medical imaging. With a mission to bridge the gap between clinical practice and AI innovation, the company leverages the expertise of experienced radiologists and AI engineers to enhance diagnostic precision, reduce interpretation time, and improve patient outcomes.

DeepLung-CAC: Dual Screening with a Single LDCT Scan

DeepRad.AI’s flagship product,DeepLung-CAC, is an AI-powered pulmonary-coronary screening platform that utilizes a single low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan to simultaneously assess the risk of pulmonary nodules and coronary artery calcification (CAC). This dual-purpose screening not only improves efficiency but also reduces radiation exposure and costs associated with multiple tests.

The platform is certified by the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) and recognized as the first domestically developed AI pulmonary-coronary screening system. One of its standout features is the LungRads module, which incorporates deep learning models for nodule detection, segmentation, and classification, trained on over 6,000 CT cases. Powered by state-of-the-art 3D deep learning, DeepLung-CAC can complete detailed analyses in under one minute.

Professor Chen emphasizes the significance of early detection in improving lung cancer survival rates. While traditional methods often require 25 to 30 minutes of physician review time, DeepLung-CAC reduces interpretation time to just 5 minutes—enabling radiologists to efficiently analyze images and provide quicker diagnoses. The platform also supports multi-disease risk assessment from a single scan, enhancing its
clinical utility.

DeepBrain-Cognito: Personalized Dementia Risk Assessment

Beyond thoracic imaging, DeepRad.AI has also developed DeepBrain-Cognito, a computational model designed for the early detection of cognitive decline. This platform provides personalized risk assessments for populations with suboptimal health, such as the elderly or those with chronic conditions. By integrating AI with large-scale brain imaging data, DeepBrain-Cognito enables timely intervention for neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Recognition and Future Directions

In 2024, DeepRad.AI’s innovations were widely recognized. The company received several prestigious awards, including:

  • Future Tech Award
  • NBRP Pitch Day Outstanding Team Award
  • GenAI Stars Quality Innovation Award
  • National Pharmaceutical Technology & Research Development Award

These accolades reflect the platform’s strong potential for real-world clinical applications and its role in driving forward Taiwan’s biomedical AI industry. By combining AI with medical expertise, DeepRad.AI continues to push the boundaries of radiology, aiming to create faster, more accurate, and accessible diagnostic tools for global healthcare systems.

AI-Powered Smart Innovation Platform Accelerates Preclinical Drug Development

Posted on by Taipei Medical University

The “Smart Innovation Platform for Preclinical Drug Development”, developed by Professor Shiow-Lin Pan’s research team at Taipei Medical University (TMU), leverages advanced AI technology to significantly reduce the time and costs for drug development.

The platform provides a faster, more accurate solution for developing inhibitors targeting severe illnesses such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, and integrates AI models to predict chemical compound characteristicsaccurately, enabling rapid identification of effective small molecule inhibitors. To date, the team has successfully developed nearly 30 inhibitors targeting different protein targets, reducing the average development cycle by 3 to 5 years compared to conventional methods.

Core advantages of the platform:

Interdisciplinary AI Model Development: An expert team in chemical synthesis, artificial intelligence, pharmacology, and toxicology collaborated to build and train the AI model. By combining insights from extensive R&D experience, the platform effectively addresses the challenges of designing new drug candidates that are synthesizable, patentable, and biologically active.

1.Novel and Feasible Drug Structures: The smart innovative platform develop a smart synthesis strategy, which ensures AI-designed drug structures have an 80% synthesis probability, 60% cellular efficacy (IC50 < 10 µM), reduced synthesis costs by 90%, and optimized with real-time validation data from the experimental team.

2.The platform’s advantages lie in its ability to rapidly generate novel chemical structures with higher prediction accuracy, which benefits patients worldwide by significantly shortening the time needed for drug development.

Professor Pan highlighted that the Smart Innovation Platform offers high-success-rate, easily synthesizable, rapid, and precise early-stage drug development services and high-potential early-stage drug products for small-molecule development needs. The platform has been adopted by multiple academic research units and biotechnology companies globally, attracting recognition from international pharmaceutical companies.

Looking ahead, TMU’s team aims to enhance the platform’s capabilities and expand collaborations with pharmaceutical industries in Taiwan and globally. By accelerating the drug development process , the team hopes to bring transformative treatments to patients worldwide.

