Head and Neck Cancer Research Breakthrough! NYCU Research Team with Interdisciplinary Talents Bring New Perspectives to Medical Research
In a recent development, the team led by Vice President Muh-Hwa Yang of NYCU has discovered a method to induce ferroptosis in head and neck cancer cells, and the discovery enhances the effectiveness of tumor immunotherapy. Meanwhile, the team has collaborated with Elixiron Immunotherapeutics Inc. to develop a dual-functional immune antibody with promising clinical therapeutic potential. The former research finding has shown the ability to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy, while the latter focuses on enhancing the effects of tumor immunotherapy and altering the microenvironment as a strategic approach. These efforts bring forth new perspectives in the research strategy for head and neck cancer treatment. Aside from outstanding research achievements, in recent years, students from the Medical Scientist Program at NYCU have also been involved in research related to this topic. This program has gained popularity among aspiring medical professionals dedicated to research, and in recent years, its admission rankings have even surpassed those of the School of Medicine.
Since 2008, NYCU and Taipei Veterans General Hospital have been dedicated to the field of head and neck cancer. Professor Muh-Hwa Yang, Vice President of NYCU, was invited as the chair of the head and neck cancer section at the Asian Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology, contributing to critical discussions on international head and neck cancer standards. This collaboration has granted them a prominent role in research not only within Taiwan but also on the global stage. Over the years, the team's significant research achievements have resulted in the publication of ten papers in top-tier biomedical journals such as Nature, Cell, and their subsidiary publications like Nature Cell Biology, Cancer Cell, Nature Communications, and Cell Reports Medicine. NYCU has also established the Stephen J. Solarz. International Laboratory in collaboration with Taipei Veterans General Hospital and the National Cancer Institute (NIH/NCI) of the United States. Although the laboratory operates exchanges mostly online in recent years due to the pandemic, there have been fruitful collaboration in respiratory-related research. They shared their collaborative findings on topics such as difference in lung cancer and upper respiratory tract cancer susceptibility among different ethnicities. Starting this year, both institutions have stationed research personnel in laboratories in Taiwan and the United States, further deepening their research efforts.
Significant Breakthrough in Head and Neck Cancer Research, Pioneering Treatment Innovations through University-Industry Cooperation
In recent years, the issues of oncology and immunotherapy have emerged as new highlights among different research fields. Among them, immune checkpoint blockades have shown remarkable efficacy in treating various tumors, including advanced head and neck cancers. However, a significant proportion of patients still exhibit limited response to immunotherapies. To address this challenge, the team led by Professor Muh-Hwa Yang launched an in-depth investigation. By analyzing specimens from head and neck cancer cases, they identified a strong correlation between ferroptosis signals and tumor inflammation markers within the tissue. This revelation regards ferroptosis as a death mechanism for cells that can trigger an immune response. The study sheds light on the mechanisms underlying ferroptosis treatment and immune modulation for head and neck cancer, showing that inducing ferroptosis in cancer cells enhances the effectiveness of immunotherapy. This finding holds promise for future therapeutic strategies and drug development.
Furthermore, the team recently released research on the development of a dual-functional immune antibody with promising clinical therapeutic potential in collaboration with Elixiron Immunotherapeutics Inc. Through extensive analyses involving multi-staining of immune cells within tumors and single-cell gene sequencing, Professor Yang and lead author Researcher Yao-Wen Chang focused on strategies to enhance tumor response to immunotherapy and modify the tumor microenvironment. In addition to the antibody's development, they demonstrated that this fusion protein drug could be combined with existing immune checkpoint inhibitors (PD-1 antibodies). Mouse experiments revealed that this combination further augmented the efficacy of immunotherapy. These preclinical test results are anticipated to offer new insights and design directions for head and neck cancer treatment strategies, immune drug development, and therapeutic approaches.
Physicians or Scientists? Interdisciplinary Learning Boosts Career Competitiveness
Within the research team, there is a notable presence of talent in both fields of clinical medicine and scientific research. NYCU established the 'Medical Scientist Program' in 2015 to cultivate medical doctors who can excel in both clinical practice and research. The program's curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary and integrative training from the university and research institute perspectives. Compared to the six-year duration of the medical program, the Medical Scientist Program extends to seven years. Since freshmen years, students enroll in courses such as Basic Medical Science and Biomedicine similar to those in programs of life sciences. In the fourth and fifth years, students may engage in year-round research internships. The university also encourages students to connect internationally through opportunities for internships abroad.
Vice President Muh-Hwa Yang also implied, "The Medical Scientist Program not only emphasizes medicine and life sciences; following the merger with the university, students have more choices. For instance, after completing core curriculum, students can study information-related content at the Hsinchu campus. This broadens the definition of a medical scientist." While acknowledging the challenge of presenting precise data on this aspect, he noted that observing students' career development over time is necessary for a comprehensive evaluation. He shared that his research group has trained several physician-scientists, including one who graduated from NYCU's School of Medicine and went on to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Missouri in the United States. This student, having received comprehensive training as a medical scientist, was part of Professor Yang's research team and chose to dedicate his career to oncology research. Currently, he's working in the field of oncology internal medicine. The university's established system requires students to engage in research paper studies, which is then integrated into the existing medical curriculum. Upon fulfilling graduation requirements, students are awarded both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Medicine, setting them apart significantly from regular medical students and enhancing their career competitiveness.
