Why Cell Identity Matters in Breast Cancer
In breast cancer research, one of the most important questions we ask is not just how tumors grow but what type of cells they come from. Breast cancers are not all the same. They are classified into different subtypes based on the characteristics of the cells they resemble. Some tumors look like luminal cells, which […]
Why Endocrine Therapy Doesn’t Always Work
In breast cancer treatment, one of the most widely used and effective strategies is endocrine therapy. For patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) tumors, medications like tamoxifen help block estrogen from fueling cancer cell growth. These therapies have saved countless lives and remain the standard of care for early-stage hormone-sensitive breast cancers. However, about 15 to […]
Asian Contributions to Global Cancer Research: Spotlight on Taiwanese Institutions
Cancer Research Is a Global Mission Cancer does not recognize borders. It touches lives everywhere — in small villages and big cities, across every continent and culture. Because of this, the search for better cancer treatments and cures must also be global. As a cancer researcher who grew up in Taiwan, studied in the United […]
Mitochondrial Dynamics in EMT-Driven Stem Cell Expansion
Dr. Chun Ju Chang’s group has revealed a crucial link between mitochondrial dynamics and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process implicated in stem-cell-like properties and maintenance. Their study demonstrated that EMT induction in mammary epithelial cells enhances mitochondrial fusion through upregulation of mitofusin 1 (MFN1) and its transcriptional regulator PGC1α, due to the downregulation of the […]
Publication Pressure and Productivity: Navigating the High-Stakes World of Medical Research
When Publishing Becomes Survival In the world of biomedical research, it often feels like your worth is measured in citations and impact factors. From the moment we step into academia, we are taught a simple equation: more papers equals to more success. But is that really the full picture? As someone who has spent years […]
Bridging the Gap: Enhancing International Collaboration in Cancer Research
Cancer Doesn’t Respect Borders — And Neither Should We Cancer is a global problem. It affects people in every country, across all age groups, and in every community. So why should the research to fight it be confined to national borders? As a cancer researcher who has worked in both the United States and Taiwan […]