– PORTFOLIO –
Moira Sauane
On the Front Lines of the War on Cancer
Cancer and affordable access to effective diagnosis and
treatments are critical, growing public health problems. At Lehman
College, professors are committed to cutting-edge cancer research
that can lead to therapies that will benefit populations globally.
One such team of researchers at Lehman College, led by Moira
Sauane, a professor in the biological sciences department, is
working to discover a mechanism for killing cancer cells, for
which she received a four-year, $1 million grant from the National
Cancer Institute.
Prabodhika Mallikaratchy
“Our lab focuses on dissecting fundamental molecular mechanisms
that regulate cell death with the ultimate goal of accelerating the
development of novel experimental anti-cancer therapeutic agents,”
said Sauane, whose team includes Lehman students. “We aim to
target specific signaling pathways in molecularly defined subtypes
of cancer, with a major focus on melanoma, breast, pancreatic, and
prostate cancers.” In 2013 her team published their discovery on
the interaction of two proteins that promote the death of cancerous
cells and make tumors more sensitive to radiation and chemotherapy. Today, their work is focused on exploring the potential of
apoptosis-based gene therapy.
Investigating effective methods to fight cancer is also the focus of
another Lehman research lab. Led by Prabodhika Mallikaratchy, a
professor of analytical chemistry, the team is seeking a new class
of synthetic antibody mimics based on DNA aptamers. Funded by a
National Institute of Health grant, the laboratory’s long-term goal is
to develop oligonucleotide aptamer based synthetic antibodies for
biological and biomedical applications.
In these two labs, as well as others, Lehman College has
created a strong foundation to make key scientific advancements.
Sauane believes there is another critical element which
distinguishes Lehman as a premier cancer research institution:
“The level of cancer research at Lehman College to a great extent
depends on our students on whom we rely on for their intelligence,
hard work, and creativity,” she said. Working with top undergraduate
and graduate students, Lehman is poised to take its place on the
front lines in the fight against cancer.
20
Lehman Today/Spring 2015