Addressing healthcare challenges

Researchers from NUS and the National University Health System (NUHS) are part of two of the three teams that have been awarded $5.1 million in funding for up to three years through the Johnson & Johnson World Without Disease Grant Call Collaboration with Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

NUS researchers belong to a team consisting of scientists from the Singapore Immunology Network, the p53 Laboratory and the National Cancer Centre of Singapore to investigate a novel antibody that could be useful for cancer-stricken individuals who may have a faulty p53 pathway despite having a normal p53 gene. As the p53 gene plays a role in tumour suppression, this antibody could have potential to help cancer patients.

NUHS researchers will collaborate with the Genome Institute of Singapore to develop a programme that aims to achieve early detection of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), in the hope of timely disease intervention and increasing the potential of reversing liver damage. NAFLD is increasingly prevalent and currently affects up to 40 per cent of the Singapore population.

Dr Dan Wang, Head of Asia Pacific Innovation Center of Johnson & Johnson Innovation, said that they look forward to the impactful work to be completed by the recipients over the next three years.

The World Without Disease Grant Call was initiated by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson and A*STAR to support life science innovation in Singapore and seek solutions that have potential to improve health worldwide, particularly in the areas of lung health, cancer, obesity and related disorders, and eye health. The three winning teams were chosen from more than 40 highly qualified applications from Singapore’s public sector.