Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol Presides over a Meeting to Follow Up on the Progress of Thailand’s Initiative in Genomics and Expression Research for Liver Cancer (TIGER-LC) in 2023 at the Chulabhorn Research Institute Convention Center

On January 24, 2023 at 09.46 a.m., in the Meeting Room 1 at the Chulabhorn Research Institute Convention Center, Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol, President of the Chulabhorn Research Institute (CRI), presided over the meeting to follow up on the progress of Thailand’s Initiative in Genomics and Expression Research for Liver Cancer (TIGER-LC) in 2023.  The meeting, held from January 24-25, 2023, aimed to explore ways to support people suffering from liver and bile duct cancer in high-risk areas and to address public health issues in Thailand.  The meeting was attended by researchers and experts from the CRI, Chulabhorn Hospital, National Cancer Institute-NCI, USA, National Cancer Institute-Thailand, Chiang Mai University, and Khon Kaen University.

During the meeting, the research team from the National Cancer Institute-NCI, USA reported on the use of technologies to study liver and bile duct cancer at the molecular level, focusing on classifying patient groups to improve treatment accuracy.  They also discussed research on cancer treatment using targeted therapy related to cell degradation process, studies on metabolite, the role of microbiome in cancer development, as well as liver cancer prevention in communities by reducing exposure to risk factors in daily life. Moreover, the meeting covered project planning, operational improvements, and the initial study and sample collection from patients suffering from liver and bile duct cancer in southern Thailand.

Thailand’s Initiative in Genomics and Expression Research for Liver Cancer (TIGER-LC) was established under the Royal Initiative of Professor Dr. Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol who is deeply concerned about patients suffering from liver and bile duct cancer. This type of cancer is found to be the
leading cancer in the country, causing over 15,000 deaths each year. It could be categorized into liver cancer mainly linked to Hepatitis B and C, and bile duct cancer, which is associated with risk factors such as chemical exposure in daily life and liver fluke infections.  Treatment for these cancers remain challenging due to late-stage detection of the disease, which leads to rapid mortality.  There is also a lack of sufficient knowledge about the disease and effective medicines for treatment. Her Royal Highness recognizes the urgency of
conducting research on liver and bile duct cancer to discover preventive measures, improve diagnostics, and develop treatment that ensures patients live long, healthy, and fulfilling lives.

Public Relations Section
office of the President
January  25, 2023