Publications

• Ahmed A A, Goldsmith J, Fokt I, Le X F, Krzysko K A, Lesyng B, Bast R C, and Priebe W (2011) A genistein derivative, ITB-301, induces microtubule depolymerization and mitotic arrest in multidrug-resistant ovarian cancer. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol.

• Ahmed Ahmed A, Wang Xiaoyan, Lu Zhen, Goldsmith Juliet, Le Xiao-Feng, Grandjean Geoffrey, Bartholomeusz Geoffrey, Broom Bradley, and Bast Robert CJ (2011) Modulating microtubule stability enhances the cytotoxic response of cancer cells to Paclitaxel. Cancer Res, 71(17):5806-17.

• Badgwell D B, Lu Z, Le K, Gao F, Yang M, Suh G K, Bao J J, Das P, Andreeff M, Chen W, Yu Y, Ahmed A A, S-L L i, and Bast R C (2011) The tumor-suppressor gene ARHI (DIRAS3) suppresses ovarian cancer cell migration through inhibition of the Stat3 and FAK/Rho signaling pathways. Oncogene.

• Chen M Y, Liao W S, Lu Z, Bornmann W G, Hennessey V, Washington M N, Rosner G L, Yu Y, Ahmed A A, and Bast R C (2011) Decitabine and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) inhibit growth of ovarian cancer cell lines and xenografts while inducing expression of imprinted tumor suppressor genes, apoptosis, G2/M arrest, and autophagy. Cancer.

• Le Xiao-Feng, Mao Weiqun, He Guangan, Claret Francois-Xavier, Xia Weiya, Ahmed Ahmed A, Hung Mien-Chie, Siddik Zahid H, and Bast Robert CJ (2011) The Role of p27Kip1 in Dasatinib-Enhanced Paclitaxel Cytotoxicity in Human Ovarian Cancer Cells. J Natl Cancer Inst, 103(18):1403-22.

Dr Ahmed Ahmed

Dr Ahmed's research focusses on personalization of therapy to circumvent antimitotic drug resistance in cancer.

World wide, over 200,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer every year of whom only one fourth will remain alive five years following the diagnosis. This makes ovarian cancer the most lethal Gynaecological malignancy. Incomplete response to primary therapy allows the development of chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer and this leads to progressive disease that is difficult to treat. The goal of our lab is to study the molecular mechanisms driving ovarian cancer cell growth so that targeted therapies can be introduced to improve chemotherapy response in ovarian cancer. One of the important therapies used for the treatment of ovarian and other cancers is the taxane microtubule stabilizing agent paclitaxel. We have identified several genes that upon targeting induce synergistic interaction with paclitaxel-mediated cytotoxicity.  Our approach is to conduct mechanistic analyses of potential novel targets to unravel insights into the fundamental mechanisms of response to taxane therapy that can be exploited for treating ovarian cancers.

Research Projects:

• Enhancing microtubule stability

• Interfering with mitosis

• Translational studies

Research Opportunities

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship opportunities are now available. For informal enquiries about this and DPhil studentships please contact Dr Ahmed via email: ahmed.ahmed@obs-gyn.ox.ac.uk

‘Starvation gene’ could make resistance futile for ovarian cancer cells
Dr Ahmed talks about the research in the Ovarian Cancer Research Laboratory
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Ahmed is a Clinical Reader at the Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Oxford and a Consultant Gynaecological Oncology Surgeon at the Oxford Cancer and Haematology Centre and is a Fellow of St Hugh’s College. Ahmed leads laboratory-based translational research in Gynaecological Oncology. His main interest is in the surgical, medical and fundamental research into ovarian cancer. Ahmed graduated from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt and completed his PhD and Gynaecological Oncology Surgical training at the University of Cambridge. Ahmed received his postdoctoral research experience both at the University of Cambridge and at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre in the USA.