生物醫學研究所

研究方向及研究室特色：

廣東住血線蟲是導致嗜伊紅性腦膜炎的主要病原體。人類不慎感染後，蟲體會侵犯人的中樞神經系統，引發腦部免疫反應，造成嗜酸性白血球聚集及細胞激素釋放，導致致命病變。本研究室主要探討宿主腦部與廣東住血線蟲感染之間的相關機制調控。

1. 蟲體與宿主之間相互作用

針對廣東住血線蟲排泄分泌產物進行研究，包含microRNA與蛋白質，比如disulfide-isomerases、calreticulin、aspartic protease與annexin等，探討與宿主分子機轉之關聯性。此外，目前也以體學針對廣東住血線蟲不同齡期幼蟲之基因表現差異性進行分析，希望找出與蟲體感染及致病之重要基因，以供後續研究。

2. 感染後宿主分子機轉

研究廣東住血線蟲排泄分泌產物引起宿主腦部細胞之分子機轉，並探討Sonic hedgehog訊號路徑在其中參與之角色，釐清各訊號路徑之相互關係。

3. 治療策略之評估

目前臨床上治療廣東住血線蟲症主要以症狀與支持療法為主，致今還未研發出最有效治療方法。本研究室欲以細胞及實驗動物層次，評估小鼠腦部細胞在廣東住血線蟲感染後，相關藥物之治療效果，提供未來廣東住血線蟲症治療之參考。

最近五年所發表論文：

1. Jhan KY, Cheng CJ, Chou CJ, Jung SM, Lai GJ, Chen KY*, Wang LC*. (2022) Improvements of cognitive functions in mice heavily infected by Angiostrongylus cantonensis after treatment with albendazole, dexamethasone, or co-therapy. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. S1684-1182(22)00058-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jmii.2022.04.004.
2. Chen KY, Chen YJ, Cheng CJ, Jhan KY, Wang LC. (2022) Benzaldehyde Attenuates the Fifth Stage Larval Excretory-Secretory Product of Angiostrongylus cantonensis-Induced Injury in Mouse Astrocytes via Regulation of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Oxidative Stress. Biomolecules. 12(2):177. doi: 10.3390/biom12020177.
3. Jhan KY, Cheng CJ, Jung SM, Lai YJ, Chen KY*, Wang LC*. (2021) Co-Therapy of Albendazole and Dexamethasone Reduces Pathological Changes in the Cerebral Parenchyma of Th-1 and Th-2 Dominant Mice Heavily Infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis: Histopathological and RNA-seq Analyses. Biomolecules. 11(4):536.
4. Chen KY, Chen YJ, Cheng CJ, Jhan KY, Chiu CH, Wang LC. (2021) 3-Hydroxybenzaldehyde and 4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde enhance survival of mouse astrocytes treated with Angiostrongylus cantonensis young adults excretory/secretory products. Biomed J. 44(6 Suppl 2):S258-S266. doi: 10.1016/j.bj.2020.11.008.
5. Chen KY, Cheng CJ, Cheng CC, Jhan KY, Chen YJ, Wang LC. (2020) The excretory/secretory products of fifth-stage larval Angiostrongylus cantonensis induces autophagy via the Sonic hedgehog pathway in mouse brain astrocytes. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 14(6):e0008290.
6. Chen KY, Chen YJ, Cheng CJ, Jhan KY, Wang LC. (2020) Excretory/secretory products of Angiostrongylus cantonensis fifth-stage larvae induce endoplasmic reticulum stress via the Sonic hedgehog pathway in mouse astrocytes. Parasit Vectors. 13(1):317.
7. Jhan KY, Lai GJ, Chang PK, Tang RY, Cheng CJ, Chen KY*, Wang LC*. (2020) Angiostrongylus cantonensis causes cognitive impairments in heavily infected BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. Parasit Vectors. 13(1):405.
8. Chen KY, Lu PJ, Cheng CJ, Jhan KY, Yeh SC, Wang LC. (2019) Proteomic analysis of excretory-secretory products from young adults of Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 114:e180556.
9. Wang TY*, Chen KY*, Jhan KY, Li CH, Jung SM, Wang LC. (2018) Temporal-spatial expressions of interleukin-4, interleukin-10, and interleukin-13 in the brains of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis: An immunohistochemical study. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. S1684-1182(18)30173-7.
10. Chen KY, Wang LC. (2017) Stimulation of IL-1β and IL-6 through NF-κB and sonic hedgehog-dependent pathways in mouse astrocytes by excretory/secretory products of fifth-stage larval Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Parasit Vectors. 10(1):445.
11. An YC, Sung CC, Wang CC, Lin HC, Chen KY, Ku FM, Chen RM, Chen ML, Huang KY. (2017) Molecular Identification of Diphyllobothrium latum from a Pediatric Case in Taiwan. Korean J Parasitol. 55(4):425-428.
12. Chen KY, Yen CM, Hwang KP, Wang LC. (2017) Enterobius vermicularis infection and its risk factors among pre-school children in Taipei, Taiwan. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. S1684-1182(17)30117-2.
13. Chen KY, Chiu CH, Wang LC. (2017) Anti-apoptotic effects of Sonic hedgehog signalling through oxidative stress reduction in astrocytes co-cultured with excretory-secretory products of larval Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Sci Rep. 7:41574.