A Bangladeshi scientist in Australia is revolutionizing cancer research
Dr. Abu Sina didn’t start his career with the intention of revolutionizing cancer research. And then he did.
Last year, Dr. Sina and colleagues discovered what is potentially a universal biomarker for cancer anywhere in the body. Using this biomarker, his team is now attempting to develop a universal cancer diagnostic test.
Dr. Abu Sina moved from Chadpur, a small town in Bangladesh, to Australia to pursue his research with the hope of doing something to help others. “I tried to get some outstanding results so that I can serve humanity,” he tells us. “As a Bangladeshi, I feel proud, and in the future, I will continue to do more and continue my fight against cancer.”
Currently, there are a handful of diagnostic tests for certain types of cancer, such as mammograms for breast cancer. However, most types of cancer lack a specific diagnostic test, and there is no test capable of detecting all types of cancer. Given these limits, cancers often go undetected and untreated until later stages when chances of survival are lower. With a universal diagnostic test, health care professionals could intervene much earlier and potentially save countless lives.
This wasn’t the path he started on. In fact, his PhD work was on a different subject matter entirely. However, his original research did require him to work with DNA samples, specifically from breast cancer tissue. While working with these samples, he noticed that the process for preparing the DNA was time-consuming, convoluted, and unreliable.
In response to his frustration, Dr. Sina developed a new, more efficient and effective platform for testing the samples — with excellent results. Eventually, his team found that the platform was successful with not only breast cancer tissue but also samples from various cancerous tissues, and that DNA from cancerous cells form a unique structure in water which researchers could use to detect the presence of cancer. This realization indicated that the team may have discovered a universal biomarker for cancer.
While the prospects of this research are certainly exciting, Dr. Sina cautions that many years of research and development with rounds of large-scale clinical trials will be necessary before we can expect to see this diagnostic on the market. But he is determined to continue his fight against cancer through his research.
Beyond his desire to change cancer outcomes, Dr. Sina wants his work and journey to be a source of inspiration.
“I think this is an inspiration for all young Bangladeshis to come into research,” he says, “— not only to do research, but to serve people or to serve their country so that they can do something to benefit humanity.”
