Diseases
News
15 Sep 2023
- Team led by DGIST Professor Seo Sang-won, in collaboration with IBS Molecular Activation Catalysis Research Team, significantly simplifies complex antibiotic synthesis processes
- Synthesizing pharmaceutical raw materials with a 700 times higher market value from hydrocarbons using economical catalysts
- Article published in Nature Catalysis, the top international journal in chemistry
11 Sep 2023
Researchers have unveiled an intriguing phenomenon of cellular reprogramming in mature adult organs, shedding light on a novel mechanism of adaptive growth. The study, which was conducted on fruit flies (Drosophila), provides further insights into dedifferentiation - where specialized cells that have specific functions transform into less specialized, undifferentiated cells like stem cells.
11 Sep 2023
Patients with a specific form of chronic indigestion react differently to images of food, compared to healthy control subjects or patients with irritable bowel syndrome.
04 Sep 2023
In recent years, an emerging zoonotic pathogen called E. albertii, transmitted by wild animals such as raccoons, has garnered attention due to its remarkable similarities to several strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli), including O157, and its potential to cause severe illness, particularly in children. A research group at Osaka Metropolitan University has developed a novel culture medium that allows for the selective cultivation of E. albertii from raccoon fecal samples. This enabled the successful isolation of E. albertii even from samples with very low quantities of this bacterium. Their findings are expected to further elucidate the bacteriological characteristics of E. albertii and to contribute to the control of foodborne illnesses.
31 Aug 2023
Applied Microbiology International (AMI) is boosting training and development opportunities for early career scientists in journal publishing with the appointment of 14 new junior editors on its flagship journal Letters in Applied Microbiology (LAM). They were selected from more than 100 applicants by the Editor-in-Chief, Dr Marcela Hernández.
11 Aug 2023
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are particle pollution linked to antibiotic resistance and microplastics being found in the body, fossils that show a marine reptile that used filter feeding, and how a connection in our brains compares our rewards to ones that others received.

28 Jul 2023
Scientists have isolated potent neutralising antibodies from a COVID-19 vaccinated SARS survivor that exhibited remarkable breadth against known sarbecoviruses. The antibodies targeted a conserved region of the spike protein and blocked receptor binding and viral fusion. These findings could guide the development of broadly active therapeutics against current and future coronaviruses.
26 Jul 2023
The consortium’s multidisciplinary executive committee comprises of both local and international oral health researchers.
19 Jul 2023
Omega-3 lysolipids are important for protecting the liver from dietary fat, according to Duke-NUS researchers and collaborators from SGH.
18 Jul 2023
Research stories from the International Congress of Genetics in Melbourne Tuesday 18 July 2023
07 Jul 2023
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a way to avoid biopsies by catching free-floating DNA, a large dip in the Earth’s surface under the Indian Ocean, and how people who brush their teeth before bed seem to have healthier hearts.
16 Jun 2023
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a potential answer to the question of which came first the chicken or the egg, vaginal seeding to boost baby microbiomes, and looking at remnants of the universe that used to be filled with gas.
09 Jun 2023
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are ice-free Arctic summers, how monkey malaria gets transmitted, and over 300 new species discovered in the lower Mekong.
01 Jun 2023
Tests could soon identify patients who will respond well to the available treatment for chronic myeloid leukaemia and those who will be resistant to it—which could improve their chances of survival.
19 May 2023
Mushrooms 🍄get chattier after rainfall 🌧️, Two-organ chip answers fatty liver questions, History maps 🗺️vs future simulations, Restoring vision in blindness. Plus in our blog: Myanmar: Through eyes of leadership. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
12 May 2023
Specially coated surfaces help scientists investigate what happens when cell clusters are turned upside down.

11 May 2023
A protein that helps bats survive viral diseases might offer lessons for developing new anti-inflammatory treatments.
10 May 2023
A new drug delivery system delivers an antioxidant directly to mitochondria in the liver, mitigating the effects of oxidative stress.
