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ACPHS News
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Professor Receives $372,680 NIH Grant
to Conduct Breast Cancer Research
Dr. Shaker A. Mousa to Explore New Uses of Nanotechnology in the Treatment of Breast Cancer
Albany, N.Y. – October 14, 2009 – Shaker A. Mousa, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Research Institute (PRI) at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, was recently awarded a $372,680 research grant from the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Mousa and a team of PRI investigators will use nanotechnology to explore new approaches for managing thyroid activity in patients suffering from breast cancer. The research will take place over a period of two years.
The thyroid naturally produces hormones that help regulate heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and weight. Unfortunately, these hormones also accelerate tumor growth in cancer patients by stimulating blood vessels. Medication can decrease the production of thyroid hormones (thyroxine and triiodothyronine), thereby helping limit the spread of the cancer, but such an approach will impact vital hormonal function.
By allowing hormone production to occur at a normal rate, regular body activity may continue uninterrupted, but at the risk of the cancer spreading more quickly throughout the body. Dr. Mousa is exploring an approach that will allow normal thyroid activity to take place in cancer patients while eliminating the adverse effects related to the spread of the disease.
“The continued evolution of nanotechnology is now allowing the scientific and medical communities to rethink what is possible in terms of treating patients and preventing disease,” said Dr. Mousa. “We expect that the results of our research will not only impact patients suffering from breast cancer, but those suffering from other forms of cancer as well.”
“In the last decade, ACPHS has placed an increased emphasis on research, through investments in our laboratory facilities, development of a master’s program in pharmaceutical sciences and the cultivation of faculty and student research activities. We now have more than $7.1 million in active research grants, contracts, and awards, and we expect that figure to increase dramatically in the future,” said James Gozzo, Ph.D., President of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
PRI employs nearly 50 international experts in fields such as nanotechnology, medicinal chemistry, molecular biology and cell biology. The Institute includes the Center for NanoPharmaceuticals, where investigators attack diseases ranging from cancer to macular degeneration with nanotechnology – using particles 10,000 times smaller than a human hair to steer drugs to exact targets, thereby minimizing risks and side effects.
The project described was supported by Grant Number 1R21CA135245-01A1 from the National Cancer Institute. The content in solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Cancer Institute or the National Institutes of Health.
About Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is a private, independent institution committed to the advancement of health. The College has academic programs and research activities spanning the full spectrum of pharmacy and health sciences – from drug discovery to patient care. Nearly 1,600 ACPHS students are pursuing a wide range of career pathways in health related fields through degree programs in pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, biomedical technology and health and human sciences. The College’s main campus is located in Albany, New York; its satellite campus is in Colchester, Vermont. For more information, please visit www.acphs.edu.
Contact:
Gil Chorbajian
Executive Director of Marketing and Communications
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
(518) 694-7394
gil.chorbajian@acphs.edu