Education

Ph.D., Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Advisor: Dr. Pei-Wen Hsiao and Dr. Ming-Ting Lee

Professional Experiences

Dec 2020 – present Assistant Professor/ Graduate Institute of Life Sciences National Defense Medical Center, Taiwan
Jan 2019 - Oct 2020 Postdoctoral Fellow/ Department of Oncology, University of Lausanne / Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Switzerland
Feb 2014 - Dec 2018 Postdoctoral Fellow/ Agricultural Biotechnology Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taiwan

Research Interests

Overcome immune ignorance and tolerance in tumorigenesis
Immunotherapies, like immune checkpoints blockade, have changed the landscape of cancer treatment. However, response rate remains relatively low in most cases. Lack of tumor T cell infiltration represents one of the major barriers for effective treatment. In this direction, we aim to explore how the spatial and functional interactions among cells within tumor microenvironment could support the quantity and quality of immune cells, particularly CD8+ TILs. Moreover, we would like to understand how we can fire up ignorant tumors to synergize with current immunotherapy. Currently, we utilize CRISPR sgRNA library technique to identify potential targets which could fire up cold tumors.

Metabolic crosstalk during immunosurveillance in cancer
Metabolic competition and communication between tumor cells and their neighboring host cells shape tumor microenvironment, further influencing the amplitude and type of immune responses. We would like to explore how this crosstalk modulates immune cell’s behavior, cancer development, and immune evasion. Also, we are interested in whether metabolic change could facilitate cancer survival at metastatic site or in current targeted therapy or chemotherapy. Eventually, we aim to develop effective cancer treatments by targeting metabolic pathways.

Recent Publications

1. Giusy Di Conza, Chin-Hsien Tsai, Hector Gallart Ayala, Yi-Ru Yu, Fabien Franco, Lea Zaffalon, Xin Xie, Xiaoyun Li, Zhengtao Xiao, Lydia N. Raines, Maryline Falquet, Antoine Jalil, Jason Locasale, Piergiorgio Percipalle, David Masson, Stanley Ching-Cheng Huang, Fabio Martinon, Julijana Ivanisevic, Ping-Chih Ho*. Tumor-induced reshuffling of lipid composition on ER membrane sustains macrophage survival and pro-tumorigenic activity (submitted to Nature Immunology)

2. Valentina Pucino, Chin-Hsien Tsai, Michelangelo Certo, Ping-Chih Ho, and Claudio Mauro. Lactate modulation of the immune response in inflammatory disease and cancer. Nature Reviews Immunology, Aug 24 2020. (equal contribution)

3. Haiping Wang, Fabien Franco, Yao-Chen Tsui, Xin Xie, Marcel Trefny, Roberta Zappasodi, Syed Raza Mahmood, Juan Fernandez-Garcia, Florence Picard, Etienne Meylan , Roy Silverstein, Ira Goldberg, Sarah-Maria Fendt, Jedd D. Wolchok, Taha Merghoub, Camilla Jandus, Alfred Zippelius, Chin-Hsien Tsai, Isabell Schulze, and Ping-Chih Ho*. CD36-mediated metabolic adaptation supports regulatory T cell survival and function in tumors. Nature Immunology, 21:298, Feb 17 2020.

4. Giusy Di Conza#, Chin-Hsien Tsai#, and Ping-Chih Ho*. Fifty Shades of α-Ketoglutarate on Cellular Programming. Molecular Cell 76:1, October 3 2019. (# equal contribution)

5. Sheue-Fen Tzeng, Chin-Hsien Tsai, Tai-Kuang Chao, Yu-Ching Chou, Yu-Chih Yang, Mong-Hsun Tsai, Tai-Lung Cha, and Pei-Wen Hsiao*. O-Glycosylation–mediated signaling circuit drives metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. FASEB Journal 32:6869, June 15 2018.

6. Chin-Hsien Tsai, Sheue-Fen Tzeng, Shih-Chuan Hsieh, Yu-Chih Yang, Mong-Hsun Tsai, and Pei-Wen Hsiao*. A standardized herbal extract mitigates tumor inflammation and augments chemotherapy effect of docetaxel in prostate cancer. Scientific Reports, 7:15624, November 15 2017.

