On Thursday, February 8th, 2024, the Faculty of Pharmacy at Gulf Medical University hosted a research seminar featuring Dr. Amal Kamal Abdel-Aziz, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Ain Shams University, Egypt, and a Research Scientist at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia.
The seminar was attended by faculty members of the pharmaceutical sciences department and candidates pursuing the master’s in Drug Discovery and Development, under the title: “Anticancer Drug Discovery: What is happening behind the scenes?”
Dr. Abdel-Aziz’s expertise lies at the confluence of cancer research, drug discovery, and bioinformatics, honed through her work at the National Cancer Institute, Egypt, and the European Institute of Oncology, Italy.
Dr. Abdel-Aziz provided insights into the intricacies of anticancer drug discovery during the session. She shed light on how tuning mTORC1 activity can dictate the response of acute myeloid leukemia to LSD1 inhibition. In a comprehensive manner, Dr. Amal elucidated how mTOR activation might serve as a novel pro-survival mechanism, influencing both intrinsic and acquired resistance to LSD1 inhibition. She further explored the potential of combination regimens co-targeting LSD1/mTOR as a rational approach in AML therapy.
The seminar concluded with a lively and fruitful discussion following Dr. Abdel-Aziz’s presentation. Participants delved into the practical applications of in-vitro experiments and their relevance to the dynamic in-vivo setting, enhancing the collective understanding of the research shared during the session.
