As part of the Research Seminar Series hosted by the TRIPM, we had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Mostafa Khair, Research Instrumentation Scientist in Molecular and Cell Biology at the Core Technology Platform Operations, NYU Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Khair delivered a lecture titled “Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancer Cells: Unraveling the Role of Metabolic Disorders in Tumor Progression.”. The key highlight of the seminar was Dr. Khair’s discussion on the use of nanoscale covalent organic frameworks (nCOFs) for treating Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC)—an aggressive form of cancer often resistant to conventional therapies. These specially engineered nCOFs are tagged with cancer-targeting peptides, enabling them to precisely identify and bind to malignant cells. Once bound, the nCOFs preloaded with chemotherapeutic drugs are designed to release the drug selectively in acidic environments, a hallmark of the tumor microenvironment.
This innovative drug delivery system not only increases therapeutic accuracy but also minimizes side effects, making it a promising approach in the evolving landscape of personalized cancer treatment.