Dr. Y.T. Chen received Presidential Science Prize

Dr. Yuan-Tsong Chen received 10th Presidential Science Prize

A medical scientist who has discovered cure for rare disease, saved desperate lives, and dared to live a different life to safeguard human beings.

Established in 2001, Presidential Science Prize marked its 10th anniversary this year. The awardees are all devoted innovative scientists. Their outstanding achievements have greatly contributed to the academic development, reputation and international competitiveness of Taiwan.

Dr. Yuan-Tsong Chen, director of Taiwan Foundation for Rare Disorders, has not regret the loneliness of research and has found the cure for rare diseases, saving numerous patients and their families from despair. In order to improve Taiwan’s medical condition, he started to build Taiwan as a prominent center for genomic research. Even after retirement, he still devotes himself to the developments of precision medicine preventive medicine in Taiwan.

As a doctor and a scientist for more than 30 years, Dr. Yuan-Tsong Chen has gained splendid achievements in both medical and academic researches. He specializes in genomics and translational medicine, focusing on such fields as Glycogen Storage disease, Pompe disease, adverse drug reaction (ADR), and pathogenomics studies. He successfully developed Myozyme, an enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) which has been authorized to market for patients with Pompe disease all over the world. In addition, his research team successfully discovered susceptibility gene for ADR. By detecting patients’ genes before taking medicine, medical teams can prevent adverse drug reactions from happening.

Dr. Chen’s team found out several genes that will cause ADR, so as to prevent ADR in advance. For example, focusing on researching two ADRs with up to 40% lethality—Stevens - Johnson syndrome (SJS) and Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)—the team discovered two ADR-trigger genetic markers: Carbamazepine for epilepsy, and Allpurinol for gout. On the other hand, Dr. Chen’s team found VKORC1 gene plays vital role when researching the proper dosage of a popular anticoagulant Warfarin. Chen’s team even joined in International Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Consortium, applying genetic and clinical data algorithm to predict an individual’s ideal Warfarin dosage to avoid abnormal bleeding after taking the medicine.

He successfully leads Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBS) in Academia Sinica to be one of the most outstanding research center in Asia, redirecting research focuses and emphasizing on genomics and translational medicine, and promoting national and international cooperation. Dr. Chen has all the way actively lead IBS to the field of precision medicine, so as to upgrade Taiwan’s successful genomic research to the age of precision medicine.

Translator: Annie