25 Apr 2023
A research group at the Osaka Metropolitan University analyzed the relationship between diet, muscle mass, and liver fibrosis progression in 136 patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease attending the Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital. The research group found that the group with the highest Japanese diet score had less advanced liver fibrosis, and that the intake of soy products, seafood, and seaweed was important.
14 Apr 2023
Research reveals a promising stem cell approach to correct photoreceptor cell degeneration, which underlies several forms of visual decline and blindness.
10 Apr 2023
Doctors at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital have developed lightweight and easy-to-use Parkinson's gloves that can automatically reduce tremors, allowing patients to enjoy social life and reducing side effects from medication and risk from brain surgery.
10 Apr 2023
AI finds the first stars ✨were not alone, Auto-switch for large electronic devices, A metabolite against autoimmune diseases, & Converting fruit waste 🍊🍉into solar stills. Plus in our blog: A career worth doing, a life worth living. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice.
07 Apr 2023
A tiny platform empowers scientists to examine how gut and liver cells interact in health and disease.
18 Mar 2023
Scientists restore impaired kidney for the first time, How fibre composite fails when wet, Cleaner fish recognize themselves in pictures 🖼️🐟& The source of black carbon in the sea. Read all in the latest Editor's Choice. Plus our magazine Asia Research News 2023 is out now 🎉!
17 Mar 2023
Asia Research News monitors the latest research news in Asia. Some highlights that caught our attention this week are a fish that is both transparent and multicolored, making mice grow antlers, and surgery on a very small heart.
16 Mar 2023
PAXLOVID™ rollout continues with Laos, Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia as international access to oral treatments improves.
07 Mar 2023
Researchers in Sarawak, Malaysia, measured the immunity responses of people who received different COVID-19 vaccines.
02 Mar 2023
Lipid nanoparticles have been used to encapsulate CRISPR-Cas9 and deliver it to cells in mice, where it was highly effective at knocking down expression of a target protein.
17 Feb 2023
Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health threat. Asia Research News has prepared a resource for journalists to find stories and connect with scientists combating antimicrobial resistance.
16 Feb 2023
A new approach that ‘baits’ the caps or telomeres protecting the ends of chromosomes could provide information on how rapidly we are ageing and what we need to do to slow it down.
Events
20 Jun 2022
This event, held alongside the COVID-19 International Innovation Awards from 20 to 24 June, will bring forth and showcase innovations that are driving improvements and transforming the healthcare industry.
20 Jun 2022
COVID-19 International Innovation Awards (a virtual event), part of MTE 2022 year-long innovation awards programme, is scheduled to return on 20-24 June 2022. The awards are created to acknowledge and celebrate all innovations in response to COVID-19.
07 Nov 2022
FCS2022 is jointly organized by eight major research institutes in Singapore and includes a line-up of internationally renowned cancer experts. The conference converges the latest cancer discoveries around the world and promises ground-breaking and innovative insights into cancer research.
25 Jan 2022
With a brand-new focus, join us to explore Asia Healthcare Analytics Summit happening LIVE on 25 & 26 January 2022 via Hopin platform with 30+ Inspiring speakers, 100+ Virtual attendees, 4+ Networking session, 3+ Panel discussions of healthcare experts globally participating in this summit.
01 Nov 2021
We invite scientists, doctors, students and other delegates engaging in scientific research related to cancer to join us at Singapore’s preferred cancer conference.
07 Oct 2021
The National Healthcare Group (NHG) is proud to present the 19th Edition of the Singapore Health & Biomedical Congress (SHBC).
23 Nov 2020
Global health emergencies look set to be a part of our lives. What awaits us in 2021 and what lessons can we draw from COVID-19 coverage? How can we support newsrooms and journalists for more informed and impactful journalism about global scientific, technical and human challenges? What role does journalism play in seeking solutions for a better world that is both healthy, and sustainable?
02 Nov 2020
We invite scientists, doctors, students and other delegates engaging in scientific research related to cancer to join us at Singapore’s preferred cancer conference.
