Ever spray a new perfume or cologne but soon after lose your ability to smell it?
While a simplistic analogy, that same sort of “signal reception and desensitization” is at the heart of research by Dr. Eleonora Zakharian and could lead to future, new techniques for effectively treating cancer.
Zakharian, a postdoctoral researcher in pharmacology and physiology and the latest assistant professor of cancer biology at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, says understanding how certain molecules and their complex structures operate could shed light on more easily delivering cancer-fighting treatments and inhibiting cancer cell growth.
“Cells, like our noses, can become desensitized, and ‘close’ up,” said Zakharian. “We’re looking at finding the tools to keep specific cells ‘open’ and hopefully answer some of the questions of how to treat cancer doing so.”
Zakharian, a former assistant professor at New Jersey Medical School, brings to Peoria funded research in Transient Receptor Potential ion channels and biological polymers such as Polyhydroxybutyrate and Inorganic Polyphosphates – molecules found in all living organisms. She is funded by the National Institutes of Health and by the American Heart Association.
Zakharian’s arrival at UICOMP also represents continued growth in research at the College of Medicine, including in the area of cancer. She will occupy a portion of the first floor of UICOMP’s Cancer Research Center, which completed a $13 million expansion project nearly a year ago. Recruitment of additional researchers is underway.
Zakharian is currently in the process of setting up her lab equipment and will be joined in the next two months by two additional postdoctoral researchers who will assist her in her work.
Regional Dean Dr. Sara Rusch said Zakharian’s work is one example of the diverse, basic science research taking place at UICOMP.
“While cancer research is our main focus, our team of researchers in the Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology are also known nationally and internationally for their work in Alzheimer’s, stem cells, spinal cord injury, chronic exposure to depleted uranium and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.”
As part of the largest public medical school in the United States, the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria is a leader in education and research. Located in Downtown Peoria, UICOMP educates more than 150 medical students annually, offers 11 medical graduate residency programs seven fellowships and is home to the cutting-edge Cancer Research Center. UICOMP physicians also provide care to thousands of patients each year.