Chen Jian-Jen is the former vice president of Taiwan. In the past, he led a team to publish a long-term 12-year follow-up research paper in 2002. He pointed out that the positive indicators of hepatitis B virus and E antigen can predict the occurrence of liver cancer. After further research, in 2006 he published that the amount of hepatitis B virus in the blood of patients is an important indicator for predicting liver cancer in the carrier. Almost all liver societies around the world have rewritten their clinical guidelines to include testing for the amount of hepatitis B virus.

Chang Ting-Tsung used next-generation sequencing (NGS) to investigate the differences in the sequence performance of multiple variants of the hepatitis B virus in the blood serum and liver tissues of patients with liver cancer caused by hepatitis B virus infection and those patients with chronic hepatitis B before and after treatment.

Tao Mi-Hua clarified the immune tolerance mechanism existent in chronic hepatitis B virus infections and tumor microenvironments. He also developed treatment methods to overcome immune tolerance, reactivation of specific immunity for viruses and tumors, and other methods to achieve the elimination of the hepatitis B virus, liver cancer, and other cancers.

Chang Chung-Ming is currently an Investigator Emeritus of the National Health Research Institutes. He is researching the mechanisms of cytokine-mediated inhibition of viral replication and the synergistic relationship with chronic hepatitis to search for new methods of curing chronic hepatitis B. Chang Chung-Ming was the five-time recipient of the Outstanding Research Award, Ministry of Science and Technology.

Dr. Tsai Tsung-Yu discovered the Siglec-3 immune-checkpoint and found a new method for treating chronic hepatitis B infections. This breakthrough is able to breathe new life into the stagnated research of hepatitis B treatment. Dr. Tsai Tsung-Yu together with the team from Academia Sinica, discovered that the surface antigen of the hepatitis B virus (HBsAg) contains sialoglycans that will combine with the Siglec-3 immune-checkpoint on immune cells to suppress the ability of the immune system to fight viruses. During the process of research, the team explored how the hepatitis B virus suppressed the immune system. Using the immune cells from the blood of chronic hepatitis B patients, it was proven that the Siglec-3 antibody is able to disrupt the connection of hepatitis B and Siglec-3. As a result, the patient’s immune system is able to be activated. This research was published in an international paper on June 1, 2021.

Chou Chen-Kung researched the complicated interactions between the hepatitis B virus and the immune system. Through this research, he was able to better understand how the virus could potentially result in liver cancer. By integrating the DNA microarray and gene expression profiles of the two different mouse models (liver regeneration and hepatitis B surface antigen in transgenic mice), Chou was able to spot the differences and similarities in the two models and the possibility of epigenetic regulation.

Dr. Tseng Tai-Chung is dedicated in his research of hepatitis B virus related clinical and basic research. His application of surface antigen was even used as a clinical practice guideline by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). In recent years, Dr. Tseng is actively exploring using next generation sequencing to investigate the correlation between the hepatitis B virus genome, disease progression, and immunity. Tseng also developed a mouse model for hepatitis B related liver cancer and is now exploring the possibility of using immunotherapy to cure hepatitis B related diseases.