01 Oct 2020
The 6th annual RNA Biology Symposium jointly organized by the RNA Biology Centre of CSI Singapore (NUS), Skin Research Institute of Singapore (A*STAR), Duke-NUS Medical School, School of Biological Sciences (NTU) and Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART)
The Khwarizmi International Award (KIA) acknowledges the efforts made by researchers, innovators and inventors from across the globe and to appreciate their high quality research work and contributions to different fields of science and technology.
26 Jun 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digital Health: Episode 7 - Australia
18 Jun 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digital Health: Episode 6 - Thailand
10 Jun 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digital Health: Episode 5 - Japan
04 Jun 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digital Health; Episode 4 - Malaysia
21 May 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digial Health - Episode 2: Singapore
28 May 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digital Health: Episode 3 - South Korea
14 May 2020
Flattening the Curve with Digital Health - Episode 1 - China

04 Nov 2019
We bring together distinguished cancer researchers with complementary knowledge and expertise
from across the globe for the exchange of ideas and information.
13 Aug 2019
Call for participation. Deadline: 30 April 2019
09 Sep 2019
This conference brings together a focus on technology development as well as applications for biomarker analysis in cancer, cardiovascular disease and other disease classes.
Researchers
Prof. Ryo Katsumata specialized in clinical research within gastroenterology, particularly in neurogastroenterology. His focus revolves around understanding the brain-gut interaction and the pathophysiology of disorders like functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) that involve the gut-brain connection.
Duke-NUS Medical School
Physician-researcher; Primary area of research: Ageing, at the individual and the population level; Geographical focus: Singapore, with some work in other Asian countries.
Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology (ASHBi), Kyoto University
Dr Ashfaq Ahmad Shah 'اشفاک ' born on 6 June 1992, from south Kashmir, Doderkoot ددیرکوٹ Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India is the infection immunity doctoral researcher at the Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), Dehradun, UK, India. Dr Shah is pursuing novel dimensions of infection immunity pertaining to the correlation and impact of phyto-immune components termed phytoalexins and phytoanticipins on the benign immune system of human beings. This parameter of immunology is termed phytoalexin-immunomodulation scrutiny. His area of interest lies in Preclinical and clinical studies, i.e. vaccine adjuvant development, development of anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial compounds, evaluation of antibiotic resistance, study of Immuno-modulatory activities, disease model studies, protease isolation against specific protein antigens, and the discipline of Kalology including tyrosinase inhibition, PPO inhibition, skin whitening agents, kerato-peeling etc. Dr Ashfaq is a Doctoral Researcher, Reviewer and Editorial member of several journals and books. He is having several publications in journals of national and international repute. So far he has published more than thirty scopus infection/immunology/pharmacology scientific papers, including Fifteen international book chapters and two international books. Mr Shah received the Young scientist award in August 2023 for his groundbreaking academic performance in the field of infection immunity. Mr Shah has also been an editor of Wikipedia pages in medical science since 2015 with more than 1000 edits in medical topics available to medical literature worldwide.
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
Dr. Cheng-Siang Tan is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). He is an expert in infectious and emerging diseases and biosafety and biorisk management.
Dr. Hira Khalid is serving as Associate Professor at Forman Christian College University, Lahore, Pakistan. She is also a US Fulbright Fellow and a member of several prestigious scientific organizations, including the American Chemical Society (ACS), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), and the Chemical Society of Pakistan (CSP).
Dr. Crumlish has researched aquatic microbial diseases, specifically ones that have economic impact in global aquaculture, and potential solutions to such infectious diseases. Her current project seeks to develop vaccines against antimicrobial resistance in aquaculture.
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Dr. Tay has researched antibodies and diseases like malaria and SARS-CoV-2 at A*STAR. His focus is on discovering methods for developing antibodies that can be used in therapies against multidrug-resistant pathogens.
Nguyen Huu Nghia is the Director of the Center for Environment and Disease Monitoring in Aquaculture (CEDMA) at the Research Institute for Aquaculture No.1 (RIA1) under Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. He has co-managed various research efforts in Vietnam aquaculture as well as published recent research into the use of nanobubbles.
Dr. Van was previously the Director of the Research Institute for Aquaculture No.1 (RIA1) under Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. She has extensive expertise in aquatic animal health and aquaculture safety management.