National Taiwan University unravels complex mechanisms of multi-peak afternoon convection

Posted on by National Taiwan University

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.

Targeting NAD⁺ Metabolism: TMU, University of Chicago researchers unveil novel therapeutic strategy for Uterine Leiomyomas

Posted on by Taipei Medical University

Professor Shih-Min Hsia‘s research team from Taipei Medical University has collaborated with leading uterine leiomyoma experts, Professors Ayman Al-Hendy and Mohamed Ali from the University of Chicago, to investigate the key mechanisms driving uterine leiomyoma formation and propose innovative therapeutic strategies.

The findings, published in the high-impact journal Redox Biology (impact factor 10.7), highlight the importance and academic value of this research.

Uterine leiomyomas, common benign tumors in women of reproductive age, exhibit a high prevalence and significantly affect women’s health and quality of life. These tumors are characterized by excessive cell proliferation, extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation, and stem cell-like properties.

The research team identified that Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD⁺) metabolism and its key enzyme, Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyl transferase (NAMPT), are pivotal in the progression of uterine leiomyomas.

Analysis of uterine leiomyoma tissues revealed that elevated NAMPT expression is positively correlated with increased ECM accumulation and enhanced stem cell-like characteristics. Subsequent experiments using the NAMPT inhibitor FK866 and the vitamin B3 derivative nicotinamide (NAM) demonstrated that these agents significantly reduced uterine leiomyoma cell viability, attenuated stem cell-like properties, and effectively decreased ECM accumulation, highlighting their potential as therapeutic options. Furthermore, the team successfully obtained a patent in Taiwan for the use of nicotinamide as a treatment for uterine leiomyomas, solidifying the translational and clinical impact of their findings.

This study underscores the critical role of NAMPT and NAD⁺ metabolism in uterine leiomyoma development and emphasizes the promise of precision medicine interventions targeting NAMPT as a novel treatment strategy.

This international collaboration with the University of Chicago exemplifies the power of cross-border partnerships in elucidating complex disease mechanisms and developing innovative therapies, paving the way for new advancements in uterine leiomyoma research and treatment.

National Taiwan university leads groundbreaking study on Carrion beetle ecology

Posted on by National Taiwan University

A recent study led by National Taiwan University (NTU) has shed new light on the intricate relationship between carrion beetles and their food source. By comparing breeding success on both laboratory-prepared and a variety of field-collected carcasses, NTU researchers have uncovered a critical factor influencing carrion beetle reproduction: carcass size.

Through meticulous analysis of 121 carcasses, the NTU team discovered that medium-sized carcasses consistently provided the optimal conditions for carrion beetle breeding, regardless of the species of the deceased animal. This groundbreaking finding challenges previous assumptions about the specific nutritional requirements of these insects and highlights the importance of considering carcass size in ecological studies.

The research, conducted by a team of scientists from NTU’s Graduate Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, in collaboration with Cornell University and other institutions, has significant implications for our understanding of carrion beetle ecology and the broader ecosystem. The study’s findings have been published in the prestigious journal Royal Society Open Science.

NTU partners with Namibia and Harvard to combat tuberculosis with Acer Foundation’s support

Posted on by National Taiwan University

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.

Representative of The Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei visits National Taiwan University to Deepen Educational and Economic Cooperation

Posted on by National Taiwan University

National Taiwan University welcomed Mr. Wu Jin-Yong, the representative of The Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei. He was received by President Wen-Chang Chen and Professor Wen-Yuh Jywe highlighting NTU’s commitment to enhancing relations between Vietnam and Taiwan.
The meeting aimed to strengthen educational and economic collaboration between the two nations. Discussions included the status of Vietnamese students currently studying at NTU and expanded to explore ongoing collaborative initiatives between Vietnam and Taiwan. Prof. Wen-Yuh Jywe introduced the ” Global Research & Industry Alliance”. This initiative is designed to align with Taiwan’s national population policies and talent demands of domestic industries. The alliance aims to increase the influx of international students to Taiwan and facilitate their integration into local workforce upon graduation.
Mr. Wu Jin-Yong expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the meeting, emphasizing that such collaborations will further strengthen educational and economic exchanges between Vietnam and Taiwan, benefiting both nations. Moving forward, NTU remains committed to maintaining close ties with The Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei and other international partners, fostering continued cooperation in cross-border education initiatives to create a more globally integrated academic landscape.