SHAW-JENQ(Sean), TSAI

• 1993 – 1997 Ph. D., Endocrinology-Reproductive Physiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
• 1990 - 1992  M. S., Molecular and Cellular Biology, Eastern Michigan University, USA
• 1982 - 1986  B. S., Biology, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

Translational Medicine, Bioinformatics,Cancer Biology, Endometriosis

• 2024/02  President, National Chung Cheng University

• 2024/02  Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Cheng University

07/1988-06/1990    Research Specialist, Department of Medical Research, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

07/1992-07/1993   Research Specialist, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA

08/1993-04/1997   Research Assistant, Endocrinology-Reproductive Physiology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA

05/1997-01/1998    Postdoctoral Research Associate, Dairy Science Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA    

02/1998-07/2002    Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan

02/1998-01/2024   Director, Bioinformatics Research Center, Center of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan

08/2002-07/2005    Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan

08/2005-07/2008    Professor, Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan

08/2008-07/2019    Distinguished Professor, Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan

01/2012-present      Ambassador, World Endometriosis Society

07/2014-07/2017    Director-General, Department of Life Sciences, Ministry of Science and Technology, Executive Yuan, Taiwan, Republic of China

05/2016-05/2020    President, the Chinese Physiological Society

05/2018-04/2022    Councilor, Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine

01/2019-12/2020    President, Asian Society of Endometriosis and Adenomyosis

06/2020-present     Councilor, the Chinese Physiological Society

05/2018-04/2022    Councilor, Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine

08/2019-01/2024    Chair Professor, Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan

 My research interests focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms of human diseases. Our studies could be divided into two areas:

1. Endometriosis: Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease with the prevalence of 10-15 %. It is a complex disease with unknown etiology and severely reduces life quality of affected women and their family. We focus on local and epigenetic factors that cause inflammation in the peritoneal cavity, aberrant production of steroid hormones, angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, and suppression of immune function.
2. Cancer: Drug resistance is the most critical issue that contributes to treatment failure and mortality. Hypoxia is one of the most critical factors contributing to drug resistance. However, mechanisms responsible for hypoxia-mediated increased in drug resistance remain largely unknown. We have employed systems biology approach to investigate effects of hypoxia-mediated gene regulatory networks in drug resistance and cancer malignancy. Current focuses are on the regulation of extracellular vesicles-mediated pancreatic cancer malignancy and TYRO3 nuclear function in colon cancer metastasis and drug resistance.

• International Union of Physiological Sciences: Academy Fellow (2022)

• Ministry of Education: The 65th Academic Award (2022)

• Society for the Study of Reproduction: Fuller W. Bazer SSR International Scientist Award (2021)

• American Association for Cancer Research: Most-Cited Article Published in 2017 Cancer Research (2019)

• Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine: Fellow (2018)

• Ministry of Science and Technology: Distinguished Research Award (2018)

• Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine: Distinguished Scientist Award (2014)

• National Science Council: Distinguished Research Award (2011)

