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臺灣大學與京都大學的學術交流

 

在2022年12月12日,兩位由陳慧文老師邀請,來自日本京都大學的國際知名學者,朝長啟造教授(Professor Keizo Tomonaga,以下簡稱朝長教授) 與神田雄大助理教授(Assistant professor Takehiro Kanda,以下簡稱神田教授) 來訪臺大獸醫系並且進行一場特別演講,再次開啟受COVID-19疫情影響而暫停三年的臺灣大學與京都大學姊妹校之間的交流互動。

朝長教授是一位著作等身且世界知名的病毒學者,同時身兼國際病毒分類委員的委員,尤其負責Bornaviridae的分類,而神田教授也是一位極優秀的年輕學者,專精於反向基因學以及先端醫學領域。教授們的特別演講吸引了熱情的獸醫系同學及外系同學參與。演講的開始,教授首先簡單介紹了京都,這座具有豐富人文歷史背景的古都,不但有許多名盛古跡及景點吸引世界各國觀光客,同時也有多所大學座落在這個人文薈粹的城市。京都大學則是其中首屈一指最具規模的國立大學,不但有著完善的軟硬體設施,還有合計80所涵蓋各種不同領域的研究所,以及30所研究機構。京都大學豐沛的軟硬體設備,不只是日本學生嚮往的學術殿堂,更吸引來自世界各國的學生就讀,朝長教授也鼓勵且歡迎同學們,將京都大學做為留學申請的目標之一。朝長教授目前服務於生醫科學研究所(Institute for life and medical science,簡稱LiMe),LiMe匯聚了在病毒學研究領域以及先端醫學研完領域的專家學者,是具有世界級規模的完整研究單位。

朝長教授的研究主題主要分為三個大項目,分別是RNA virology、endogenous viruses以virus vector。在RNA virology方面,著重於Bornavirus感染及致病機制、複製機制等基礎研究項目,在朝長教授深入淺出的說明下,我們對於Bornavirus在細胞內複製及調控逃避宿主免疫反應的特性有了更清楚的認識。而在endogenous viruses方面,朝長教授於2010年即發現在鑲嵌在哺動物染色體中的endogenous Borna-like sequences (EBL),進一步對EBL的研究分析則顯示Bornavirus在遠古的時代,就可感染多種的動物,甚至比現今了解具病毒感受性的物種還多上不少。除此之外,朝長教授研究發現,在人類體內不同臟器的細胞中,都可發現EBL的蹤跡,並且這些EBL所產出的蛋白,可參與部份細胞抵抗病毒感染的防禦機制。這些新奇又有趣的研究發現,讓我們見識了不同面向的病毒學研究,以及連結生物演化所創造出的未來科技發展的可能。基於對Bornavirus的透徹解析,朝長教授亦應用將Bornavirus做為病毒載體,而這部份則是神田教授的研究專長。神田教授首先利用反向基因學的技術,得以對Bornavirus在細胞的複製機制進行深入研究,並且進一步嘗試將病毒部份結構蛋白剔除,改變病毒特性,並且藉由動物實驗證實,重組Bornavirus僅會分佈在局部組織臟器中,局限了病毒在體內傳播的能力,大幅提高應用Bornavirus做為病毒載體的生物安全性。神田教授基於這部份的研究成果,進而成功在重組病毒鑲嵌表現異源蛋白,建立了Bornavirus病毒載體系統(REVec)。在神田教授最近期的研究中,更嘗試結合REVec與幹細胞的研究,建立更加精準且安全的基因及細胞治療平台。在兩位教授精彩的演說後,與會同學及研究同仁們紛紛踴躍的提出問題向教授請教,而朝長教授與神田教授也熱切的回應大家的提問,特別演說在眾人熱絡的討論中結束。

於午間餐敘中,兩位教授也與大家交流分享日本生活的點滴,平易近人的言談更是拉近與大家距離。由於行程安排的關係,兩位教授僅進行短暫的停留訪問後又將返國。對於本次的交流活動,由衷感謝臺大-京大種子計畫的支持而能夠順利進行。而陳慧文老師實驗室亦致力進行鸚鵡Bornavirus的研究,今年亦有一位同學在陳老師指導下取得碩士學位後,順利申請至京都大學繼續深造博士學位。在交流活動的推展下,112年2月預計亦將由陳老師帶領研究團隊前往京都大學進行訪問,期盼未來能有更緊密合作交流的機會,為禽類Bornavirus在診斷,治療及預防等各方面相關研究打開新的篇章。

