Immuno-Oncology

The “Immuno-Oncology" group is a unique research group in the UAE that focuses on understanding the cancer microenvironment and in particular, the crosstalk between immune and tumor cells. Additionally, our group focuses on the epigenetic regulation of carcinogenesis, as well as the therapeutic targeting of autoimmune diseases.

• Understanding the communication between the innate immune cells and cancer and their role in tumorigenesis.

• Utilizing the knowledge in order to develop novel biomarkers for cancer, could aid in early diagnosis and predict the prognosis of various cancer types.

• Identifying new targets for therapeutic modalities that could aid in cancer immunotherapy.

• Recognizing the role of epigenetics, molecular and cellular pathways that are associated with cancer initiation and progression.

   

• Checkpoint Inhibitors and Immunotherapy Resistance: Investigate the mechanisms behind resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors (such as PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors) and develop strategies to overcome this resistance. This might involve studying the tumor microenvironment, T-cell exhaustion, or alternative checkpoint pathways.

• Immunomodulatory Agents: Investigate the potential of small molecules, antibodies, or other immunomodulatory agents to enhance the antitumor immune response.

• Immune Cell Dysregulation: Characterize the aberrant function of immune cells, such as T cells, B cells, and antigen-presenting cells, in immune-mediated and autoimmune diseases. Explore their roles in disease pathogenesis and potential targets for immunomodulation.

• Immunogenetics and Biomarkers: Investigate the genetic susceptibility to autoimmune diseases, including the identification of disease-associated genes and the development of biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis.

• Biomarker Discovery: Identify predictive, diagnostic, and prognostic biomarkers that can guide patient selection for immunotherapy and monitor treatment responses. This could involve genomics, transcriptomics, or proteomics studies.

• Tumor Microenvironment: Investigate the role of the tumor microenvironment in immune evasion and resistance to therapy. Explore strategies to modify the tumor microenvironment to make it more conducive to immune-mediated tumor destruction.

• Preclinical Studies and Personalized Medicine Approaches: Create and refine preclinical animal models that accurately mimic human tumor-immune interactions for testing new immunotherapies and studying their mechanisms of action. This will eventually lead to tailoring personalized therapeutic approaches to patients.

• Artificial Intelligence and Bioinformatics: Use machine learning and bioinformatics approaches to analyze large datasets, predict treatment responses, identify novel drug targets, and optimize treatment strategies.

• Dr. Noha M. Elemam was selected to be a Winner of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Middle East Regional Young Talents 2023 Program-Postdoctoral Category, September 2023.

• Dr. Jibran Sualeh Muhammad received the King Hussein Award Promising Researcher Grant- worth USD 100,000 in November 2022.

Internal Projects

• The Effect of KRAS Mutations in Controlling Ferroptosis in Colorectal Cancer. University of Sharjah- AED 120,000

• Understanding the Crosstalk Among Immune Cells in The Microenvironment of Breast Cancer. Collaborative Grant: Sharjah Research Academy and University of Sharjah- AED 168,000.

• Investigating the Effects of Dimethyl fumarate and Monomethyl fumarate in Eradicating Hepatic Metastases - Roles of Natural Killer Cells and Chemokines – University of Sharjah- AED 196,000

• The Role of Obesity in Breast Cancer in a Cohort of Middle Eastern Population. University of Sharjah-AED 80,000

• Deciphering the Molecular Mechanisms of Intratumoural Heterogeneity in Renal Cell Carcinoma: New Approach for Prognostic Stratification and Discovery of Therapeutic Targets. University of Sharjah- AED 80,000

• Integrative meta-analysis and bioinformatics approach identify microRNA-21 and its targets as diagnostic biomarkers for colorectal and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. University of Sharjah- AED 80,000

• Epigenetic modulation of metabolism in colorectal carcinogenesis. University of Sharjah- AED 120,000

• Targeting the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) to Prevent Brain Metastasis in Triple Negative Breast Cancer. University of Sharjah- AED 80,000

• Mitochondrial genome and gut microbiota crosstalk and their impact on metabolic dysfunction and chronic inflammation. University of Sharjah- AED 80,000         

External Projects