1. HT Hou, TC Lin, MH Wu, SJ Tsai* Feel so bac: is Fusobacterium the suspect causing endometriosis? Trends Mol Med 29 (10):780-782, 2023.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmed.2023.08.003.
2. T Harada, F Taniguchi, SW Guo, YM Choi, KO Biberoglu, SJ Tsai, S Alborzi , M Al-Jefout, A Chalermchokcharoenkit, A Sison-Aguilar, YF Fong, H Senanayake, A Popov, A Hestiantoro, Y Kaufmann The Asian society of endometriosis and adenomyosis (ASEA) guidelines for managing adenomyosis. Reprod Med Biol 22(1): e12535, 2023. DOI: 10.1002/rmb2.12535
3. CB Chu, CC Yang, YY Hsueh, PC Chen, YK Hong, YY Kuo, S-J Tsai* Aberrant expression of IL-17A in mast cells contributes to the pathogenesis of hidradenitis suppurativa. Br J Dermatol Aug 4:ljad273, 2023 DOI: 10.1093/bjd/ljad273
4. SC Lin, WN Li, SC Lin, HT Hou, YC Tsai, TC Lin, MH Wu*, SJ Tsai* Targeting YAP1 ameliorates progesterone resistance in endometriosis. Hum Reprod 38 (6), 1124-1134, 1 June 2023. DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dead071
5. PL Hsu, CW Chien, YA Tang, BW Lin, SC Lin, YS Lin, SY Chen, HS Sun*, SJ Tsai* Targeting BRD3 eradicates nuclear TYRO3-induced colorectal cancer metastasis. Sci Adv 9(15): eade3422, 12 Apr 2023. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ade3422.
6. YS Lai CC Chang YY Chen TMH Nguyen J Xu YC Chen YF Chang CY Wang PS Chen SC Lin IC Peng SJ Tsai WT Chiu* Optogenetically engineered Ca2+ oscillation-mediated DRP1 activation promotes mitochondrial fission and cell death. J Cell Sci May 26, 2023. DOI: doi.org/10.1242/jcs.260819
7. YY Chao, BM Huang, IC Peng, PR Lee, YS Lai, WT Chiu, YS Lin, SH Lin, JH Chang, PS Chen, SJ Tsai*, CY Wang* ATM-ATR-induced primary ciliogenesis promotes cisplatin resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. J Cell Physiol, 237(12):4487–4503, 2022.
8. C.B. Chu, C.C. Yang, S.J. Tsai* Hidradenitis suppurativa: Disease pathophysiology and sex hormones. Chin J Physiol 64(6):257-265, Nov-Dec 2021, doi: 10.4103/cjp.cjp_67_21
9. C.B. Chu, W.L. Li., S.H. Lin, C.K. Hsu, C.C. Yang*, S.J. Tsai* The influence of gender and smoking on hidradenitis suppurativa: A retrospective study of 161 patients in Taiwan. Dermatol Sin 39:125-31, 2021.
10. C.B. Chu, C.C. Yang, S.J. Tsai* Global data analysis supports smoking as the fundamental element associated with geographic gender disparities in hidradenitis suppurativa. Br J Dermatol 185(5):1054-1056, June 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.20581
11. CA Wang, CF Li, RC Huang, PC Hou, JP Liou, SJ Tsai* Suppression of extracellular vesicle VEGF-C-mediated lymphangiogenesis and pancreatic cancer early dissemination by a selective HDAC1/2 inhibitor. Mol Cancer Ther 20(9):1550-1560; doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-20-0963, 2021.
12. CA Wang, and SJ Tsai* Regulation of lymphangiogenesis by extracellular vesicles in cancer metastasis. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 246(19):2048-2056, 2021
13. PH Yu, PY Chou, WN Li, SJ Tsai, MH Wu* The pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory role of hyaluronic acid in endometriosis. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 60(4):711-717, July 2021
14. IO Yusuf, HM Chen, PH Cheng, CY Chang, SJ Tsai, JI Chuang, CC Wu, BM Huang, HS Sun, CM Chen, SH Yang* FGF9 induces neurite outgrowth upon ERK signaling in knock-in striatal Huntington's disease cells. Life Sci 267, 118952, 2021 Feb 15.
15. IO Yusuf, HM Chen, PH Cheng, CY Chang, SJ Tsai, JI Chuang, CC Wu, BM Huang, HS Sun, CM Chen, SH Yang* Fibroblast growth factor 9 stimulates neuronal length through NF-kB signaling in striatal cell Huntington’s disease models. Mol Neurobiol 58 (5): 2396-2406, May 2021.
