Globally, about 1 in 5 people are at risk of developing cancer over their lifetime. With an average development time of 12-17 years for new oncological drugs, novel therapeutic approaches are needed to overcome the current and future challenges associated with cancer development and treatment. To address the unresolved treatment gaps, researchers like Lateef Anifowose are leveraging “Drug repurposing” to solve this severe health dilemma. As a research scholar at Virginia Tech, USA, Lateef is redefining possibilities in cancer drug repurposing research, focusing on glioblastoma drug discovery using precision medicine.
With deep roots in Nigeria, Lateef’s interest in therapeutic medicine has lingered for years. As a graduate researcher at the University of Ibadan (UI), and the Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), he embarked on solidarity outreach to the University College Hospital oncology section, Nigeria, and the New Borg El-Arab Pediatric Oncology center in Alexandria, Egypt, where he witnessed cancer burdens in its ugliest. Sharing in the patients’ fight against cancer, Lateef envisaged making impactful discoveries to improve treatment outcomes.
His scientific expedition began at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Nigeria. A few years later, he obtained his master’s in Biochemistry and Biotechnology from UI and E-JUST. Lateef’s time in Egypt exposed him to drug repositioning research. He worked on a research project that involved repurposing antiviral drugs to treat one of the most diagnosed cancers globally. Engaging with us, he explains, “I synthesized a novel acridine derivative, and screened it against a panel of cancer cell lines. Unfortunately, the compound had a limited tumor-killing effect. Owing to their intersection with signaling pathways involved in cancer progression, I decided to use the PASS online server to investigate the biological activity of antiviral drugs readily available in Egypt. Validating the identified drugs using in vitro cell biology assays, I discovered that these antiviral drugs are selective for cancer cells and exhibit potent anti-tumor activity against hepatocellular carcinoma.”
Lateef’s work on cancer drug repositioning has been published in reputable international journals. Using computational biology, he collaborated with colleagues to identify antiviral compounds that could be repurposed to target the EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancers. Along with his fellow doctoral scholars at Virginia Tech, he received recognition for pitching one of the best intellectual properties for the early detection of breast cancer, demonstrating his intent and desire to move research from bench to bedside.
Lateef’s ongoing research endeavors focus on discovering new therapeutics for glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer with poor overall survival. His work involves classifying glioblastoma into different subtypes. Leveraging drug repositioning, he wants to identify efficacious drugs to treat each glioblastoma subtype. He said, “Personalized medicine represents an innovative approach to tackle this hard-to-treat cancer. If a patient shows specific phenotypes upon sequencing their DNA, we can classify them into a glioblastoma subtype and treat them with drugs specific for that group.” Even though we might not be able to treat patients across different groups, it will be a great milestone to help at least one patient group.
GBM has an overall survival of 14.7 months after aggressive treatment with surgery, radiation, and temozolomide. Due to their heterogeneity, no definitive target exists to treat patients. Following recurrence, patients can only live for about 5-6 months. Lateef’s long-term vision is to bring precision medicine to the frontline of glioblastoma treatment. He hopes to see his research contribute to better overall survival and quality of life in glioblastoma patients. He said, “Finding an efficacious drug is one thing, but the most challenging part of glioblastoma treatment is getting the drug to cross the blood-brain barrier. Leveraging collaborations with experts at Virginia Tech, he looks forward to providing a passage for these drugs using focused ultrasound”.
As scientists like Lateef continue to push boundaries to find lasting treatment for glioblastoma, he emphasized the need for every individual to pay close attention to their brain health. He remains optimistic that his research holds promise in the treatment of glioblastoma, however, he reiterates that prevention is the best cure for cancer. Lateef’s story has proven that making impactful discoveries can be difficult, but not impossible. He encourages early career researchers and students focusing on cancer biology to remain steadfast and passionate in their pursuit of academic and professional excellence. Lateef is a guiding force for the next-generation scientists globally, particularly in Africa, where access to advanced cancer treatment modalities is limited.
He believes precision oncology is the future of glioblastoma therapy. As a doctoral researcher at Virginia Tech, USA, Lateef is working to revolutionize glioblastoma treatment through innovative research on discovering drugs that could be repositioned for glioblastoma treatment using precision oncology.
