L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women In Science Middle East Regional Young Talents Program
The role of metabolic reprogramming in the sensitivity of breast cancer to chemo- and immunotherapy
Young scientist Dana Mazen Zaher has dedicated her life to helping other women through her research into breast cancer treatment. More specifically, Dana’s research looks at the role of metabolic reprogramming in the sensitivity of breast cancer to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Today, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide and is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women after lung cancer. Moreover, statistics have shown that Arab breast cancer patients including those from the UAE tend to develop this type of cancer at younger ages compared to patients of western countries. So this is truly one of the biggest issues women face today.
Dana Zaher’s research contributes to the knowledge of basic science in molecular biology and clinical application in the treatment of breast cancer. A high percentage of breast cancers is extensively metabolic, providing fuel for growth-promoting biosynthetic pathways. These cancers typically lack effective targeted therapies, and compared with other breast cancer subtypes, are more likely to recur and metastasize due to metabolic reprogramming. Through a series of studies, Dana has combined immune checkpoints inhibitors with metabolism modulators to re-sensitise resistant breast cancer cells and explore the potential synergistic mechanism.
Dana’s long-term mission as a scientist is to improve the well-being of breast cancer patients and reduce the mortality rates associated with it. She aims to reach a deeper understanding of breast cancer, which could unravel the metabolic vulnerabilities between breast cancer subtypes and stratify patients based on their metabolism profile to determine their susceptibility to a specific treatment. We discover more about her commitment to helping women who are suffering from this terrible, but worryingly common disease.