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Ang Pilipinas, na matatagpuan sa loob ng Coral Triangle, ay kinikilala bilang isa sa pinakamayamang marine ecosystem sa mundo. Gayunpaman, maraming mga marine species—gaya ng carybdeid box jellyfish na isang uri ng dikya—ay nananatiling hindi naidokumento. Ang taglay nilang potent venom at ecological significance ay nagbibigay-diin sa kahalagahan ng pagsasagawa ng tamang pag-aaral sa taxonomy ng mga box jellyfish.

The Philippines, located within the Coral Triangle, is recognized as one of the world’s richest marine ecosystems. Yet, many marine species—such as carybdeid box jellyfish—remain poorly documented. Their potent venom and ecological significance underline the importance of conducting accurate taxonomic studies on box jellyfish.

Ayon sa International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), nakapagtala ang Pilipinas ng halos 189,000 na bagong kaso ng kanser at higit na 113,000 pagkamatay dahil dito noong 2022. Tinatayang tataas pa sa mahigit 35 milyon ang bagong kaso ng cancer sa buong mundo pagsapit ng 2050. Samantala, naiulat naman sa 2025 Philippine National Cancer Summit na mahigit 180,000 bagong kaso ang naitatala kada taon at tinatayang mahigit 300 Pilipino ang namamatay dahil sa cancer bawat araw. Ipinapakita ng nakababahalang istatistika na ito ang agarang pangangailangan para sa patuloy na pananaliksik at inobasyon sa paggamot sa cancer.

Bilang tugon, sina Christian Angelo Concio at Dr. Susan Arco ng UP Diliman College of Science – Institute of Chemistry (UPD-CS IC), katuwang ang grupo ni Dr. Wen-Shan Li sa Taiwan, ay kasalukuyang nagtutulungan para makahanap ng mga bagong paraan upang labanan ang kanser. Sa kanilang pag-aaral, nakalikha sila ng bagong compounds na tahasang idinisenyo upang pigilan ang aktibidad ng isang particular na enzyme na may kaugnayan sa kanser, at dahil dito, mapigil ang pagkalat ng breast cancer cells.

“Ang mga compound na tinawag naming lithocholic acid-3,3′-diindolylmethane (LCA-DIM) hybrids ay kumikilos sa pamamagitan ng pagpigil sa enzyme na sialyltransferase (ST), ang pangunahing enzyme para sa prosesong sialylation,” paliwanag ni Concio. Kayang pigilan ng LCA-DIM hybrids ang hypersialylation, na isang proseso kung saan naglalagay ng maraming sialic acid sa surface ng cancer cell upang makapagtago o makaiwas sa immune system at mapabilis ang pagkalat ng cancer.

Sa pag-aaral, tumutok ang mga chemist sa dalawang ST enzyme: ST6GAL1 at ST3GAL1, na parehong naglalagay ng sialic acid sa glycoconjugates ngunit sa bahagyang magkaibang paraan. Bagaman may papel ang dalawang enzyme ito sa kanser, may mga pagkakaiba sa dami ng enzymes o overexpression sa ibat ibang uri ng kanser. Dahil dito, mahalagang mahalagang matukoy kung alin sa mga ST enzymes ang dapat targetin upang maging mas maging tiyak ang therapy at mabawasan ang posibleng side effects. “Napagmasdan namin na ang mga bagong ST inhibitors ay mas pumipigil sa ST6GAL1 kaysa ST3GAL1, na isang kanais-nais na katangian para sa next-generation ST inhibitors,” dagdag ni Concio.

Natuklasan rin na napipigilan ng LCA-DIM hybrids ang pagkalat ng iba’t ibang triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines, na nagha-highlight ng potensyal nito bilang paggamot para sa agresibo at mahirap gamutin na uri ng kanser na ito.

