Our Research Focus
We develop precision nanomedicine and drug delivery systems that reprogram the tumor microenvironment. This innovative approach enhances immunotherapy effectiveness, paving the way for better therapeutic responses across various diseases.
Targeting
Precision Delivery
We design tumor-responsive and cell-selective nanoplatforms to penetrate biological barriers and deliver therapeutics precisely to cancer cells and immunosuppressive niches.
Modulation
Immune Reprogramming
We modulate tumor metabolism and immune cell function to reshape the tumor microenvironment, restore antitumor immunity, and overcome therapeutic resistance.
Translation
Real-World Applications
Our platforms are built with biocompatible materials and combination strategies to bridge mechanistic discovery with clinically relevant cancer therapies.
Collaboration
Cross-Disciplinary Innovation
We collaborate across immunology, cancer biology, chemistry, material engineering, and clinical medicine to accelerate discovery and translation into impactful therapies.
Our Journey
Life, Travels, Awards, Us
Our Team
We are an interdisciplinary laboratory bringing together biology, chemistry, medicine, materials science, and chemical engineering to advance drug delivery and nanomedicine for cancer therapy. We welcome students, research assistants, and postdoctoral fellows to join our team.
Yunching (Becky) Chen
Dr. Yunching (Becky) Chen received her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, under the mentorship of Dr. Leaf Huang. She then completed her postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where she collaborated with Drs. Rakesh Jain and Dan Duda. Dr. Chen joined National Tsing Hua University as a tenure-track Assistant Professor and was promoted to Full Professor in 2020, where she also served as Chair of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering. She is currently a Research Fellow at the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica. Dr. Chen holds several prominent leadership roles in the scientific community. She is Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Controlled Release, Guest Editor of Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, and serves on the editorial board of Drug Delivery and Translational Research and ACS Nano Medicine.
Selected Publications
2026
2025
ACS Nano 20(2):1870-1884
Stimuli-Responsive Nanozyme Reprograms Tumor Immunometabolism and Overcomes Therapeutic Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Y.-N. N. Ta, T.-T. Can, V.-A. T. Nguyen, M.-C. Hsieh, B. G. T. Cao, D. Wan, C.-H. Lai, C.-C. Wu, F.-F. Hsu, Y.-T. Yen*, S.-N. Wang* & Y. Chen*
Chemical Engineering Journal 529: 173044
Injectable near-infrared–responsive silk fibroin nanocomposite hydrogel enabling spatiotemporally controlled photothermal chemotherapy
L.-C. Yang, C.-W. Hwang, S.-H. Tsao, H.-Y. Lin*, Y. Chen*, D. Wan*
Mol Ther 34(1):232-248
Stroma-Targeted Gene Delivery for Efficient Immunogene Therapy against Pancreatic Cancer.
H.-C. Huang, Y.-J. Chen, M.-W. Lin, C.-I. Huang, C.-Y. Hsiung, S. Yang, Y.-Y. Ke, Y.-T. Yen, H.-T. Hsieh, Y.-F. Lu, Y.-C. Sung, F.-F. Hsu, A. Y.-T. Wu, C. P.-K. Lai, J. Wang, M.-Y. Chou, C.-P. Li*, S.-Y. Lin*, Y. Chen*
Advanced Science e03238
A Cryogel-Based Dendritic Cell Vaccine for Post-Surgical Breast Cancer Immunotherapy
L.-D.-H. Nguyen, S.-L. Cheng, Y.-T. Yen, H.-M. Lee, T.-H. Wu, J. Wang*, S.-Y. Lin*, Y. Chen*
Nature Reviews Bioengineering, 1-19
Overcoming polyethylene glycol immune hurdles for effective and safe nanomedicines
Y. Chen, Y. Su, S. R. Roffler*
J Control Release 379:967-981
CXCR4 antagonist-loaded nanoparticles reprogram the tumor microenvironment and enhance immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma
S.-L. Cheng, C.-H. Wu, Y.-J. Tsai, J.-S. Song, H.-M. Chen, T.-K. Yeh, C.-T. Shen, J.-C. Chiang, H.-M. Lee, K.-W. Huang, Y. Chen, J. T. Qiu, Y.-T. Yen*, K.-S. Shia*, Y. Chen*
ACS Nano 18(43):29439-29456
Robust and Sustained STING Activation via Hydrogel-Based In-Situ Vaccination for Cancer Immunotherapy
S.-L. Cheng, H.-M. Lee, C.-P. Li, M.-W. Lin, M.-Y. Chou, Y.-T. Yen, T.-H. Wu, Y.-C. Lian, Y.-C. Shih, C.-S. Chiang, T.-W. Chen*, D. Wan*, Y. Chen*
Advanced Healthcare Materials 13, 2302268
Ex Vivo Evaluation of Combination Immunotherapy Using Tumor-Microenvironment-on-Chip
H.-Y. Mu, C.-M. Lin, L.-A. Chu, Y.-H. Lin, J. Li, C.-Y. Liu, H.-C. Huang, S.-L. Cheng, T.-Y. Lee, H.-M. Lee, H.-M. Chen, Y.-J. Tsai, Y. Chen*, J.-H. Huang*
Advanced Functional Materials 34 (1), 2303033
A chemoimmunotherapy nanogel enables efficient delivery of interleukin-2 and induction of immunogenic cell death for effective cancer therapy
H.-Y. Mu, Y.-N. N. Ta, M. J. R. Tham, F.-F. Hsu, Y.-C. Lin, H.-C. Huang, Y.-C. Sung, C.-I. Huang, C.-L. Wu, C.-H. Chang, S. Yang, T.-Y. Lee, D. Wan, J. Wang, D. G. Duda, Y. Boucher, J.-H. Huang*, W. H. Ang*, Y. Chen*
2024
Journal of Controlled Release 28;356:14-25.
