Shu-Chun Chang is an Associate Professor of the Ph.D. Program for Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan. Dr. Chang trained in extracellular biology and glycobiology and began work on cancer research as her PhD study in Imperial College London (IC, 2007-2011). Her PhD work aimed to investigate the role of Hedgehog Acyltransferase & Heparan Sulphate Proteoglycans (HSPGs) in Human Sonic Hedgehog (hShh) Signaling. These studies have greatly contributed to defining the functional roles of hShh interactions with HSPGs and palmitoylation of hShh in the formation of hShh multimeric complex, which enabled cancer cell therapeutics. Dr Chang continued to work in the field of Cancer Immunology/Inflammation as her Post-Doc research at the National University of Singapore (NUS, 2011-2015). Her findings clearly established the power of SAG-UPS (ubiquitin proteasome system) as a functional link between immune defense and apoptosis or immune-overactivation and tumorigenesis. SAG–UPS was proposed to be an efficient target for developing therapeutics against autoimmune diseases and cancers. Continuing from her postdoctoral research work, her current independent research focusses on: UPS, E2/E3 enzymes profiling, cancer therapeutics and anticancer strategies, the tumorigenic microenvironment, Hiltonol cocktails in anti-cancer strategies, anti-PD-L1 cancer vaccine. All of these related topics of research encompasses cancer immunomodulation, which she is being recognized internationally, as evidenced by multiple invitations from impactful journals to her to submit manuscripts to contribute her area of expertise.

Previously, Dr Chang revealed that dysregulation of the ubiquitination-proteasome system (UPS) exacerbates the tumor microenvironment and drives malignant transformation [1-3]. As the largest family of E3 ligases, the SCF E3 is involved in chronic inflammation-mediated tumorigenesis such as BRCA [4,5]. However, the underlying mechanisms and key factors through which SCF E3 ligase drives BRCA initiation and progression remain unclear. During Dr Chang's research period in TMU (2015-current), since her research encompasses a wide array of experimental approaches (e.g. biochemical, cell & molecular techniques, molecular biophysics, computational modeling and immunochemical methods involving clinical specimens), as a Principle Investigator, Dr Chang has put together a team of collaborators and co-workers (both locally at TMU and internationally) to derive the best output and to spawn research collegiality and inculcate team-spirit. In the future, Dr Chang aim to investigate  potent approaches to restrain the pro-tumorigenic microenvironment to inhibit cancer cell growth and metastasis.

References:

1. Chang, S.C.; Ding, J.L. Ubiquitination and SUMOylation in the chronic inflammatory tumor microenvironment. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Reviews on Cancer 2018, 1870, 165-175, doi:10.1016/j.bbcan.2018.08.002.
2. Chang, S.-C.; Yang, W.-C.V. Hyperglycemia, tumorigenesis, and chronic inflammation. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology 2016, 108, 146-153, doi:10.1016/j.critrevonc.2016.11.003.
3. Chang, S.C.; Ding, J.L. SAG-UPS regulates malignant transformation--from chronic inflammation to pro-tumorigenesis to liver cancer. Cell Death Dis 2015, 6, e1941, doi:10.1038/cddis.2015.312.
4. Moris, D.; Kontos, M.; Spartalis, E.; Fentiman, I.S. The Role of NSAIDs in Breast Cancer Prevention and Relapse: Current Evidence and Future Perspectives. Breast Care (Basel) 2016, 11, 339-344, doi:10.1159/000452315.
5. Chang, S.C.; Ding, J.L. Ubiquitination by SAG regulates macrophage survival/death and immune response during infection. Cell Death & Differentiation 2014, 21, 1388-1398, doi:10.1038/cdd.2014.54.