TTL lab
Research Field
Dr. Tsai-Tsen Liao is currently an Associate Professor at the Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Taipei Medical University. As an accomplished scholar in the fields of oncology, cancer biology, and translational medicine, her research career has long been dedicated to unraveling the molecular mechanisms behind cancer progression, tumor metastasis, and therapy resistance, with the ultimate goal of driving innovative breakthroughs in cancer treatment and clinical translation.
Dr. Liao earned her Ph.D. from the Institute of Clinical Medicine at National Yang Ming University. Her exceptional academic potential and excellence were recognized early in her career, highlighted by the prestigious Young Scholar Fellowship (Einstein Program) from the Ministry of Science and Technology , alongside the Outstanding Academic Dissertation Award and the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award from National Yang Ming University. Prior to joining the faculty at Taipei Medical University , she served as an Assistant Research Fellow at the Cancer Progression Center of Excellence at National Yang Ming University and conducted postdoctoral research at both the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) and the Department of Otolaryngology at National Yang Ming University, building a robust and profound foundation in scientific research.
Our laboratory centers its research on molecular oncology and translational medicine, with a primary focus on exploring how tumor cells drive cancer progression and metastasis through the interplay between intrinsic epigenetic regulations and the extrinsic tumor microenvironment. Integrating molecular biology, cell biology, and clinical research networks, our team delves into the critical roles that non-coding RNAs (such as miRNAs and lncRNAs) and tumor-derived exosomes play in cancer stem cell stemness maintenance, cellular biomechanical alterations, and immune adaptation. Ultimately, we aim to discover novel clinical diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic strategies for malignant tumors, particularly colorectal and head and neck cancers.
1. Mechanisms of Cancer Stemness and Metastasis
Investigating the regulatory molecules that govern cell stemness in colorectal and head and neck cancers.
Exploring how microRNAs modulate cytoskeletal structures to decrease cell stiffness, thereby facilitating the invasiveness and metastatic potential of cancer stem cells.
2. Epigenetic and Non-coding RNA Regulation
Deciphering how microRNAs (such as let-7) alter chromatin configuration to repress downstream target gene expression through the regulation of the ARID3B complex.
Examining the epigenetic regulatory mechanisms of long non-coding RNAs (such as HIF1A-AS2) in cancer progression under hypoxic tumor microenvironments.
3. Tumor Microenvironment and Immune Adaptation
Unraveling the cross-talk between cancer stem cells and the tumor microenvironment, with a specific focus on how tumor cells achieve immune evasion or adaptation by modulating the stability of PD-L1 or MHC class I proteins.
Investigating the secretory mechanisms of stem-like tumor exosomes (extracellular vesicles) and their roles in promoting an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, while exploring the biomedical applications of engineered mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles for innovative cancer therapies.
2019 | MOST Young Scholar Fellowship (Einstein Program), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)
2017 | Outstanding Academic Dissertation Award & Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, National Yang Ming University
2016 | China Rotary Scholarship (2016–2017)
2014 | Outstanding Poster Award, The 22nd Symposium on Recent Advances in Cellular and Molecular Biology (The Chinese Society for Cell and Molecular Biology)
2013 | Honorable Mention Award (Poster Competition), The 18th Taiwan Joint Cancer Conference
2013 | First Prize (Outstanding Poster Award), The 4th NTU, NYMU, NCKU, CMU, and KMU Joint Symposium on Clinical Medicine Teaching and Research
Ph.D. in Clinical Medicine | National Yang Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan (Sep 2010 – Jun 2017)
M.S. in Biological Sciences | National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Sep 2006 – Jan 2009)
B.S. in Bioscience Technology | College of Science, Chung-Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan, Taiwan (Sep 2002 – Jun 2006)