7. Chin-Hsien Tsai, Sheue-Fen Tzeng, Shih-Chuan Hsieh, Chia-Jui Tsai, Yu-Chih Yang, Mong-Hsun Tsai and Pei-Wen Hsiao*. A standardized Wedelia chinesis extract overcomes the feedback activation of HER2/3 signaling upon androgen-ablation in prostate cancer. Front. Pharmacol. 8:721, October 10 2017.

8. C-J Ko, S-W Lan, Y-C Lu, T-S Cheng, P-F Lai, Chin-Hsien Tsai, T-W Hsu, H-Y Lin, H-Y Shyu, S-R Wu, H-H Lin, P-W Hsiao, C-H Chen ,H-P Huang and M-S Lee. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2-mediated matriptase activation contributes to the suppression of prostate cancer cell motility and metastasis. ONCOGENE 36:4597, August 10 2017.

9. Chin-Hsien Tsai, Sheue-Fen Tzeng, Tai-Kuang Chao, Yu-Chih Yang, Chia-Yun Tsai, Ming-Ting Lee, Juian-Juian Hwang, Yu-Ching Chou, Mong-Hsun Tsai, Tai-Lung Cha, and Pei-Wen Hsiao*. Metastatic progression of prostate cancer is mediated by autonomous binding of galectin-4-O-glycan to cancer cells. Cancer Research 76:5756, October 1 2016.

10. Chin-Hsien Tsai, Sheue-Fen Tzeng, Shih-Chuan Hsieh, Chih-Yu Lin, Chia-Jui Tsai, Yu-Chih Yang, Jen-Hao Hsiao, Mong-Hsun Tsai, Ming-Ting Lee and Pei-Wen Hsiao* (2015) Development of a standardized and effect-optimized herbal extract of Wedelia chinensis for prostate cancer. Phytomedicine 22:406-414, March 15 2015.

11. Chin-Hsien Tsai#, C-H Teng#, Y-T Tu, T-S Cheng, S-R Wu, C-J Ko, H-Y Shyu, S-W Lan, H-P Huang, S-F Tzeng, MD Johnson, C-Y Lin, P-W Hsiao*, and M-S Lee* HAI-2 suppresses the invasive growth and metastasis of prostate cancer through regulation of matriptase. ONCOGENE 33:4643, October 14 2013. (#equal contribution)

12. Cheng TS, Chen WC, Lin YY, Chin-Hsien Tsai, Liao CI, Shyu HY, Ko CJ, Tzeng SF, Huang CY, Yang PC, Hsiao PW, Lee MS*. Curcumin-targeting Pericellular Serine Protease Matriptase Role in Suppression of Prostate Cancer Cell Invasion, Tumor Growth and Metastasis. Cancer Prev Res 6:495, March 6 2013.

13. Chih-Hung Hsu, Kai-Lin Peng, Ming-Lun Kang, Yi-Ren Chen, Yu-Chih Yang, Chin-Hsien Tsai, Chi-Shen Chu, Yung-Ming Jeng, Yen-Ting Chen, Feng-Mao Lin, Hsien-Da Huang, Yun-Yuh Lu, Yu-Ching Teng, Shinn-Tsuen Lin, Ruo-Kai Lin, Fan-Mei Tang, Sung-Bau Lee, Huan Ming Hsu, Jyh-Cherng Yu*, Pei-Wen Hsiao*, and Li-Jung Juan*. TET1 Suppresses Cancer Invasion by Activating the Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinases. Cell reports 2: 568, September 20 2012.

Book Chapters
Yi-Ren Chen, Pei-wen Hsiao, Feng-Ming Lin, Guan-James Wu, and Chin-Hsien Tsai. Chapter 6: Evidence-based Anticancer Materia Medica for Prostate Cancer, Vol. 2, p103-127, Evidence-based Anticancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Patents
Pei-Wen Hsiao, Chin-Hsien Tsai, Shih-Chuan Hsieh. Development of a standardized and effect-optimized herbal extract of wedelia chinensis and its use for treating disease. 01.09.2020~03.03.2036.