A research team funded by the National Science Council achieved a breakthrough in molecular--targeted therapy of atherosclerosis by experimenting on the condition’s formation mechanism from the perspective of cardiovascular biodynamics.
The council said discoveries by the team led by National Health Research Institutes researcher Chiu Jeng-jiann (裘正健) had been recognized by the prominent academic journal Physiological Reviews in a cover story last year.
Atherosclerosis, a condition in which the artery wall thickens from the accumulation of fatty material, is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the council said, adding that this particular disease has always been one of the top two causes of death in Taiwan.
“Clinical evidence shows that atherosclerosis tends to occur at the curves or forks of the arteries,” Chiu said. “The blood flow at these points is especially complicated and the disturbed flow and oscillation of shear stress are thought to be able to modulate the inflammation and thickening of vascular walls, and are an important factor in atherosclerosis as well.”
Instead of experimenting with chemical reactions, the team focused on discovering the mechanism of how different levels of blood flow shear stress could affect molecules related to atherosclerosis formulation.
The team was able to demonstrate that oscillated shear stress can increase the performance of several types of histone deacetylase (HDAC) in the endothelium, modulating some transcription factors and gene transcription.
A noteworthy discovery is that the third type of HDAC has the important function of modulating oxidation, inflammation and hyperplasia and can be seen as an important targeted therapy for the prevention or treatment of atherosclerosis, Chiu said.
Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease and disturbed flow of the vascular endothelium does not necessarily lead to atherosclerosis, Chiu said, adding that disturbed flow could be reduced through exercise, as physical activity increases blood circulation.
WANG RELEASED: A police investigation showed that an organized crime group allegedly taught their clients how to pretend to be sick during medical exams Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) and 11 others were released on bail yesterday, after being questioned for allegedly dodging compulsory military service or forging documents to help others avoid serving. Wang, 33, was catapulted into stardom for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代). Lately, he has been focusing on developing his entertainment career in China. The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office last month began investigating an organized crime group that is allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified documents. Police in New Taipei City Yonghe Precinct at the end of last month arrested the main suspect,
A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year. Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station. Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up. He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous. With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan
Eleven people, including actor Darren Wang (王大陸), were taken into custody today for questioning regarding the evasion of compulsory military service and document forgery, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said. Eight of the people, including Wang, are suspected of evading military service, while three are suspected of forging medical documents to assist them, the report said. They are all being questioned by police and would later be transferred to the prosecutors’ office for further investigation. Three men surnamed Lee (李), Chang (張) and Lin (林) are suspected of improperly assisting conscripts in changing their military classification from “stand-by
LITTORAL REGIMENTS: The US Marine Corps is transitioning to an ‘island hopping’ strategy to counterattack Beijing’s area denial strategy The US Marine Corps (USMC) has introduced new anti-drone systems to bolster air defense in the Pacific island chain amid growing Chinese military influence in the region, The Telegraph reported on Sunday. The new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Mk 1 is being developed to counter “the growing menace of unmanned aerial systems,” it cited the Marine Corps as saying. China has constructed a powerful defense mechanism in the Pacific Ocean west of the first island chain by deploying weapons such as rockets, submarines and anti-ship missiles — which is part of its anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) strategy against adversaries — the
RSS