Professor Nguyen Le Xuan Truong, born in 1982 in Ho Chi Minh City, is a former gifted high school student and graduate of the University of Science at the National University of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City.
In 2004, he received a degree in biotechnology. He then earned a doctorate in molecular biology from Sungkyunkwan University’s School of Medicine in South Korea in 2010, followed by postdoctoral research at Stanford University’s School of Medicine in the United States.
Currently, he is an associate professor at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in California, USA – one of the world’s leading cancer research and treatment centers.
Professor Nguyen Le Xuan Truong is also involved in teaching and research in the fields of hematology, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and interdisciplinary collaboration at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) in Arizona, USA.
Throughout his academic career, he has authored and co-authored over 60 international scientific publications, many of which have been featured in prestigious journals such as Nature Medicine, Nature Communications, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Blood, and Leukemia.
Aside from his academic work, Professor Nguyen Le Xuan Truong is the principal investigator and co-principal investigator of several R01 projects funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a prestigious and competitive biomedical funding source. He also serves as an editor for international journals published by Nature Publishing Group and holds patents related to the development of anticancer therapies.
Pursuing the fundamental question of cancer “roots.”
Professor Nguyen Le Xuan Truong’s research focuses on leukemic stem cells – the stem cells of blood cancer, a group of cells considered a major cause of recurrence and treatment resistance.
According to him, a significant challenge in leukemia treatment is that after a patient responds to initial treatment, a small group of cells may still survive and perpetuate the disease.
“These cells have the ability to self-renew and resist many current treatments. If we understand the biological mechanisms that allow them to survive, we can develop targeted therapies to eliminate the root cause of the disease,” he explained.
His work centers on analyzing the molecular mechanisms involved in energy metabolism, RNA regulation, and signaling networks that allow cancer stem cells to maintain their viability. In recent years, his research team has particularly focused on the role of mitochondrial metabolism, a factor deemed to significantly impact cancer cells’ resistance to treatments.
These findings pave the way for a new therapeutic approach: instead of merely targeting cancer cell proliferation, therapies could focus on specific metabolic programs that help cancer stem cells survive.
According to Professor Nguyen Le Xuan Truong, bridging the gap between a biological discovery in the lab and its development into a treatment for patients is often crucial.
Discovering a new biological mechanism is just the first step. Developing it into a therapeutic treatment requires overcoming many phases, from identifying the drug target and conducting preclinical trials to clinical trials on patients.
Therefore, Vietnamese scientists’ research philosophy emphasizes closely linking fundamental research to clinical application. They believe that the value of science lies not only in international publications but also in its ability to create real therapeutic solutions for patients.
“For me, a research project is significant when it contributes not only to advancing scientific knowledge, but also has the potential to improve treatment and the quality of life for patients,” he stated.
Connecting international research networks with Vietnam.
Professor Nguyen Le Xuan Truong completed his undergraduate studies at the National University of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City. After many years working in international research centers, he initiated an academic collaboration with the International University – National University of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City in the fields of biomedical engineering and cancer biology as a visiting professor at the National University of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City.
He shared that returning to collaborate with the national academic environment holds particular importance as it is where the foundation of his scientific career was laid.
“I hope to contribute to the creation of young research groups, promote international collaboration projects, and provide opportunities for Vietnamese students to access a modern research environment,” he declared.
Another goal is to connect national research groups with international scientific networks to enhance opportunities for participating in innovative cancer biology research projects. He mentioned being in discussions with several research institutes, hospitals, universities, and renowned technology companies in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi for future research projects.
In the long term, he hopes that current research will not only advance scientific knowledge but also pave the way for new therapies, offering more hope to cancer patients in the future.
Le Thu
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/nha-khoa-hoc-viet-tai-trung-tam-ung-thu-hang-dau-my-ar1007228.html