Ang kanilang grupo ay kumuha ng inspirasyon mula sa naunang pag-aaral, kabilang na ang kanilang sariling mga naunang proyekto, kung saan natuklasang ang indoles—mga compound na kilala dahil sa chemical stability at potensyal na anticancer activity, ay mahalaga sa ST inhibition. Inisip nila na pagsamahin ang “indole-rich” DIM compound at LCA, isang kilalang ST inhibitor scaffold, upang mapalakas pa ang kakayahan nitong pumigil sa enzyme. Ang resulta: mas epektibong hybrids na may mataas na selectivity sa ST6GAL1.

“Hindi tulad ng mga tradisyunal na anticancer drugs tulad ng doxorubicin na direktang pumapatay ng cancer cells ngunit madalas may matinding side effects at maaaring magdulot ng resistance, iba ang mekanismo ng aming ST inhibitor,” pahayag ni Concio. “Tinututukan nito ang metastasis o pagkalat ng cancer cells, sa layuning mapigil ang pagkalat at hindi lamang patayin ang mga ito. Sa ganitong paraan, mapapabagal ang pagkalat ng sakit at mas magiging manageable ang treatment.”

Bagama’t sa breast cancer cells tumuon ang kasalukuyang pag-aaral, layon ni Concio na subukan ang estratehiya nila sa ibang kanser tulad ng pancreatic at ovarian cancers, na kilala ring may mataas na ST6GAL1 expression. Para mailapit ang pananaliksik sa aktwal na aplikasyon, susunod nilang hakbang ang pagsusuri sa safety, stability, at efficacy ng hybrids sa animal models.

Ang kanilang paper na “Novel lithocholic acid-diindolylmethane hybrids as potent sialyltransferase inhibitors targeting triple-negative breast cancer: a molecular hybridization approach” ay nalathala sa RSC Medicinal Chemistry, isang journal na naglalabas ng pananaliksik at review articles sa medicinal chemistry at drug discovery.

References:

Concio, C. A., Perez, S. J., Chang, T., Chen, C., He, Y., Arco, S. D., & Li, W. (2025). Novel lithocholic acid-diindolylmethane hybrids as potent sialyltransferase inhibitors targeting triple-negative breast cancer: A molecular hybridization approach. RSC Medicinal Chemistry, 16(10), 5070-5083. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5md00390c

Ferlay, J., Ervik, M., Lam, F., Laversanne, M., Colombet, M., Mery, L., Piñeros, M., Znaor, A., Soerjomataram, I., & Bray, F. (2024). Global Cancer Observatory: Cancer Today. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer. Retrieved from https://gco.iarc.who.int/today

International Agency for Research on Cancer. (2024). Global cancer burden growing, amidst mounting need for services [Press release No. 345]. World Health Organization. Retrieved from https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/pr345_E.pdf

Philippine National Cancer Summit 2025. (n.d.). Philippine National Cancer Summit 2025 Calls for Urgent Action to Strengthen Cancer Care in the Country. Philippine National Cancer Summit. Retrieved from https://cancersummit.pcscancom.org/

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the Philippines recorded nearly 189,000 new cancer cases and more than 113,000 cancer-related deaths in 2022. Globally, IARC also projects that the number of new cases will rise to over 35 million by 2050, which is a 77% increase from 2022 figures. Meanwhile, the 2025 Philippine National Cancer Summit reports that more than 180,000 new cases are diagnosed each year and cancer is estimated to cause over 300 Filipino deaths daily. These alarming statistics highlight the urgent need for continued research and innovation in cancer treatment.

In response to this growing health burden, chemists Christian Angelo Concio and Dr. Susan Arco of the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science’s Institute of Chemistry (UPD-CS IC), in collaboration with Dr. Wen-Shan Li’s group in Taiwan, are exploring innovative ways to fight cancer at the molecular level. Their study introduced new compounds designed to inhibit the activity of a cancer-related enzyme and prevent the spread of breast cancer cells.

“These compounds, which we call lithocholic acid-3,3′-diindolylmethane (LCA-DIM) hybrids, work by stopping the enzyme known as sialyltransferase (ST), the key enzyme for this sialylation process,” Concio explained. The LCA-DIM hybrids can inhibit hypersialylation—a process in which cancer cells coat their surface with excessive sialic acid to hide from the immune system and promote cancer progression.

