Event Information

Time：April 1, 2016 (Friday)
Place：Taipei Hyatt Hotel

TGF-β is a multifunctional cytokine found in human body. It takes part in many important physiological processes, including embryonic development, cell growth and differentiation, wound healing, angiogenesis and immune system control, etc. Researches have revealed that abnormal TGF is associated with cancers, dementia, arteriosclerosis and auto immune diseases. Scholars believe that innovative new drugs which enhance the functions of TGF-β will lead to a breakthrough in the treatments of the aforementioned diseases. This topic has attracted global attention and discussions.

TRPMA and Excelsior Group jointly invited Dr Carl Henrik Heldin from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Prof Jung-San Huang and many key figures in this field to attend a conference in Taiwan and exchange their experiences and comments.

Dr Heldin, the Chairman of the Nobel Prize Committee, has over 20 years experiences in the researches of TGF-β and with more than 600 published papers. In recent years, he devotes his energy to the selection of drugs, hoping to discover new drugs for advanced cancers associated with abnormal TGF-β.

Prof Huang mentioned that Mediterranean diet can enhance the functions of TGF-β and is good for the cardiovascular system and the nerve system. Scholars predict that the development of new drugs controlling the functions of TGF-β will dominate the biopharmaceutical researches in the next decade.

TGF-β is a multi-functional cytokine belonging to the TGF-β superfamily and is secreted by many cell types. TGF-β plays a crucial role in the development of many diseases, either controlling or worsening the condition. TGF-β is associated with wound healing, fibrosis, atherosclerosis, the onset and transfer of cancers, autoimmune diseases, the complication of diabetes and the damage to nerves caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

In normal cells, TGF-β helps control cell growth. However, when its functions are affected, TGF-β may cause unusual cell growth which is a key process of cancer. It means that TGF-β has an important presence at the control or onset of cancers. In the conference, Prof Pan-Chyr Yang, the President of NTU, and Prof Jung-san Huang presented their discoveries in TGF-β-related researches.

In recent years, researchers have been trying to understand the factors and mechanisms of a disease before finding the cure. Hence, the research of TGF-β will become an important topic. The results can be applied to treatments of cancers, autoimmune diseases, fibrosis, etc. As there are unmet medical needs for the treatments of those diseases, scholars predict that TGF-β-related new drugs will become a trend.