Research exchange between National Taiwan University and Kyoto University

 

On December 12, 2022, two internationally renowned scholars from Kyoto University, Professor Keizo Tomonaga and Assistant Professor Takehiro Kanda, were invited by Professor Hui-Wen Chen to visit the Department of Veterinary Medicine at National Taiwan University and give a special lecture. This marked the resumption of the exchange and interaction between National Taiwan University and Kyoto University, which had been suspended for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor Tomonaga is a world-renowned virologist who also serves as an international classification taxonomy for virus committee member, particularly responsible for the classification of Bornaviridae. Professor Kanda is also an excellent young scholar who specializes in reverse genetics and advanced medical fields. The professors' special lecture attracted enthusiastic participation from veterinary medicine students and students from other departments. During the lecture, the professors first briefly introduced Kyoto, a city with rich cultural and historical background, which not only has many famous ancient sites and attractions that attract tourists from all over the world, but also has many universities located in this cultural hub. Kyoto University is one of the most prestigious national universities, not only has top-notch facilities, but also has a total of 80 research institutes covering various fields and 30 research institutions. Professor Tomonaga encouraged and welcomed students to make Kyoto University one of their study abroad application targets. Professor Tomonaga currently works at the Institute for Life and Medical Science (LiMe), which brings together experts and scholars in the field of virology research and cutting-edge medical research. It is a world-class comprehensive research unit.

The research topics of Professor Tomonaga mainly fall into three major categories: RNA virology, endogenous viruses, and virus vectors. In the field of RNA virology, the focus is on basic research projects on the infection and replication mechanisms of Bornavirus. Under Professor Tomonaga’s clear explanations, we have a clearer understanding of the characteristics of Bornavirus's replication and evasion of host immune responses in cells. In the field of endogenous viruses, Professor Tomonaga discovered endogenous Borna-like sequences (EBL) embedded in mammalian chromosomes in 2010. Further research and analysis of EBL showed that Bornavirus was able to infect a variety of animals in ancient times, even more than the species currently known to be virus-sensitive. In addition, Professor Tomonaga research has found that EBL traces can be found in the cells of different organs in the human body and that the proteins produced by EBL can participate in some cell defense mechanisms against viral infections. These new and interesting research findings have shown us different aspects of virology and the possibilities for future technological developments linked to biological evolution. Based on a thorough analysis of Bornavirus, Professor Tomonaga also applied the use of Bornavirus as a virus vector, which is a research specialty of Professor Kanda. Professor Kanda first used reverse genetics techniques to conduct in-depth research on the replication mechanism of Bornavirus in cells and further attempted to remove viral virulent proteins and change viral characteristics, and through animal experiments, to confirm that the recombinant Bornavirus only distributes in local tissues and organs. Based on this research, Professor Kanda successfully incorporated foreign proteins into recombinant viruses, establishing the Bornavirus virus vector system (REVec). In Professor Kanda's recent research, he has also attempted to combine REVec with stem cell research to establish a precise and safe platform for gene and cell therapy. After the two professors' speeches, the students and research associates actively asked questions and the professors answered them warmly. The special lecture ended with a lively discussion.

During the lunch conversation, the two professors also shared their experiences of daily life in Japan with everyone, and their friendly conversation further brought them closer to everyone. Due to their tight schedule, the two professors only stayed for a short visit before returning to their country. This special seminar was supported by the NTU-KU joint seed project, and thanks to the Office of International Affairs for their support in making this exchange activity possible. Dr. Chen's laboratory is also dedicated to researching parrot Bornavirus. Last year, one student obtained a master's degree in Dr. Chen’s Lab successfully applied to Kyoto University to continue studying for PhD program. Under the promotion of the exchange activity, in February 2023, Dr. Chen will lead a research team to visit Kyoto University, looking forward to more opportunities for closer cooperation and exchange in the future, for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of avian Bornavirus research.

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