City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
Professor St-Hilaire is associate head and professor at the Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, City University of Hong Kong (CityU). She has extensively researched fish nutrition and diseases, including treatment efficacy, and has helped investigate fish disease outbreaks.
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Dr. Oehlers leads the Bacterial Pathogenesis Laboratory at A*STAR ID Labs, where he and his colleagues focus on identifying molecular bases of mycobacterial disease and, thus, deploy therapies that address antibiotic resistance in mycobacterial infections.
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Dr. Yue Wang is senior principal investigator at the Antifungal Resistance Laboratory of A*STAR ID Labs, where his body of work focuses on virulence mechanisms of the fungal human pathogen Candida albicans.
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Dr. Singhal serves as senior principal investigator at the Bacterial Immunopathology Lab at A*STAR ID Labs in Singapore. His work at A*STAR ID Labs revolves around three main pathogens: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Gram-negative bacteria and Dengue virus.
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Dr. Bifani is a principal investigator at A*STAR ID Labs at their Antimicrobial Resistance Lab. He has extensively researched antimicrobial resistance in tuberculosis and malaria. He is also an associate professor and research director at the Yong Yoo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
Dr. Yan is an assistant professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong (CityU). His current research focuses on developing genomic tools to dissect lncRNA function and mechanism in diseases and to identify genetic variations that contribute to disease pathogenesis.
City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
Dr. Deng is a biomedical scientist with a special interest in bacterial virulence, including gene regulation, signaling pathways, and RNA epigenetics. He has worked on virulence regulation in pathogens to discover new therapies against bacterial infections.
Osaka Metropolitan University
Dr. Ozawa is a Specially Appointed Professor at the Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University (formerly Osaka City University). His specialized field is skin malignant tumor and surgery.
Kyoto University
Dr. So Iwata is a Professor at the Graduate School of Medicine Kyoto University and the Group Director of the SACLA Science Research Group, RIKEN SPring-8 Center. He has investigated how specialized membrane channels remove antimicrobial drugs from inside bacterial cells.
Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)
Dr. Mitchell is a professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST). His primary research interest is the study of bacterial strains that attack and prey on other bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
Dr. Soojin Jang heads the Antibacterial Resistance Research Laboratory at Institut Pasteur Korea, where her team focuses on discovering new antibacterial agents for “superbugs” or bacteria resistant to most antibiotics.
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)
Prof. Cai Zongwei is now the Chair Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Director of both State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis as well as Dioxin Laboratory, Hong Kong Baptist University.
The Asian Institute of Technology
Dr. Dong currently works at the Asian Institute of Technology. He does research in Aquaculture, Pathology, Infectious Diseases, and Aquatic Bioscience.
Suraj Bhattarai is a global health specialist and tropical medicine physician with research interests in infectious disease epidemiology and surveillance, health systems, and urban health. He is a co-founder and research fellow at the Global Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies, a Kathmandu-based academic institute that promotes and conducts interdisciplinary research. He is a member of Global Young Academy and an Alumni steering committee member of IAP-Young Physician Leaders Programme. He obtained medical training in Nepal and masters in Tropical Medicine & International Health from the LSHTM, UK.
I am a Health Economist/Researcher, working with UN agencies in the development of policy documents for developing countries including Nepal, Ethiopia and Pakistan.
City University of Hong Kong (CityU)
Dr Brian Kot is a registered diagnostic radiographer and veterinary imaging researcher in the City University of Hong Kong.
Osaka City University
Takashi Hashimoto's major expertise is clinical and basic research for both autoimmune bullous diseases and hereditary skin diseases.
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)
Department of Microbiology / Biomolecular Sciences
Universiti Teknologi MARA
Malaysia
Osaka City University
Akira Kaneko was appointed as Professor of Parasitology of Osaka City University in 2010. Since then, he has conducted global health research with a particular focus on malaria elimination on islands in Vanuatu, Oceania and Lake Victoria, Kenya.