In the study, the chemists focused on two ST enzymes, ST6GAL1 and ST3GAL1, which both add sialic acids to glycoconjugates but in slightly different ways. Although both enzymes are involved in cancer, different STs tend to be overexpressed in specific cancer types, meaning that selectively targeting the appropriate enzyme could help improve therapeutic precision and minimize potential side effects. “Interestingly, we observed that these new types of ST inhibitors presented selectivity towards ST6GAL1 in comparison to ST3GAL1, which is ideal for next generation ST inhibitors,” Concio shared.

The LCA-DIM hybrids were also found to inhibit the spread of different triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines, highlighting their potential as a treatment for this aggressive and hard-to-treat cancer type.

The team of scientists was inspired by previous studies, including their own earlier work, where they observed that indoles—compounds known for their chemical stability and potential anticancer properties—play a vital role in ST inhibition. They hypothesized that combining the “indole-rich” DIM compound with LCA, a known ST inhibitor scaffold, could enhance its inhibition. The resulting hybrids not only proved more effective but also showed high selectivity toward ST6GAL1.

“Unlike traditional anticancer drugs such as doxorubicin, which directly kill cancer cells but often cause severe side effects and develop resistance, our ST inhibitor works through a different mechanism,” he said. “It targets cancer metastasis, aiming to block the spread of cancer cells rather than just destroy them, thereby helping to slow disease progression and make cancer treatment more manageable.”

While their study focused on breast cancer cells, Concio said that they intend to explore this approach in other cancer types that also exhibit high levels of the ST6GAL1 enzyme, such as pancreatic and ovarian cancers. To bring the research closer to real-world applications, he added that the next steps include testing the hybrids for their safety, stability, and effectiveness in animal models.

Their research paper, titled “Novel lithocholic acid-diindolylmethane hybrids as potent sialyltransferase inhibitors targeting triple-negative breast cancer: a molecular hybridization approach,” is included in RSC Medicinal Chemistry, a journal publishing research and review articles in medicinal chemistry and related drug discovery science. 

References:

Concio, C. A., Perez, S. J., Chang, T., Chen, C., He, Y., Arco, S. D., & Li, W. (2025). Novel lithocholic acid-diindolylmethane hybrids as potent sialyltransferase inhibitors targeting triple-negative breast cancer: A molecular hybridization approach. RSC Medicinal Chemistry, 16(10), 5070-5083. https://doi.org/10.1039/d5md00390c

Ferlay, J., Ervik, M., Lam, F., Laversanne, M., Colombet, M., Mery, L., Piñeros, M., Znaor, A., Soerjomataram, I., & Bray, F. (2024). Global Cancer Observatory: Cancer Today. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer. Retrieved from https://gco.iarc.who.int/today

International Agency for Research on Cancer. (2024). Global cancer burden growing, amidst mounting need for services [Press release No. 345]. World Health Organization. Retrieved from https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/pr345_E.pdf

Philippine National Cancer Summit 2025. (n.d.). Philippine National Cancer Summit 2025 Calls for Urgent Action to Strengthen Cancer Care in the Country. Philippine National Cancer Summit. Retrieved from https://cancersummit.pcscancom.org/

Ang mga liblib na komunidad sa Pilipinas ay nahaharap sa mga hamon na humahadlang sa kanilang pag-access sa mga de-kalidad na healthcare service. Bilang tugon, ipinatupad ni Dr. Romulo De Castro at ng kanyang grupo ang ATIPAN Project, na naglalayong iparating ang digital health sa mga marginalized na komunidad.

Dahil sa inspirasyon mula sa salitang Hiligaynon na atipan—na nangangahulugang “pangalagaan”—at mula sa mga komunidad ng Ati na pinaglilingkuran ng grupo ni Dr. De Castro, inilunsad ang proyekto noong 2021 upang mag-alok ng mga libreng teleconsultation, magbigay ng technology at training para sa mga health worker na nakadestino sa katuwang na mga katutubo at mga low income rural community sa Kanlurang Visayas, gayundin ang pagbibigay ng mga pangunahing gamot at pangangailangang pangkalusugan.

