Professor Yang Kai-Chien, a graduate of the National Taiwan University School of Medicine, embodies the dual role of clinician and scientist. After completing his cardiology training at NTU Hospital, he pursued a PhD in Molecular Genetics and Genomics at Washington University in St. Louis. Following this, he returned to NTU, where he established the Lab for Cardiovascular Diseases and Organ Fibrosis.
Professor Yang is committed to the role of a physician-scientist—working at the intersection of clinical care and scientific discovery. Drawing on real-world clinical challenges, he brings unanswered medical questions back to the laboratory, integrating systems biology with innovative technologies to explore new therapeutic possibilities in cardiac fibrosis and regenerative medicine.
Clinical Experience as a Bridge
Professor Yang describes the physician-scientist as a vital bridge between clinical practice and basic research. Through his work at NTU Hospital, he is able to identify urgent patient needs and unmet clinical challenges, translating these into research questions with strong clinical relevance.
He also highlights NTU Hospital’s supportive environment, which values both clinical excellence and academic contribution. This integrated model enables physicians to balance patient care with research, helping to break down traditional boundaries between clinical medicine and basic science and accelerating medical progress.
Focus on Cardiac Regeneration and Organ Fibrosis
The lab’s research centres on the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac fibrosis and cardiomyocyte regeneration. Fibrosis is a common pathological feature of many chronic organ failures, while the limited regenerative capacity of cardiomyocytes after injury remains a major challenge in cardiovascular medicine.
(Heart failure induced in mice following two weeks of high-dose isoproterenol administration. Masson’s trichrome staining reveals fibrotic regions in blue.)
To address these challenges, the team employs systems biology approaches alongside advanced platforms including zebrafish models, transgenic mice and gene knockout technologies. Their goal is to identify key molecular regulators capable of controlling or reversing fibrosis, ultimately enabling therapies that promote heart regeneration and restore organ function. The zebrafish cardiac regeneration platform is based at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica.
zebrafish
Recent Breakthroughs
Through transcriptomic analysis of cardiomyocytes in neonatal and adult mice, the team identified a group of genes strongly associated with cardiac regeneration and evolutionarily conserved in zebrafish. Among them, N-cadherin (CDH2) was identified as a key regulator of cardiomyocyte proliferation and regeneration. These findings were published in Nature Communications (2025).
CDH2 expression is higher in neonatal cardiomyocytes and declines with age. Following injury, its expression increases significantly near the damaged area in neonatal hearts. Functional studies showed that inhibiting CDH2 reduces cardiomyocyte proliferation, while overexpression enhances proliferation and influences cell cycle-related proteins. Similar effects were observed in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, confirming that N-cadherin regulates proliferative capacity across species.
International Collaboration and Interdisciplinary Synergy
The lab places particular emphasis on drug delivery—one of the most challenging aspects of therapeutic development—as a focal point for interdisciplinary collaboration. It is currently working with Professor Yun Fang at the University of Chicago to utilise nanoparticle systems for targeted delivery to specific cells, such as endothelial cells in atherosclerotic regions.
This approach enables efficient delivery of therapeutic DNA targeting molecules such as TXNDC5, while reducing dosage requirements, minimising systemic toxicity and improving treatment specificity. The team is also advancing research in nucleic acid therapeutics, particularly RNA modification (epitranscriptomics), to enhance the stability and translational efficiency of RNA-based drugs. Early findings suggest links between specific RNA modifications, endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis.
Professor Yang also maintains close collaboration with his doctoral mentor, Professor Jeanne Nerbonne at Washington University in St. Louis. Given the limited availability of human cardiac specimens in Taiwan, this partnership is essential. Access to human tissue enables more clinically relevant analysis, while additional collaborations are exploring congenital heart disease in Down syndrome through integrated, multi-ethnic genomic datasets.
Looking ahead, Professor Yang aims to expand interdisciplinary collaboration further, particularly with experts in immunology and chemical engineering. Immune cells such as macrophages are increasingly recognised as key regulators in cardiac regeneration, while advances in materials science are critical for improving nucleic acid drug delivery. By combining molecular insights with advanced materials, the team seeks to develop more effective, targeted therapies with fewer side effects, accelerating translation into clinical applications.
Research Team and Talent Cultivation
The laboratory currently comprises around 20 members, including international students from Russia and Malaysia, reflecting its global outlook. The presence of international researchers provides valuable opportunities for students to present and discuss their work in English on a weekly basis, strengthening their communication skills and preparing them for international collaboration.
When asked what advice he would offer to young people interested in medical research, Professor Yang emphasises the importance of gaining broader exposure—encouraging students to attend international conferences and pursue exchange opportunities. He believes that a genuine passion for research can develop into a lifelong pursuit, with experience and insight building over time. He also stresses that independent thinking is a core competency: researchers must be willing to formulate hypotheses, test them rigorously, and engage in deep, sustained learning.
Future Outlook for the Pharmaceutical Industry
Looking ahead, Professor Yang’s team is actively advancing emerging therapeutic approaches, including nucleic acid-based drugs, with the aim of developing treatments that deliver real benefits to patients. While scientists contribute foundational discoveries, successful drug development depends on collaboration across the entire innovation ecosystem. Professor Yang remains optimistic about the future of Taiwan’s biotechnology industry.
More about NTU Lab Spotlight: https://labspotlight.ntu.edu.tw/