The Biomedical Translation Research Center (BioTReC) of Academia Sinica and Moderna Taiwan have jointly organized the “Moderna Taiwan mRNA Innovation Awards” for three consecutive years, with the aim of fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, expanding innovative applications of mRNA technology, and accelerating the translation of research into real-world impact. This year’s competition opened for nationwide submissions in July, attracting proposals across three major therapeutic areas—infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, and rare diseases. Approximately three-quarters of the submissions were contributed by academia and medical institutions, while the remaining proposals came from emerging biotechnology startups presenting promising R&D concepts. After a rigorous review process, ten teams advanced to the final round, from which five were ultimately selected as award recipients.
The award ceremony for the “2025 Moderna Taiwan mRNA Innovation Award” was held on November 28, 2025 at the National Biotechnology Research Park. In addition to recognizing outstanding teams, the ceremony also provided a platform for awardees to present the highlights of their research. Moreover, a scientist from Moderna’s Infectious Disease division traveled to Taiwan to deliver a keynote lecture and engage in in-depth discussions with local experts, further enriching the event with international perspectives and scientific depth.
Immunologically cold solid tumors are often resistant to current therapies, posing a major therapeutic challenge. Dr. Wei Chen’s lab proposed the innovative platform “CytokAR-Ms: mRNA-LNP-Engineered Macrophages as “Living Materials Drugs” for Immunologically Cold Solid Tumors,” a next-generation cytokine-secreting CAR-macrophage (CAR-M) technology. Using mRNA nanotechnology, macrophages are engineered into “living materials drugs” capable of simultaneously engulfing tumor cells and precisely secreting immune-activating cytokines, achieving both tumor phagocytosis and targeted remodeling of the tumor immune microenvironment. This platform is modular, rapidly programmable, compatible with multiple tumor types, and exhibits strong safety and translational potential. It not only offers an innovative solution for hard-to-treat solid tumors but also holds promise as a broadly applicable therapeutic platform for multiple diseases. For its forward-looking vision and breakthrough potential, Dr. Wei Chen’s laboratory (Dr. Chen and Research Assistant Shou-Hou Liu) was honored as a recipient of the “2025 Moderna Taiwan mRNA Innovation Award”.
Dr. Chen’s group has long focused on mRNA nanotechnology, immune cell engineering, drug delivery technologies, innovative biomaterials, and biomedical engineering. His research spans applications in cancer, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory disorders, and aging-related conditions, addressing key limitations of current treatment modalities. Dr. Chen’s group is especially dedicated to developing next-generation targeted gene and cell therapy strategies through nanotechnology-enabled cellular engineering, aiming to build a solid foundation for future clinical translation.
Dr. Chen expresses his deep gratitude to BioTReC, Academia Sinica, Moderna Taiwan, and the eleven expert reviewers for their recognition, as well as to Academia Sinica, the Genomics Research Center, and the National Science and Technology Council for supporting the laboratory with funding, instrumentation, and research space. He also hopes to inspire and train more young scientists to engage in interdisciplinary research spanning RNA nanomedicine, cell engineering, and drug delivery technologies. Students interested in joining the laboratory and contributing to Taiwan’s advancement in fundamental and translational biomedical innovation are warmly welcomed.
Information about the award has been published on the National Biotechnology Research Park and BioTReC websites:
https://nbrp.sinica.edu.tw/posts/45d96f0d-d52f-4783-827e-4bc08e649caf