Duke-NUS Medical School
Prof. Patrick Tan's research focuses on developing genomic approaches to unlock the molecular and clinical diversity of gastric cancer (aka stomach cancer)- a leading cause of global cancer mortality.
Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST)
Prof. Jinsoo Seo's research focuses on mechanisms of cellular dysfunction and cognitive decline in aging brain, genetic risk factors for neurodegeneration as well as the effect of environmental factors and lifestyle on Alzheimer's disease.
Giants in history
Iranian physician and bacteriologist Azar Andami (8 December 1926 – 19 August 1984) developed a cholera vaccine to combat an outbreak that swept through the Middle East, India, Southeast Asia, and Africa in 1937.
Michiaki Takahashi (17 February 1928 – 16 December 2013) was a Japanese virologist who developed the first chickenpox vaccine.
Irene Ayako Uchida’s (8 April 1917 – 30 July 2013) strides to understand genetic diseases such as Down syndrome paved the way for early screening of chromosomal abnormalities in foetuses.
Baron Kitasato Shibasaburo (29 January 1856 – 13 June 1931) was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist whose work led to a new understanding of preventing and treating tetanus, diphtheria and anthrax.
By isolating soil microorganisms and studying the compounds they produce, Satoshi Omura (born 1935) discovered almost 500 organic compounds with unique properties that were produced by these microorganisms, including many new antibiotics.
Chinese-American virologist and molecular biologist Flossie Wong-Staal (27 August 1946 – 8 July 2020) was the first scientist to clone HIV and determine the function of its genes.
Maharani Chakravorty (1937 – 2015) was one of India’s earliest molecular biologists whose research paved the way for advances in the treatment of bacterial and viral infections.
Husband and wife team, Kimishige (3 December 1925 – 6 July 2018) and Teruko Ishizaka (28 September 1926 – 4 June 2019) discovered the antibody class Immunoglobulin E (IgE) that triggers allergic reactions. They also discovered that IgE antibodies attach to white blood cells, known as mast cells, releasing histamine, which causes allergic reactions.
Japanese chemist Takamine Jokichi (3 November 1854 – 22 July 1922) founded the Tokyo Artificial Fertilizer Company, where he isolated a starch-digesting enzyme (named takadiastase) from the fungus Aspergillus oryzae.
Lim Boo Liat (21 August 1926 – 11 July 2020), a leading authority in the conservation of Malaysia’s biological diversity, had his initial interest in the outdoors piqued by nature lessons in school. Lim, who helped found the National Zoo of Malaysia and re-establish the Malaysian Nature Society, had a particular interest in researching zoonotic diseases associated with small animals.
A pioneer of bio-organic chemistry, Darshan Ranganathan (4 June 1941 – 4 June 2001) is remembered for developing a protocol for synthesising imidazole, a compound used to make antifungal drugs and antibiotics. Widely considered India’s most prolific researcher in chemistry, she also published dozens of papers in renowned journals on protein folding, molecular design, chemical simulation of key biological processes, and the synthesis of functional hybrid peptides and nanotubes.
Indian scientist and physician Upendranath Brahmachari (19 December 1873–6 February 1946) is best known for creating a drug called Urea Stibamine, used to safely and reliably treat visceral leishmaniasis (or Kala-azar), a severe infection caused by the Leishmania parasite.
Filipino chemist and pharmacist Manuel A. Zamora (29 March 1870 – 9 July 1929) is best remembered for his discovery of the tiki-tiki formula to combat beriberi, a disease caused by Vitamin B1 deficiency.
Indian organic chemist Asima Chatterjee (1917 to 2006) studied the medicinal properties of plant products, especially compounds known as vinca alkaloids.
Umetaro Suzuki (7 April 1874 – 20 September 1943) was a Japanese scientist best remembered for his research on beriberi, a disease caused by vitamin B1 deficiency, characterized by limb stiffness, paralysis and pain.
Salimuzzaman Siddiqui (19 October 1897 – 14 April 1994) was an artist and chemist from Pakistan whose research focused on natural products from plants.
Barry Paw (29 August 1962 – 28 December 2017) was a biologist and oncologist who discovered several novel genes and their functions in red blood cells.