16. YS Lai, YH Chang, YY Chen, J Xu, CS Yu, SJ Chang, PS Chen, SJ Tsai, WT Chiu* Ca²⁺-regulated cell migration revealed by optogenetically engineered Ca²⁺ oscillations. J Cell Physiol 236(6):4681-4693, 2021 Jun. DOI: 10.1002/jcp.30190
17. WN Li, MH Wu, SJ Tsai* HYPOXIA AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH: The role of hypoxia in the development and progression of endometriosis. Reproduction 161 (1): F19-F31, 2021. doi: 10.1530/REP-20-0267
18. HC Lee, SC Lin, MH Wu, SJ Tsai^* Inhibiting NTRK2 signaling causes endometriotic lesion regression. Reproduction 161(1):11-19, 2021 Jan; doi: 10.1530/REP-20-0163.
19. YH Li, TM Chen, BM Huang, SH Yang, CC Wu, YM Lin, JI Chuang, SJ Tsai, HS Sun* FGF9 is a downstream target of SRY and sufficient to determine male sex fate in ex vivo XX gonad culture. Biol Reprod 103 (6):1300-1313, Dec 1, 2020
20. WN Li, KY Hsiao, CA Wang, N Chang, PL Hsu, CH Sun, SR Wu, MH Wu^*, SJ Tsai* Extracellular vesicle-associated VEGF-C promotes lymphangiogenesis and immune cells infiltration in endometriosis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 117 (41): 25859-25868, Oct 1, 2020 doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1920037117
21. PS Chen, WT Chiu, PL Hsu, SC Lin, IC Peng, CY Wang, SJ Tsai* Pathophysiological implications of hypoxia in human diseases. J Biomed Sci 27: 63, 2020 May 11. doi.org/10.1186/s12929-020-00658-7
22. S Koks*, RW Williams, J Quinn, F Farzaneh, N Conran, SJ Tsai, G Awandare, SR Goodman COVID-19: Time for precision epidemiology. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 245 677-679. Apr 2020, DOI: 10.1177/1535370220919349
23. CA Wang, YH Chang, PC Hou, YJ Tai, WN Li, PL Hsu, SR Wu, CF Li, YS Shan, SJ Tsai* DUSP2 regulates extracellular vesicle-VEGF-C secretion and pancreatic cancer early dissemination. J Extracell Vesicles 9 (1): 1746529, 2020 April 4. DOI: 10.1080/20013078.2020.1746529
24. PS Chen, SC Lin, SJ Tsai* Complexity in regulating microRNA biogenesis in cancer. Exp Biol Med 245:395-401, 2020 March DOI: 10.1177/1535370220907314
25. CH Lai, RY Chen, HP Hsieh, SJ Tsai, KC Chang, CJ Yen, YC Huang, YW Liu, JC Lee, YC Lai, LY Hung, BW Lin A selective Aurora-A 5'-UTR siRNA inhibits tumor growth and metastasis. Cancer Lett 472:97-107, 2020 Mar 1; doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.12.031.
26. HC Lee, SC Lin, MH Wu*, SJ Tsai* Induction of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 by hypoxia alters cellular metabolism and inhibits apoptosis in endometriotic stromal cells. Reprod Sci 26 (6):734-744. doi: 10.1177/193371911878951, Jun; 2019.
27. TM Chen, YH Chen, HS Sun, SJ Tsai* Fibroblast growth factors: Potential novel targets for regenerative therapy of osteoarthritis. Chin J Physiol 62:2-10, 2019 Feb
28. TM Chen, MC Lai, YH Li, YL Chan, CH Wu, YM Wang, CW Chien, SY Huang, H. S Sun*, SJ Tsai* hnRNPM induces translation switch under hypoxia to promote colon cancer development. EBioMedicine 41:299-309 2019 March. PMID: 30852162, DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.02.059
29. PL Hsu, J Jou, SJ Tsai* TYRO3: a potential therapeutic target in cancer. Exp Biol Med 244: 83–9, 2019 Feb
30. SC Lin, HC Lee, CT Hsu, YH Huang, WN Li, PL Hsu, MH Wu*, SJ Tsai* Targeting anthrax toxin receptor 2 ameliorates endometriosis progression. Theranostics; 9(3): 620-632, 2019. doi: 10.7150/thno.30655.
31. MH Wu, KY Hsiao, SJ Tsai* Hypoxia: The force of endometriosis. J Obstet Gynaecol Res 45(3):532-541, 2019. doi: 10.1111/jog.13900.
32. IO Yusuf, HM Chen, PH Cheng, CY Chang, SJ Tsai, JI Chuang, CC Wu, BM Huang, HS Sun, SH Yang* Fibroblast growth factor 9 activates anti-oxidative functions of Nrf2 through ERK signalling in striatal cell models of Huntington's disease. Free Radic Biol Med 130:256-266, 2019 Jan. DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2018.10.455