Exploring an unconventional approach to cancer

In this issue of AMOR, we introduce Dr. Asma Amleh, our Editorial Board Member and discuss her role in improving our understanding of cancer.According to Dr. Asma Amleh, her curiosity of science began when she was a child. “My fascination with science, and particularly applying the scientific method in research, started at a very young age while learning about the contributions of a famous Persian polymath and an important figure in the history of medicine, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariyya al-Razi, to the medical field through his observations and discoveries. I was also inspired by the laboratory techniques and experimental methods described by Jabir ibn Hayyan, a prominent Islamic alchemist and physicist,” she says.   For Dr. Amleh, developmental biology is a field that specifically fascinates her like no other. “Cancer itself, being development ‘gone wrong’, is equally as captivating as developmental biology itself,” says Dr. Amleh in an exclusive interview with AMOR. The Associate Professor of Biology at The American University of Cairo (AUC), Egypt, who now has a long-standing experience in the field of developmental biology, credits her supportive parents for her achievements in medical research. “I was constantly inspired by my father as a living example of how to seek knowledge and achieve my goals. My mother’s unconditional support and encouragement paved the path in my journey,” she says.   Motivated by her interest in science and research, Dr. Amleh began her journey in this challenging field by enrolling to study BSc in Biology and Chemistry at The American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon, which is ranked first among the universities in Lebanon and is among the top 250 universities in the world by the QS World University Rankings. She then pursued her PhD in Biology at McGill University, Montreal, Canada, where she came under the tutelage of a renowned McGill University researcher and a celebrated developmental biologist, Dr. Paul Lasko. “I learned how to think and design experimental approaches through the Developmental Biology classes offered by Dr. Lasko,” says Dr. Amleh appreciatively of her professor, the recipient of 2014 Prix du Québec , which is the most prestigious award attributed by the Government of Quebec in all fields of culture and science. Views of a Fetus in the Womb , Leonardo da Vinci, ca. 1510 - 1512. The subject of prenatal development is a major subset of developmental biology.    Upon completing her doctoral degree, Dr. Amleh went on to further her career at various institutions. She became a research fellow at the Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) in Bethesda, Maryland, as well as a research associate at the National Institutes of Health, also in Bethesda. Additional experience in the field also boosted her expertise when she worked as an instructor at the Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Biotechnology, at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, and a senior research scientist at the Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in NY.   Reflecting upon her experiences throughout her doctoral and postdoctoral research, Dr. Amleh says, “I have addressed fundamental questions related to mammalian embryonic development through a variety of projects including molecular genetics and cell culture systems.” She adds, “My ongoing and future research work plans will continue to pursue questions related to the molecular/cellular/developmental and differentiation processes.” Dr. Amleh’s research interests are focused on understand- ing the genetic control of normal and abnormal development in the mammalian system including the incidence of cancer. When discussing about the current trends in cancer research, she opined that developing rational personal/targeted therapy is very promising to develop new approaches that deal with the devastating disorder in a more effective way. “It has been suggested that personalized medicine is the right way to conquer cancer. With the fact that environmental factors play a significant role in cancer development and we are moving towards producing medication tailored to the individual patient based on the predicted response, complementary treatment becomes essential,” says Dr. Amleh.   She further adds, “Complementary/alternative treatment such as following a special diet or using acupuncture may help in reducing the side effects of cancer treatment among other forms of treatment.” Dr. Amleh is currently focusing on exploring a novel non-conventional approach to reduce platinum-based drug resistance, which aims to improve the survival of cancer patients. “In my effort to tackle the shortfall of cancer chemotherapy treatment modality, I am also involved in a collaborative study with the metagenomic research team at AUC” says Dr. Amleh. “The collaborative project is aimed at identifying candidate sequences with potential anticancer activity by screening   a metagenomic dataset, established at AUC and derived from the microbial community in several brine pools of the central Red Sea,” she adds.“Another area of study I’m working on is a collaborative effort with Canada’s Ryerson University, which is focused on characterizing the bioactivity of newly synthesized biomaterial intended for developing implants. This research puts my group at the interface with chemistry, physics, materials science, and medical science,” says the scientist.   As a researcher with almost 20 years of experience in medical research, Dr. Amleh urged researchers to continually aim just beyond their current range. “I would recommend that researchers spend more time in exploring unconventional complementary or alternative approached in cancer treatments. There are no downsides to working in the research field. I just wish that the developing countries would allocate more money for research,” she concludes.   Dr. Asma Amleh publishes her work entitled “The potential involvement of the cofactor of BRCA1 in hepatocellular carcinoma pathogenesis” in this issue of AMOR (page 224–235).