Dr. Amit Tripathi receives award for innovation in cancer research
April 25, 2024 • MIG, Research, SBS
Dr. Amit Tripathi, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Biomedical Sciences at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth was honored recently with the P.R. Vijayalaxmi Award for Innovation in Cancer Research 2024 by the American Association of Indian Scientists in Cancer Research.
The award was granted for his innovative research in identifying small peptides derived from the cancer-specific protein MIEN1.
Tripathi, who works in the lab of Dr. Jamboor Vishwanatha in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics, says the award highlights the importance of collaboration in advancing scientific knowledge and translating research findings into novel approaches to treat cancer patients worldwide.
“Receiving this award is a tremendous honor and privilege. It’s a testament to the collective efforts of our team at Dr. Vishwanatha’s lab,” Tripathi said.
“I’d like to thank my mentor, collaborators and colleagues for their unwavering support and guidance throughout the research process.”
The cancer-specific protein MIEN1 (formerly known as C17orf37) has garnered significant attention from cancer researchers as a cause of cancer progression and metastasis. But the lack of known inhibitors targeting MIEN1 has posed challenges to developing new cancer treatments.
Tripathi’s research has provided first-in-class peptide molecules addressing this gap and offers a new approach to targeting this elusive molecular target.
“These findings mark a significant milestone in the quest for effective MIEN1 inhibitors, holding immense potential for the development of targeted therapies against cancer,” said Tripathi.
You can read about the findings in the recent publication in the Journal of Biological Chemistry: Short peptides based on the conserved regions of MIEN1 protein exhibit anticancer activity by targeting the MIEN1 signaling pathway. Additionally, Vishwanatha and Tripathi filed a patent for their compounds in 2022 with the help of HSC Next.
Each year, the P.R. Vijayalaxmi Award for Innovation in Cancer Research award is presented to an Indian American scientist (Ph.D./MD/DDS) who has demonstrated innovation in cancer research through the development of a new technology, product, instrumentation, bioassay, identification of new molecular mechanisms, or development of a novel area of cancer research.
The award was conferred this month by the American Association of Indian Scientists in Cancer Research in San Diego, which is hosted in conjunction with the American Association for Cancer Research.
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