IMU Lecturer and Team Won Second Prize at 2016 NIH Week

A/Prof Ng Chew Hee (Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, IMU), Dr Alan Khoo Soo Beng (Adjunct A/Prof at Institute for Research, Development and Innovation, IMU; Head, Molecular Pathology Unit, Cancer Research Centre, Institute for Medical Research) and their research group submitted an entry for the Poster Competition at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Week from 19 – 23 November 2016. The poster presented is “Novel Copper-based Ternary Complexes with Anti-cancer Properties – Evidence from In Vitro and In Vivo Studies” and it won the team second prize in the Biomedical Category. A/Prof Ng Chew Hee has been working on anticancer transition metal complexes since 2007 and has been awarded numerous grants for anticancer research, amounting to more than RM600,000. In an attempt to develop a Malaysian made anticancer drug, he started an initial collaboration with Institute for Medical Research (IMR) when Prof Patricia Lim was the Head of the Molecular Pathology Unit in IMR. This collaboration involving Pauline Balraj resulted in a publication in Dalton Transaction (Chemistry Tier 1 journal; impact factor 4.177). Subsequent work with Dr Alan Khoo and many years of fruitful collaboration finally yielded the award of a patent with MyIPO in 2016. Next, A/Prof Ng Chew Hee and his team will be moving into Precision Medicine where they will be investigating how genetic factors affect the sensitivity and resistance of different cancers towards anticancer metallodrugs.

Cancer affects both more and less economically developed nations, and poses a grave burden on society. GLOBOCAN estimates about 8.2 million deaths and 14.1 million new cancer cases in 2012. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among males in both more and less developed countries. Breast cancer has remained the leading cause of cancer death among females in less developed countries. There has been a recent shift in development of anticancer drugs from platinum-type compound to non-platinum compounds because of its toxicity and resistance.