Taiwanese scientists have identified unusual disease genes pertaining to the potentially life-threatening Stevens-Johnson syndrome and chronic psoriasis. Their discovery could help improve the efficiency of both early-detection measures and prevention medicine, according to the National Science Council.
At a press conference held yesterday, council vice chairman Liao Chun-chen (
In the wake of the establishment of advanced core laboratories, Liao said, a few Taiwanese geneticists have recorded great achievements in the last two years.
Taking Stevens-Johnson syndrome as an example, Chen said the identification of particular disease genes could help prevent the disease.
Stevens-Johnson syndrome, or SJS, is an acute skin condition in which the patient develops multiple red and purple blotches on the skin of the palms, soles of the feet, backs of the hands and feet and the "upper surfaces" of the arms and legs.
Chen said that the most commonly cited cause of SJS is an adverse allergic reaction to a variety of drugs, most particularly sulfa drugs. These drugs are commonly used to treat gout, spasm and malaria, among other conditions.
Chen said clinically there had earlier been no method to predict that certain drugs could cause SJS.
Researchers from both Academia Sinica and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital have analyzed the genetic makeup of more than 100 Taiwanese SJS patients. Their unpublished results suggest that people with certain genes are susceptible to SJS, induced by certain drugs.
"Through the early detection of certain disease genes, which had been identified recently, physicians could avoid giving certain drugs to patients at high risk," Chen said.
In addition, Chen said, clinicians at National Taiwan University Hospital had studied a Taiwanese family with a history of psoriasis.
More than a quarter of the total family members suffer from the disease.
Early this year, scientists began to analyze their genetic makeup and found certain genes associated with psoriasis.
Recently, scientists have narrowed their research down to a certain gene.
"Our future studies of the specific gene would help to establish the mechanisms of psoriasis development," Chen said.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
RSS