Khandoker Usran Ferdous, PharmB

Research Program: Cancer Therapeutics Faculty Rank: Graduate Assistant Campus: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College: College of Medicine Department: Pathobiology

Cancer Research Interest

• Disease Site Focus: GI
• Research Focus Area: Treatment
• Type of Research: Translational
• Research Keywords: Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Pancreatic Cancer, Gastrointestinal Cancer, Liver Cancer, Colon Cancer
• Research Interest Statement: I am working on Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) which is a type of pancreatic cancer that consists of around 85% of all the pancreatic cancer types. As a Ph.D. student, my project is focused on evaluating the effect of oncolytic virus expressing proteolytic enzymes in PDAC both in vivo and ex vivo. Since PDAC is surrounded by dense stroma, proteolytic enzymes expressed from oncolytic virus helps in increasing the intratumoral biodistribution of oncolytic virus and immune cells, thereby boosting cancer cell killing and anti-tumor immune response. Our lab also focuses on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) where I am also exploring the opportunity to carry out preclinical evaluation of oncolytic viruses in HCC murine models. Working on gastrointestinal cancer (GI) is turning me into an avid researcher to explore more about other therapeutic options or to combine novel therapeutic approaches with the existing ones. By the course of my research, I am planning to learn viral genetic engineering, molecular biology, pharmacology, and microbiology research techniques and also having a robust translational scientific knowledge on gastrointestinal cancer research - to translate bench side knowledge to bed side panacea. My plan is to join academia in my future, build my lab to collaborate with existing GI cancer labs, and further investigate possible therapies to help dying patients. I, therefore, aspire to evolve as a true translational cancer scientist who will contribute to development of effective virus mediated cancer immunotherapies.

Contact Information

• Email Address: KFERDOUS@UAMS.EDU

Recent Publications

• Ferdous KU, Tesfay MZ, Cios A, [et al.]. Enhancing Neoadjuvant Virotherapy's Effectiveness by Targeting Stroma to Improve Resectability in Pancreatic Cancer. Biomedicines. 2024 12(7). PMID: 39062169. PMCID: PMC11275208.
• Zhang Y, Gabere M, Taylor MA, [et al., including Ferdous KU]. Repurposing live attenuated trivalent MMR vaccine as cost-effective cancer immunotherapy. Frontiers in oncology. 2022 12:1042250. PMID: 36457491. PMCID: PMC9706410.
• Rahman MM, Ferdous KU, Roy S, [et al.]. Polyphenolic compounds of amla prevent oxidative stress and fibrosis in the kidney and heart of 2K1C rats. Food science & nutrition. 2020 8(7):3578-3589. PMID: 32724620. PMCID: PMC7382108.