Research Focus

Herbal medicine against prostate cancer

State-of-art Problems:

The Hsiao lab dedicates to discover herbal medicines that treat metastasis of human prostate cancer. Prostate cancer has been the most common disease in male in Western countries for decades, and the incidence of prostate cancer is ever increasing by the demographic trends of urbanization and aging. In spite of the highly sensitive diagnosis of PSA test, there are lacks of biomarkers that distinguish aggressive from indolent prostate cancers or drug targets validated for prevention or treatment of metastases. Discovery of biomarkers and new drugs that improve the diagnosis, prognosis or treatment for patients suffering from metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is an unmet medical need. We think the strategy of herbal medicine or botanical drug has features of high flexibility in product development and high technical barriers to avoid generic versions. Herbal medicine should integrate agricultural technology to produce raw material, biotechnology to develop quality-assured product and activity-standardized medicine.

 

Original research achievements and expertise:

Regarding science and technology of herbal medicine, the Hsiao lab has discovered and developed a standardized herbal extract, termed WCE, from Wedelia chinensis plant with quality control of quantitative chemical assay and mechanism-based biological assays. Transcriptomic analysis and in vivo studies has demonstrated the WCE herbal medicine exhibits synergistic actions in combination with either hormonal therapy or chemotherapy of docetaxel separately through different mechanisms.

Regarding prostate cancer disease, the Hsiao lab has originally discovered a feed-forward signaling module comprising galectin-4, multiple receptor tyrosine kinases, and MYC that activates SOX9 gene expression and drives cancer stem cell properties in prostate cancer. This is a new mechanism discerned by in vivo tumor evolution of orthotopic xenografts in Balb/c nude mice, relapsed from castration and spontaneous metastasis, which promotes the progression of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and is estimated representing 16% or more patients underwent surgery (radical prostatectomy) in Taiwan.

Ongoing projects:

Along with these two lines of research, we have identified new herbal medicines targeting this oncogenic pathway thus inhibit the SOX9 expression in the mCRPC cell line models and will continue the in vivo studies. We are making the genetically engineered mouse model for this particular subtype of prostate cancer tagged with luciferase expression for bioluminescent imaging. The autochthonous mCRPC model will be complemented the human tumor xenografts extablished in the lab. And, we will develop and improve the screening methods and biomarkers to identify this subtype of patients who will probably respond to the upcoming herbal medicine against this new oncogenic pathway.

Pei-Wen Hsiao

Pei-Wen Hsiao

Research Fellow

(02) 2787-2079
pwhsiao@gate.sinica.edu.tw
A630, Agricultural Technology Building
Lab.
A625, Agricultural Technology Building
Tel: (02) 2787-2077
  • Research Fellow, ABRC, Academia Sinica (2017-present) 
  • Associate Research Fellow, ABRC, Academia Sinica (2010-2017)
  • Assistant Resaerch Fellow, ABRC, Academia Sinica (2002-2010)
  • Visiting National Institute of Environmental Health Fellow Sciences /NIH, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA (1999-2002)
  • Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI, USA (1994-1999)
  • MS Institute of Biochemical Sciences. National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (1992-1994)