The Role of NFkB pathway in Prostate Cancer Pathogenesis
Why the Lübeck-Sharjah Dual Degree Program?
I joined the dual degree program to broaden my research experience across different institutions and scientific environments. This opportunity allows me to exchange knowledge between research labs and learn from diverse scientific approaches. The program provides a strong platform to conduct methodologically rigorous and globally relevant research, ultimately contributing to more inclusive and impactful scientific outcomes that are applicable across populations.
The program has been an enriching experience, enabled me to integrate my clinical background with advanced research techniques. I’ve been actively involved in oncology project using multi-omics approaches—particularly transcriptomics and proteomics—supported by advanced bioinformatics pipelines for data processing and biological interpretation.
Not all prostate cancers behave the same—some remain slow-growing for years, while others quickly become aggressive and life-threatening. The challenge is that it’s often difficult to predict which cases will progress. My research focuses on understanding the biological signals that drive this progression. By identifying reliable biomarkers, we aim to predict which patients are at higher risk and guide more personalized treatment plans—helping avoid overtreatment for those with less aggressive disease.
The Project:
Prostate cancer (PC) is a global health issue, ranked as the second most common cancer among men and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with approximately 397,000 deaths reported in 2022. However, the disease’s etiology and onset are not yet fully understood. PC is a heterogeneous disease correlated with various genetic, environmental, and inflammatory factors, with a notable association between chronic inflammation and PC progression. It is still challenging to fully understand the exact triggers of immune dysregulation and inflammation due to the complexity of the tumor microenvironment. The Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) pathway plays a central role in regulating multiple cellular processes, including cell growth, apoptosis, immune response, and inflammation. Loss of regulatory control within the NF-κB pathway, often due to the aberrant expression of its components, can disrupt these processes and promote tumorigenesis. The pathway consists of numerous inhibitors, receptors, and subunits, and regulates many inducible genes. Among these are B-cell lymphoma 3 (BCL-3) which function as in inhibitory molecule and B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2), as NF-κB inducible anti-apoptotic gene. The interaction and interplay between these two genes in PC have not yet been addressed. Therefore, assessing the expression of NF-κB-related molecules across different stages of the disease and the downstream effects is crucial to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying PC progression and the development of more targeted therapies, particularly in high-grade cases where current therapies remain limited in efficacy.
Ranyah Mohammed Saleh Al-hakm
Second Year Phd Student
PIs Lübeck:
Prof. Timo Gemoll
Prof. Axel Merseburger
PIs Sharjah:
- Projects
- Lina Walid Moh'd Sahnoon
- Nawal Saeed Ali Alhafri Alketbi
- Ranyah Mohammed Saleh Al-hakm
- Salam Mohamad Dak Al Bab
