Zakaria Abd Elmageed, PhD

Dr. Abd Elmageed is a research instructor in the Department of Urology at Tulane University School of Medicine. His research interests include the cellular and molecular biology of prostate, breast and thyroid cancers. Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. Dr. Abd Elmageed’s current research focuses on elucidating the role of signaling and tumor microenvironment on adipose-derived stem cells in prostate cancer (PCa). He is also investigating the differential expression profile of estrogen and its receptors (Alpha/Beta) in PCa based on race, age and genetic background. Tissue microarray (TMA), IHC, proteomics, microRNA arrays and other molecular techniques have been used in tissue culture, on animal models and in human samples to test this hypothesis. Dr. Abd Elmageed’s future research goal is to elucidate the role of miRNAs delivered by cancer-related exosomes in the induction of neoplastic transformation of adipose-derived stem cells into PCa. He also wants to continue to study the tumor microenvironment (niche) growth releasing factors which modulate the transformation of mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and in vivo, as this has the potential for many applications in discovering new therapeutic interventions