Taipei: Medical researchers from National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) and Taipei Medical University (TMU) presented key findings from their previous collaboration at a symposium on Saturday, including the potential to treat liver cancer without harming healthy cells.

According to Focus Taiwan, Tsai Feng-chiao, an attending physician at NTUH, announced that his team has been developing a treatment over the past four years aiming for a safer, more precise alternative to conventional cancer treatments like chemotherapy. This new treatment targets specific genes in liver cancer, avoiding damage to healthy cells.

Using a comprehensive analysis of biological data, Tsai’s team identified three genes-YAP, STK40, and SLK-linked to liver cancer progression. YAP regulates body and organ size, but when disrupted in cancer cells, it can cause uncontrolled growth. While current treatments cannot target YAP directly due to its essential role in regulating healthy cells, STK40 and SLK, which are not widely expressed in healthy cells, are primarily found in dysregulated ones.

The team’s research indicates that suppressing STK40 and SLK can reduce YAP activity in tumor cells, preventing the spread of liver cancer without harming normal tissue. Tsai highlighted that with the right combination of treatment strategies, tumors could be managed to coexist long-term without spreading uncontrollably.

Published in the peer-reviewed journal Advanced Science in mid-2021, these findings have led the team to prepare for animal testing as a step towards human application. This development is particularly significant in Taiwan, where liver disease has been labeled a “national disease.” In 2023, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis claimed 3,813 lives, making it the 12th leading cause of death nationwide, while liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer accounted for 7,724 deaths.

Tsai noted that hepatitis B interventions have reduced the progression and incidence of related liver diseases. However, treatments targeting hepatitis B are less effective against liver disease and cancer caused by other factors, prompting the development of this new approach.