Naging positibo ang pagtanggap sa ATIPAN Project mula sa mga komunidad, na nagpapatunay sa mga benepisyo ng telehealth sa kanilang lugar. Habang hindi pa ganap na nasusuri ang mga pangmatagalang epekto ng proyekto, ipinakikita na nito ang potensyal na baguhin ang paghahatid ng health care sa mga remote at under-resourced community, lalo na sa pamamagitan ng pagpapabuti ng local access sa health services.

Ang proyekto ay kasalukuyang pinopondohan ng mga dayuhang ahensya, at umaasa itong magkakabunga ang ginagawa nilang mga expansion plan at innovation.

Si Dr. De Castro ay alumnus ng University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS), nakapagtapos ng degree sa Molecular Biology at Biotechnology. Siya ngayon ang Direktor ng Center for Informatics ng University of San Agustin sa Iloilo City.

Kamakailan lang ay naging resource speaker si Dr. De Castro sa “Innovation Impact Stories: A Webinar Series on the Societal Impacts of Science Innovation” ng UPD-CS Innovation Program na ginanap noong Oktubre 15, 2025.

Ang Innovation Impact Stories ay isang webinar series na nagsisiyasat kung paano tinutulak ng agham, technology, at innovation ang real-world impact. Itinatampok ng seryeng ito ang mga paglalakbay, hamon, at tagumpay sa likod ng mga research-driven innovation tungo sa mga makabuluhang kontribusyon sa iba’t ibang larangan. Layon nitong ipagpaalam at bigyang-inspirasyon ang mga mag-aaral, mananaliksik, at guro na pasiglahin ang isang kultura ng purposeful at collaborative innovation na tumutulay sa academic theory at practical application.

Para sa mga katanungan tungkol sa Innovation Impact Stories, mangyaring mag-message sa cs.innovation_committee@science.upd.edu.ph.

References:

Zamora, P. R., Celeste, J., Rivera, R. L., Petrola, J. P., Aguila, R. N., Ledesma, J., Ermoso, M. K., & De Castro, R. (2024). The ATIPAN project: A community-based digital health strategy toward UHC. Oxford Open Digital Health, 2. https://doi.org/10.1093/oodh/oqae011

Remote communities in the Philippines face challenges that hinder their access to quality healthcare services. In response, Dr. Romulo De Castro and his team implemented the ATIPAN Project, which aims to bring digital health to marginalized communities.

Drawing inspiration from the Hiligaynon word atipan—which means “to take care of”—and from the Ati communities Dr. De Castro’s team serves, the project was launched in 2021 to offer free teleconsultations, provide technology and training for health workers in partner indigenous people and rural low income communities, as well as supply basic medication and health essentials.

The ATIPAN Project has received positive feedback from communities, who highlighted the benefits of telehealth in their area. While the long-term impacts of the project have yet to be fully assessed, there is already evidence of its potential to transform health care delivery in remote and under-resourced communities, primarily by improving local access to health services.

Dr. De Castro is an alumnus of the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS), graduating with a degree in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. He is now the Director of the Center for Informatics of the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City.

Dr. De Castro is the resource speaker of the recent “Innovation Impact Stories: A Webinar Series on the Societal Impacts of Science Innovation” of the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science’s (UPD-CS) Innovation Program held last October 15, 2025 via Zoom.

Innovation Impact Stories is a webinar series that explores how science, technology, and innovation drive real-world impact. This initiative highlights the journeys, challenges, and successes behind research-driven innovations that have made meaningful contributions across various fields. It aims to inform and inspire students, researchers, and faculty to foster a culture of purposeful and collaborative innovation that bridges academic theory with practical application.

