"The answers may be small-but the impact isn't," says leading cancer researcher

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / November 7, 2025 / In a call to scientists, educators, and future researchers, Dr. Chun Ju Chang is raising awareness about the overlooked but critical role of mitochondria in cancer progression and stem cell identity-encouraging students to think smaller to think bigger.

Mitochondria, the organelles long known for powering cells, may also help shape what kind of cell each one becomes. In a 2019 Cell Metabolism study led by Dr. Chang, researchers discovered that mitochondrial fusion-specifically driven by the protein MFN1-can influence how mammary stem cells divide, self-renew, and behave under stress.

"This was a missing piece," says Chang. "We knew mitochondria mattered. But we didn't know they could actually direct the fate of a dividing stem cell."

The study links this mitochondrial fusion to a process called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which enables cancer cells to become mobile and invasive. EMT also seems to trigger a stem-like state that is harder to target with treatments. The fused mitochondria produced during EMT were shown to increase antioxidant defenses and self-renewing asymmetric cell division-both of which are traits that preserve stemness.

"When MFN1 was knocked down, cells lost that polarity," says Chang. "They started committed to a differentiated fate. It's a small shift in mitochondrial shape-but it changes everything."

Why this matters
Cancer stem cells are thought to be behind metastasis, drug resistance, and recurrence. According to a 2023 Nature Reviews Cancer report, even a small population of stem-like cancer cells can regrow tumors after treatment. That makes understanding how these cells are formed-and maintained-urgent.

Dr. Chang's work shows that it's not just genes or signaling pathways shaping stemness. It's about the dynamics of a previously overlooked organelle.

"I always tell my students, don't just read the conclusion. Ask how they got there," she explains. "Sometimes the breakthrough isn't in the result. It's in what you noticed along the way."

Beyond the lab
With a career spanning UCLA, MD Anderson, Roswell Park, and now China Medical University in Taiwan, Dr. Chang also emphasizes mentorship and training as key to scientific progress. She encourages students to explain their ideas without slides, write down clear hypotheses, and build confidence through mistakes.

"Confidence doesn't come from always being right," she says. "It comes from learning how to handle not knowing something."

As a member of the Women in Cancer Research community, she also advocates for early-career scientists-especially women-to be heard in high-level research spaces.

A call to think smaller
Dr. Chang wants scientists and students to look more closely at what they already see-and to question what they've overlooked.

"Mitochondria were once just background in our images," she says. "Then we looked closer."

What you can do

• If you're a researcher, revisit your assumptions about what was known. Don't just measure outcomes-observe and ask questions.

• If you're a student, ask how decisions are made in the cell. Be bold in your questions.

• If you're an educator, show that confidence comes from exploration, not perfection.

• If you're outside science, support work that focuses on the small, structural elements of biology-not just generic targets.

"Science doesn't move forward in isolation," says Chang. "The clue you follow today could shape tomorrow's treatment."

About Dr. Chun Ju Chang
Dr. Chun Ju Chang is a professor at China Medical University in Taiwan, with a research focus on cancer biology, stem cell regulation, and mitochondrial dynamics. She earned her Ph.D. from UCLA and completed postdoctoral training at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards and publications. In addition to her scientific contributions, Dr. Chang is known for her mentorship and commitment to training the next generation of researchers.

Media Contact
Chun Ju Chang
info@chunjuchang.com
https://www.chunjuchang.com/

SOURCE: Chun Ju Chang