108年度國家衛生研究院生物醫學學術研討會（2019 Biomedical Research Symposium of NHRI）已於8月14日至15日假本院會議中心舉行。今年度會議依往例規劃2場特別演講（plenary lecture）及6場專題演講，邀請國內外學者專家、執行成果優良之計畫主持人、本院研究人員與年輕研究學者，共26位講員口頭報告分享研究成果與經驗。此次會議除院外計畫學術審查之國內、外專家近五十餘位與會者外，另有整合性計畫研究人員、本院研究人員及國內各機構研究人員等，總計近四百七十人次與會，可謂盛況空前，充分達到學術交流之目的。
此次會議邀請美國史丹佛大學醫學院醫學與放射學系吳慶明教授與中央研究院分子生物研究所鍾邦柱院士擔任大會特別演講講員。會議首日上午由本院梁賡義院長主持開幕，隨後由吳慶明教授以「Stem Cells & Genomics for Precision Medicine註1」為題發表演說；次日上午則由鍾邦柱院士以「Steroid Synthesis and its Regulation註2」為題發表演說。
會議精心規劃的6場專題演講，主題分別為：「Cancer Research」、「Medical Engineering」、「Molecular Genetics and Medicine」、「Neural Science」、「Biomedical Science」及「Population Health Research」，共邀請國內外24位講員，於2個會場（國際會議廳及第3會議室）同步進行，分享最新的研究進展與寶貴的經驗，提供與會者學術交流及研究合作的機會。囿於演講場次有限，此次會議另安排二個壁報時段（poster session），由整合性計畫主持人以及本院研究人員張貼壁報展示研究成果（共計發表85篇壁報論文），並
分組安排壁報論文討論會議（poster discussion），由各組會議主持人邀請部分壁報展示之研究人員簡短報告分享研究成果，以促進壁報發表者、計畫主持人、所有分組與會者及學術審查委員間之討論與互動，除有助於委員瞭解計畫執行成效，亦能協助解決研究過程中可能遭遇之困難。
為期二日的研討會，藉由演講、壁報論文展示、分組討論會議等，帶動許多熱烈的討論與腦力激盪，使與會人員獲益良多，且因交流互動增加，促成未來合作或團隊研究形成之可能，為國人之醫藥研究水準厚植發展潛力。
註1：吳慶明教授特別演講摘要（演講內容請見國衛院電子報第808期「影音節目」）
Title: Stem Cells & Genomics for Precision Medicine
Abstract:
Heart disease is the most significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world, accounting for nearly 25% of all deaths in the United States alone. While the use of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) in regenerative medicine is a long-term goal, a growing body of studies has shown promising results in the fields of drug discovery, development, and toxicity screening. Specifically, recent technological advancement has enabled the generation of patient-specific and disease-specific human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) in vitro. These iPSC-CMs carry all the genetic information from the individuals from whom they are derived. Here I will discuss recent advances in this technology and how it may be used for elucidating mechanisms of rare inherited cardiovascular diseases, for drug discovery, and for precision medicine.
註2：鍾邦柱院士特別演講摘要（演講內容請見國衛院電子報第809期「影音節目」）
Title: Steroid Synthesis and its Regulation
Abstract:
Steroids are widely used in medicine and are notorious for their side effects. We aim to study novel functions of steroids in the body and their regulation, with an emphasis of steroid biosynthesis. Three different aspects of steroid functions have been the focus of our investigation.
I. Actions of neurosteroid pregnenolone
We would like to examine the action of neurosteroids in the brain in order to find a better neurosteroid for the treatment of brain diseases. We previously showed that neurosteroid pregnenolone promotes cell migration by binding to and activating microtubule-binding protein CLIP-170 to stabilize microtubules. Current research focuses on the mechanism of dynamic neurosteroid actions.
II. Regulation and functions of steroidogenic genes
The first two steps of steroid synthesis are catalyzed by enzymes encoded by CYP11A and HSD3B. In addition to influencing reproduction and endocrine metabolism, we showed that zebrafish cyp11a1 and hsd3b2 controls embryo morphogenesis. Their action mechanism during morphogenesis will bring novel insight about steroid actions.
III. Regulation of zebrafish gonad development
Zebrafish has been a popular model organism for genetic analysis, but the control of its gonad development is unclear. We would like to understand the factors that control gonad differentiation and sex determination. Both methods of candidate gene approach and transcriptome analysis will be used to understand the mode of germ cell differentiation.
文/圖：學術發展處