For inquiries about Innovation Impact Stories, please message cs.innovation_committee@science.upd.edu.ph

References:

Zamora, P. R., Celeste, J., Rivera, R. L., Petrola, J. P., Aguila, R. N., Ledesma, J., Ermoso, M. K., & De Castro, R. (2024). The ATIPAN project: A community-based digital health strategy toward UHC. Oxford Open Digital Health, 2. https://doi.org/10.1093/oodh/oqae011

Ang mga mathematician na sina Dr. Arvin Lamando ng University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science’s Institute of Mathematics (UPD-CS IM) at Dr. Henry McNulty ng Norwegian University of Science and Technology ay nakatuklas ng bagong paraan upang maunawaan ang mga mathematical “machine” na tinatawag na operator, na susi sa quantum mechanics at signal processing. Ipinapakita ng kanilang pag-aaral na kahit na ang pinaka masalimuot sa mga operator na ito ay maaaring hatiin sa mas simpleng mga bahagi at pagkatapos ay bubuuhin muli, na nagbibigay ng mga bagong insight sa mga quantum system at technology.

“Malaking bahagi ng akung research ay nasa area ng mathematics na “harmonic analysis””, sabi Dr. Lamando. “Puwede ba nating i-decompose ang mga arbitrary na signal f bilang sum of pure frequencies (sines at cosine)? Kaya itong sagutin ng Fourier transform.”

Maaari nating isipin ang signal bilang isang musical chord. Hinahati ng Fourier transform ang tunog sa mga indibidwal nitong pure note. At tulad ng kung paano tayo mag-replay ng chord sa pamamagitan ng pagpindot sa parehong mga note nang sabay sa isang piano, maaari rin nating buuin ang mga “abstract signal” mula sa mga “pure frequency” nila.

“Habang ang harmonic analysis ay matagal nang nakaugat sa real-world applications, lumalabas na ang mga ideya na may kinalaman sa Fourier transform ay napaka-amenable pala sa abstraction; nakakagulat na may mga koneksyon din ito sa iba’t ibang sangay ng abstract mathematics,” paliwanag niya.

Habang ang classical harmonic analysis ay tumatalakay sa mga signal at kanilang mga frequency, ang quantum harmonic analysis naman ay gumagamit ng mga katulad na ideya sa mga operator. Pinag-aaralan ng field na ito ang mga operator na sumusunod sa mga partikular na tuntunin sa matematika na ginagamit kapag isinasalin ang classical physics sa quantum physics.

“Nagpakilala rin kami ng isa pang ideya, ang tinatawag na ‘modulation’ ng isang operator sa phase space. Ang ideyang ito ay pare-pareho sa mga pangunahing tema ng quantum harmonic analysis: sa katunayan, ang operator Fourier transform ng operator modulation ay nagreresulta sa isang isinalin na operator Fourier transform,” pahayag niya. Sa kanilang pag-aaral, natunton ng mga mathematician ang mga operator na nananatiling hindi nagbabago, o invariant, kahit na isinalin o binago sa mga lattice sa phase space.

“Ipinakita namin na nagtataglay ang mga operator na ito ng mga katangiang kahalintulad sa classical case,” ibinahagi ni Dr. Lamando, at idinagdag na siya at si Dr. McNulty ay gumamit ng isang mathematical framework na tinatawag na Heisenberg module upang mas maunawaan at mailarawan ang mga operator na ito.

Nalaman ng mga mathematician na maaaring mas matantya pa ang mga invariant na operator na ito gamit ang mas simpleng mga operator na tinatawag na finite-rank operators, na ang ibig sabihin ay mailalarawan ang kanilang output gamit lamang ang finite number of dimensions. Nagsisilbing tulay ang kanilang mga resulta sa abstract algebraic ideas at concrete structures sa quantum mathematics.

Ang kanilang pananaliksik, “On Modulation and Translation Invariant Operators and the Heisenberg Module,” ay lumabas sa Journal of Fourier Analysis and Applications, na naglalathala ng mga artikulong may mga paksa mula sa abstract harmonic analysis at group representation theory hanggang sa real world applications at partial differential equations.

References:

Lamando, A., & McNulty, H. (2025). On modulation and translation invariant operators and the heisenberg module. Journal of Fourier Analysis and Applications, 31(4). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00041-025-10176-5