Investigating Paclitaxel (anti cancer drug) resistance
Fundraising campaign by
Viren Umrethiya
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US$0.00raised of $1,500.00 goal goal
No more donations are being accepted at this time. Please contact the campaign owner if you would like to discuss further funding opportunities
Campaign Story
I got accepted to work in a Cancer research lab at University of Cambridge. However, like most programs and opportunities, funded positions were only available to EU students. Having a decent background of voluntary research that I did in India, I thought I would be in a better position to get a funded opportunity, but it was not so. Most research programs use grades to filter out applicants. Since we have an absolute grading system, despite my grades being good, they don’t reflect well on my resume. Also, there is no set standard in the conduct of MBBS exams in India, rendering grades obsolete to compare two individuals even from different parts of the same country.
My previous research was focused on extraction and purification of a novel protein involved in DNA damage repair. The inhibition of which, would result in chemo/radio-resistant tumours to be converted to chemo/radio-sensitive tumours.
Present Opportunity
- I would be staying there for a period of 2 months and work on a project that analyses the mechanism of resistance to Paclitaxel, on of the most widely used anti-cancer drug.
- I have managed to arrange for my travel expenses.
- The proposed amount will cover my food and accommodation.
About the Drug
Paclitaxel is a medication used to treat a number of types of cancers like breast cancer, lung cancer which are the most prevalent. Paclitaxel is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, a list of the most important medication needed in a basic health system.
Mechanism of Action
Paclitaxel stabilizes the microtubule polymer and protects it from disassembly. Chromosomes are thus unable to achieve a metaphase spindle configuration. This blocks progression of mitosis, and prolonged activation of the mitotic checkpoint triggers apoptosis or reversion to the G-phase of the cell cycle without cell division. In short, it prevents cell division, thus preventing cancer cells from proliferating
Organizer
- Viren Umrethiya
- Campaign Owner
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