Nanotechnology for next-generation cancer immunotherapy: State of the art and future perspectives
Y. Chen*
Journal of Controlled Release 354, 417-428
Delivery of Nitric Oxide with a pH-Responsive Nanocarrier for the Treatment of Renal Fibrosis
T.-Y. Lee, H.-H. Lu, H.-T. Cheng, H.-C. Huang, Y.-J. Tsai, I.-H. Chang, C.-P. Tu, C.-W. Chung, T.-T. Lu*, C.-H. Peng*, Y. Chen*
Advanced Materials, 35(13):e2208966
Membrane Protein Modification Modulates Big and Small Extracellular Vesicle Biodistribution and Tumorigenic Potential in Breast Cancers In Vivo
B. J. A. Magoling, A. Y.-T. Wu, Y.-J. Chen, W. W.-T. Wong, S. T.-Y. Chuo, H.-C. Huang, Y.-C. Sung, H.-T. Hsieh, P. Huang, K.-Z. Lee, K.-W. Huang, R.-H. Chen, Y. Chen, C. P.-K. Lai*
2023
Journal of Controlled Release 352:920-930
CXCR4-Targeted Nitric Oxide Nanoparticles Deliver PD-L1 siRNA for Immunotherapy against Glioblastoma
H.-T. Hsieh, H.-C. Huang, C.-W. Chung, C.-C. Chiang, T. Hsia, H.-F. Wu, R.-L. Huang, C.-S. Chiang, J. Wang, T.-T. Lu*, Y. Chen*
Gut 71 (9), 1843-1855
Reversal of Pancreatic Desmoplasia by a Tumor Stroma-targeted Nitric Oxide Nanogel Overcomes TRAIL Resistance in Pancreatic Tumors
H.-C. Huang, Y.-C. Sung, C.-P. Li, D. Wan, P.-H. Chao, B.-W. Liao, H.-T. Cheng, F.-F. Hsu, C.-C. Huang, Y.-H. Liao, H.-T. Hsieh, Y.-C. Shih, I.-J. Liu, H.-C. Wu, T.-T. Lu*, J. Wang*, Y. Chen*
Journal of Controlled Release 346:169-179
Delivery of Sorafenib by Myofibroblast-targeted Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Renal Fibrosis
H.-T. Cheng, Y.-C. Sung, H.-C. Huang, T.-Y. Lee, Y.-H. Liao, Y.-H. Sheng, P.-R. Jin, K.-W. Huang, L.-H. Chen, Y.-T. Chen, Z.-Y. Liu, T.-C. Lin, H.-C. Wang, C.-H. Chao, I. P. Juang, C.-T. Su, K.-H. Huang, S.-L. Lin*, J. Wang*, Y. Chen*
2022
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A, 118: e2015433118.
A Highly Selective and Potent CXCR4 Antagonist for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment
J.-S. Song, C.-C. Chang, C.-H. Wu, T. K. Dinh, J.-J. Jan, K.-W. Huang, M.-C. Chou, T.-Y. Shiue, K.-C. Yeh, Y.-Y. Ke, T.-K. Yeh, Y.-N. N. Ta, C.-J. Lee, J.-K. Huang, Y.-C. Sung, K.-S. Shia*, Y. Chen* (2021)
Science Advances, 6(3), eaax5032.
Highly Efficient and Tumor-Selective Nanoparticles for Dual-Targeted Immunogene Therapy against Cancer
K.-W. Huang, F.-F. Hsu, J. T. Qiu, G.-J. Chern, Y.-A. Lee, C.-C. Chang, Y.-T. Huang, Y.-C. Sung, C.-C. Chiang, R.-L. Huang, C.-C. Lin, T. K. Dinh, H.-C. Huang, Y.-C. Shih, D. Alson, C.-Y. Lin, Y.-C. Lin, P.-C. Chang, S.-Y. Lin*, Y. Chen* (2020)
Nature Nanotechnology, 14, 1160–1169.
Delivery of Nitric Oxide with a Nanocarrier Promotes Tumour Vessel Normalization and Potentiates Anti-Cancer Therapies.
Y.-C. Sung, P.-R. Jin, L.-A. Chu, F.-F. Hsu, M.-R. Wang, C.-C. Chang, S.-J. Chiou, J. T. Qiu, D.-Y. Gao, C.-C. Lin, Y.-S. Chen, Y.-C. Hsu, J. Wang, F.-N. Wang, P.-L. Yu, A.-S. Chiang, A. Y.-T. Wu, J. J.-S. Ko, C. P.-K. Lai, T.-T. Lu*, Y. Chen* (2019)
before 2021
How to Join Us
Undergraduate
- Taiwan International Internship Program Link
Graduate Student (PhD. and M.S.)
- Taiwan International Internship Program Link
- TIGP-CBMB program Link
- Institute of Biochemical Sciences, College of Life Science, NTU Link
- Department of Chemistry, NTHU Link
- TIGP-X Pilot Program Link
大學生
- 中研院生化所暑期生化研究計畫 Link
- 專題生參與國科會大專生研究計畫（聯繫PI：陳韻晶老師)
研究生 (碩博士)
- TIGP-CBMB program Link
- 台灣大學 生命科學院 生化科學研究所 Link
- 清華大學 化學系 Link
RA, Postdoc Fellow
If interested, please send your resume to Dr. Yunching Chen