Translation of molecular profiling, multi-omics, to new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches: Integration for Precision Medicine in Cancer

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Dr Al-Ejeh’s team at QBRI investigates new diagnostics and therapeutics approaches for aggressive types of cancer to improves outcomes, particularly groups of breast cancer patients who do not benefit from the current treatments. The research aims to bridge translational and discovery research and clinical research and practice.

This research team at the Translational Cancer Research Group ( TCRG ) integrates two sub-themes: Clinical Research and Preclinical Research. The team deploys an interdisciplinary approach with a diversity of methods and techniques to achieve both immediate and long-term strategic objectives. The team's approach relies heavily on strong collaborations with oncologists and pathologists.

Clinical Research (objectives 1-4): Develop multi-marker diagnostics based on multi-omics from different sources, including the published Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data and data generated from Qatar using retrospective and prospective samples. The research is conducted in collaboration with clinicians and pathologists to build the Qatar BRCA TMAs - Qatar Breast Cancer tissue microarrays.

Preclinical Research (objectives 5-7): Develop preclinical models from patient tumors at the Qatar BRCA Cell Bank . Investigate novel biomarkers to characterize their function in driving cancer progression and their potential as new therapeutic targets.

Latest Publications

  • Casciello F, Al-Ejeh F , … Lee JS (2020). G9a-mediated repression of CDH10 in hypoxia enhances breast tumour cell motility and associates with poor survival outcome. Theranostics 10(10):4515-4529. Patent WO/2020/047604A1
  • Ferreira MA, Gamazon ER, Al-Ejeh F , et al. (2019). Genome-wide association and transcriptome studies identify target genes and risk loci for breast cancer. Nature Communications 10 (1), 1-18.
  • Wu L, Shi S, Long J, Guo X, Michailidou K, Beesley J, Bolla ML, Shu XO, Lu Y, Cai Q, Al-Ejeh F , et al. (2018). A transcriptome-wide association study of 229,000 women identifies new candidate susceptibility genes for breast cancer. Nature Genetics 50 (7), 968-978.
  • Saunus JM, … Al-Ejeh F* , Lakhani SR* (* co-senior). (2018). Multidimensional phenotyping of breast cancer cell lines to guide preclinical research. Breast Cancer Res Treat 167(1):289-301.
  • Al-Ejeh F , et al. (2014). Meta-analysis of the global gene expression profile of triple-negative breast cancer identifies genes for the prognostication and treatment of aggressive breast cancer. Oncogenesis 3(4), e100-e100. Patent WO/2015/135035A2
  • Al-Ejeh F , et al. (2014). Postchemotherapy and tumor-selective targeting with the La-specific DAB4 monoclonal antibody relates to apoptotic cell clearance. Journal of Nuclear Medicine 55:772-9. Granted Patents WO/2004/073739A1 WO/2008/043153A1 . In clinical trials 2020 Telix Pharmaceutical.