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Cell Biologist Denise Montell Delivers a Lecture at NCKU, with Interdisciplinary Research Paving New Directions in Medicine
On December 5, the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) invited Professor Denise Montell, a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and a leading authority in cell biology, as the keynote speaker for the 2025 NCKU Phoenix Lecture Series. Professor Montell, a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), delivered a lecture entitled “RACing from Drosophila Border Cell Migration to an Improved Cancer Immunotherapy.” Drawing on her pioneering research on border cell migration in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), she explored its interdisciplinary connections to cancer immunotherapy.
The lecture was attended by NCKU Dean of Research & Development Department Chuan-Pu Liu (劉全璞); Professor Yu-Min Wang (王育民), Dean of the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology; and Professor Wei-Chun Kuo (郭瑋君), Chair of the Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, along with many other faculty members. The event attracted enthusiastic participation from students, researchers, and members of the public with strong interests in cell biology, developmental biology, and cancer research, leading to lively discussions and exchanges during the Q&A session.
Representing the university, Dr. Liu welcomed Professor Montell and expressed NCKU’s great honor in hosting such a distinguished international scholar. He thanked Professor Montell for generously sharing her academic journey—from long-term dedication to fundamental research to its successful translation into clinical applications—which provided an inspiring and intellectually enriching experience for faculty and students alike.
Professor Montell currently serves as Chair of the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at UCSB and holds the Duggan Endowed Chair Professorship. Her research has long focused on collective cell migration and cell survival mechanisms, making profound contributions to our understanding of developmental biology and disease pathogenesis.
Recent findings from Montell’s research team reveal that the Rac2 GTPase is a key regulator of immune cell morphology and function. Hyperactivating mutations of Rac2 are known to cause rare forms of human immunodeficiency, though the underlying mechanisms have remained unclear. Building on cell biology studies in Drosophila, the team discovered that hyperactivated Rac induces cells to engulf other living cells. Further experiments demonstrated that activated Rac2 also drives macrophages in mice and humans to engulf activated T cells. Most notably, activated Rac significantly enhances the phagocytic activity of CAR-M (Chimeric Antigen Receptor Macrophages) against cancer cells.
These results indicate that while Rac2E62K-induced phagocytosis contributes to immunodeficiency in patients carrying the Rac2E62K mutation, it simultaneously enhances the therapeutic efficacy of CAR-M–based cancer immunotherapy. This work compellingly illustrates how basic scientific research can be translated into innovative clinical applications.
During her visit to Taiwan, Professor Montell also participated in the 7th Asia-Pacific Drosophila Research Conference (APDRC7) as a plenary speaker, alongside other distinguished scientists including Professor Eric F. Wieschaus, recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She will subsequently deliver an invited lecture at the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI).
Professor Denise Montell’s visit represents a major milestone for Taiwan’s academic and educational communities and provides NCKU with a valuable opportunity to engage in scholarly exchange with world-leading scientists.
The lecture was attended by NCKU Dean of Research & Development Department Chuan-Pu Liu (劉全璞); Professor Yu-Min Wang (王育民), Dean of the College of Bioscience and Biotechnology; and Professor Wei-Chun Kuo (郭瑋君), Chair of the Department of Biotechnology and Bioindustry Sciences, along with many other faculty members. The event attracted enthusiastic participation from students, researchers, and members of the public with strong interests in cell biology, developmental biology, and cancer research, leading to lively discussions and exchanges during the Q&A session.
Representing the university, Dr. Liu welcomed Professor Montell and expressed NCKU’s great honor in hosting such a distinguished international scholar. He thanked Professor Montell for generously sharing her academic journey—from long-term dedication to fundamental research to its successful translation into clinical applications—which provided an inspiring and intellectually enriching experience for faculty and students alike.
Professor Montell currently serves as Chair of the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at UCSB and holds the Duggan Endowed Chair Professorship. Her research has long focused on collective cell migration and cell survival mechanisms, making profound contributions to our understanding of developmental biology and disease pathogenesis.
Recent findings from Montell’s research team reveal that the Rac2 GTPase is a key regulator of immune cell morphology and function. Hyperactivating mutations of Rac2 are known to cause rare forms of human immunodeficiency, though the underlying mechanisms have remained unclear. Building on cell biology studies in Drosophila, the team discovered that hyperactivated Rac induces cells to engulf other living cells. Further experiments demonstrated that activated Rac2 also drives macrophages in mice and humans to engulf activated T cells. Most notably, activated Rac significantly enhances the phagocytic activity of CAR-M (Chimeric Antigen Receptor Macrophages) against cancer cells.
These results indicate that while Rac2E62K-induced phagocytosis contributes to immunodeficiency in patients carrying the Rac2E62K mutation, it simultaneously enhances the therapeutic efficacy of CAR-M–based cancer immunotherapy. This work compellingly illustrates how basic scientific research can be translated into innovative clinical applications.
During her visit to Taiwan, Professor Montell also participated in the 7th Asia-Pacific Drosophila Research Conference (APDRC7) as a plenary speaker, alongside other distinguished scientists including Professor Eric F. Wieschaus, recipient of the 1995 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She will subsequently deliver an invited lecture at the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI).
Professor Denise Montell’s visit represents a major milestone for Taiwan’s academic and educational communities and provides NCKU with a valuable opportunity to engage in scholarly exchange with world-leading scientists.
Denise Montell, a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and an internationally renowned cell biologist, visited NCKU to serve as the keynote speaker for the Phoenix Lecture.
NCKU Dean of Research & Development Department Chuan-Pu Liu, welcomed Professor Denise Montell on behalf of the university and presented her with a gift.
The speaker and participants engaged in lively discussions and exchanges.
Group photo.
