Cancer remains a global menace, claiming countless lives. In 2020 alone, the world recorded 19.3 million new cancer cases and nearly 10 million cancer-related deaths. This grim reality set the stage for Nasr O M Eshibona’s doctoral research conducted at the South African National Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI) at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).
Eshibona, who graduated in September 2023, titled his thesis, Novel Genomic Biomarkers for Paediatric and Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).
Cancer is challenging to treat, and Eshibona’s research contributes to the ever-growing literature on methodological advancements. “Genomic profiling enhances the understanding of disease progression. In this study, the identified prognostic biomarkers have the potential to be applied in clinical practices and improve the course of the disease.
From the time of diagnosis, a clinician can be guided and able to predict the outcome for administering a more effective therapy based on the gene expression level of the identified prognostic biomarkers and the possibility of being used as target therapy,” Eshibona wrote in the conclusion of his work.
Nasr O M Eshibona’s thesis is entitled Novel Genomic Biomarkers for Paediatric and Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).
Eshibona explained: “Literature revealed that Acute Myeloid Leukemia continues to present clinical practitioners with difficulties due to the heterogeneity discrepancy of survival. With the guidance of my supervisor, we addressed this issue and found the biological insight to overcome this matter by identifying genetic biomarkers that physicians could potentially use to guide therapeutic strategy.”
Hailing from Libya, Eshibona chose UWC as his first academic home, expressing his thoughts on the extraordinary learning environment it provides. “UWC offers an exceptional learning environment for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, where staff provide knowledge with passion and enthusiasm,” he said.
“During my MSc and PhD, I was introduced to several training and workshop opportunities to help me achieve my goals. I started my MSc in Biotechnology in 2016 as a first-time student studying abroad. In my MSc journey, I was introduced to cancer research using bioinformatics tools. That encouraged me to pursue my PhD in Bioinformatics at SANBI, focussing on cancer research, which offered the advantage of available clinical genetic data from recruited patients,” said Eshibona.
Eshibona is hopeful that his research will have a lasting impact after his studies. “I hope that these findings will translate into clinical practice. The identified biomarker has already been recognised and cited by other researchers, indicating the work’s potency and paving the way for further discussion and investigation. Similarly, the other results obtained from the valuable work at UWC could establish closer collaboration with a clinical research unit.”
Eshibona, who graduated in September 2023, titled his thesis, Novel Genomic Biomarkers for Paediatric and Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).
Cancer is challenging to treat, and Eshibona’s research contributes to the ever-growing literature on methodological advancements. “Genomic profiling enhances the understanding of disease progression. In this study, the identified prognostic biomarkers have the potential to be applied in clinical practices and improve the course of the disease.
From the time of diagnosis, a clinician can be guided and able to predict the outcome for administering a more effective therapy based on the gene expression level of the identified prognostic biomarkers and the possibility of being used as target therapy,” Eshibona wrote in the conclusion of his work.
Nasr O M Eshibona’s thesis is entitled Novel Genomic Biomarkers for Paediatric and Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).Hailing from Libya, Eshibona chose UWC as his first academic home, expressing his thoughts on the extraordinary learning environment it provides. “UWC offers an exceptional learning environment for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, where staff provide knowledge with passion and enthusiasm,” he said.
“During my MSc and PhD, I was introduced to several training and workshop opportunities to help me achieve my goals. I started my MSc in Biotechnology in 2016 as a first-time student studying abroad. In my MSc journey, I was introduced to cancer research using bioinformatics tools. That encouraged me to pursue my PhD in Bioinformatics at SANBI, focussing on cancer research, which offered the advantage of available clinical genetic data from recruited patients,” said Eshibona.
Eshibona is hopeful that his research will have a lasting impact after his studies. “I hope that these findings will translate into clinical practice. The identified biomarker has already been recognised and cited by other researchers, indicating the work’s potency and paving the way for further discussion and investigation. Similarly, the other results obtained from the valuable work at UWC could establish closer collaboration with a clinical research unit.”
