26 Sep 2021|Noida | Amity University, Noida ( Online )
World Cancer Research Day
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On the occasion of “World Cancer Research Day (WCRD)”, Indian Association for Cancer Research (IACR) in association with Spanish Association Against Cancer (SAAC) organized a talk with eminent scientists on virtual mode. Now cancer being recognized as the top life threatening disease world over, the theme of this World Cancer Research Day is to increase the survival and quality of life, if not cure of cancer through research and innovation. On this occasion, Prof. (Dr.) Bhudev C. Das, Chairman, Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine & Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR) and Dean of Health & Allied Sciences and Chairman, University Research Council, Amity University, Noida, a renowned cancer biologist, who has worked for almost a decade with Nobel Laureate, Prof. (Dr.) Herald zur Hausen, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany said, “Research only can discover new early cancer detection techniques, new prevention strategy, new Drugs to overcome cancer recurrence and effective cancer treatment with less or no adverse effects”. He further added that researchers must see that their discovery reaches from bench to bedside for the benefit of humanity and the society. Together, we should fight against cancer and one day we will be able to conquer cancer”. Prof. Das elaborated that cancer incidence and death has left the cardiovascular disease far behind and cancer has become the top killer disease in developed countries and India is soon going to be the ‘Cancer Capital’ of the world because of uncontrolled pollution, contamination of our air, water and earth and exposure to harmful chemicals, radiations, pesticides, plasticizers, adulteration of food stuff including medicines, changes in life style, etc. Because of which, the plant, animal and environmental health are also highly affected which in turn affect the human health that depends on plants, animals and environment. He suggested that new drugs need to be developed for relapse- free survival of cancer patients and also what should be our priorities in cancer research. He said prevention is better than cure and hence early detection & prevention should be the “main mantra” because cancer can be 100% curable if it is detected at an early stage. So everybody should be aware of the early signs and symptoms of various cancers and remain highly vigilant and must consult doctor or got yourself tested immediately. This only can help you to save your life. Prof. Das outlined ten most important priorities in cancer research in India including need for proper psycho-oncological counseling of cancer patients who undergo tremendous mental stress and trauma. He emphasized that in cancer research following two things are of first and foremost importance:
1. Early detection and prevention that may lead to cure of cancer and
2. Effective and targeted treatment of advanced stage cancer
This is because more than 70% of cancers come to the clinic at an advanced stage in India and other low and middle income counties. He informed that while pancreatic cancer and lung cancer is most aggressive and dangerous cancers with survival of 3-6 months only, cervical cancer, oral and head & neck cancer, breast cancer, colorectal and skin cancer are preventable cancers. Therefore, WHO has recently given a call for global elimination of cervical cancer in women in 2018 and proposed that if sustainable and organized early screening program of cervical cancer and scale up of HPV vaccination to 90-100% in adolescent girls are implemented, cervical cancer can be eliminated by 2050 or by the end of this century, in the way that Small Pox and Polio have been eradicated. Other deadliest cancers are breast cancer, prostate, colorectal and gall bladder and stomach cancer. Prof. Das also informed that Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine & Stem Cell Research (AIMMSCR) which has the major research programs on almost all types of cancers which are highly prevalent in India and is trying to develop a triple conjugate drug (folate-curcumin-Doxorubicin)for targeted delivery and recurrence free treatment of cervical and breast cancer. This is a novel drug which can overcome drug resistance and if successful, it will bring a major solution to effective cancer therapy. So far there is no such drug available globally.
Dr. Sharmila Bapat, a senior scientist ‘G’ from DBT’s National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, described how cancer heterogeneity lead to treatment failure even the two patients have the same type and stage of cancer. For this, personalized medicine needs be developed to overcome this type of treatment failure.
Dr. Aman Sharma, Director and Founder of EXoCan Healthcare Technologies discussed about the role of exosomes in cancer diagnosis and precision medicine for human malignancies. Exosomes are extra-cellular vesicles that are released from various cells of the body fluids like blood, urine, serum, etc. Exosomes contain several proteins, RNAs that differ between normal healthy individuals and diseased person/patients in a significant manner thus allowing differentiation between normal healthy individual and cancer patients. Dr. Aman has developed a novel but easy and affordable method for isolation of exosomes from cell culture, blood, urine and tumor tissues which is very convenient and provide high yield in a cost-effective manner. He is helping a large number of researchers to study exosomes with reagents available from Indian companies with ease and affordable price. He presented that exosomes can be used to load the anticancer drugs and other agents for targeted therapy for several cancers.
Dr. Ateeq Bushra, a senior Wellcome Trust Fellow, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awardee and a Professor at Biomedical & Engineering Deptt. of IIT, Kanpur has great expertise in the prostate cancer in the country. Dr. Bushra in her lecture explained the molecular, genetic and epigenetic basis of prostate cancer and its subtypes and how these molecular changes lead to the aggressiveness and drug resistance by modulating drug responses in prostate cancer cells. Dr. Bushra cited the data from preclinical studies which can be translated into clinical application in near future for better management of patients with prostate cancer.
All the speakers discussed and emphasized on the need of identification of highly specific and reliable early diagnostic and therapeutic markers/tools for early detection of cancer, their better therapy and management.
The talk was organized by IACR Secretariat at RGCB, Thiruvananthapuram with the welcome address by Prof. Chandravas Narayana, Director of DBT’s Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram and concluded with vote of thanks by Dr. Priya Srinivas, Sr. Scientist of RGCB & General Secretary, IACR (Email: iacr@rgcb.res.in).