Dr Farjana B Rowther

School of Applied Sciences‌

After completing a masters from Mumbai University, Farjana worked as a researcher in molecular microbiology at PD Hinduja National hospital & MRC (Mumbai). Her research career in UK started with a doctorate at Keele.

Currently as a brain tumour UK postdoctoral fellow, Farjana is investigating molecular mechanisms underlying chemo-resistance in WHO grade IV astrocytoma.

Micro-RNA Expression Profiling to identify Novel Therapeutic targets in High-Grade Astrocytoma Cultures

Introduction
Malignant astrocytoma is most common and aggressive type of tumour of the central nervous system. Despite improvements in surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, prognosis of patients   is <1 year. miRNAs are anti-gene molecules which alter expression of specific genes. They are implicated in the initiation and progression of multiple cancers and in the development of resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs.

Aims & Objectives
The primary aim was to investigate the expression of these miRNAs in aggressive brain tumour cells (short-term high grade astrocytoma cultures) derived from patients. Secondly to investigate the role of specific miRNA in the development of resistance to common chemotherapeutic drugs.                                         

Methods
miRNA was extracted from the panel of aggressive brain tumour cells and were tested for their miRNA expression pattern on microarrays chips. Microarray is a high throughput technology that allowed rapid and multiple testing of these anti-gene molecules.

Research design
The data generated were analyzed to recognize miRNA expression pattern that are specific for cells resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs.

Summary findings
The current study enabled identification of handful of miRNA targets that may be useful in predicting p53 status of the tumours (miR-145, miR221), chemo-sensitivity to Vincristine (miR-145, miR221) and Doxorubicin (miR-3960, miR-21) which could potentially allow customization of treatment strategy. In addition, the current study also has enabled identification of cell growth associated (miR-22, miR125b) and oncogenic (miR-221, miR-125b, miR-23a, miR-720) miRNAs. The validation experiments for these target miRNAs are being currently conducted.

Conclusion
These results potentially could lead to the development of novel therapeutic strategies to treat patients with aggressive type of adult brain tumour.

(Published from University of Wolverhampton)

Rowther FB, Wei W, Dawson TP, AshtonK, Anushree S, Madiesse Timchou MP, Thomas D.G.T.,Darling JL, Warr T (2015). Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase-1C (PDE1C) drives cell proliferation, migration and invasion in glioblastoma multiforme cells in vitro. Mol Carcinog (In Press)

Baggott RR, Alfranca A, López-Maderuelo D, Mohamed TM, Escolano A, Oller J, Ornes BC, Kurusamy S, Rowther FB, Brown JE, Oceandy D, Cartwright EJ, Wang W, Gómez-del Arco P, Martínez-Martínez S, Neyses L, Redondo JM, Armesilla AL (2014). Plasma membrane calcium ATPase isoform 4 inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor-mediated angiogenesis through interaction with calcineurin. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 34(10):2310-20.

Fahs S, Rowther FB, Dennison SR, Patil-Sen Y, Warr T, Snape TJ (2014). Development of a novel, multifunctional, membrane-interactive pyridinium salt with potent anticancer activity. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 24(15):3430-3.

Saurabh P,  Zaheer A, Frederick H,  Katherine K, Robert L, Rowther FB, Warr T, Snape TJ (2013). Preliminary biological evaluation and mechanism of action studies of selected 2-arylindoles against glioblastoma. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 21 (7). pp. 1918-1924.

Snape TJ., Karakoula K, Rowther FB and Warr T (2012). Exploiting conformationally restricted N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-diarylureas as biologically active CC double bond analogues: synthesis and biological evaluation of combretastatin A-4 analogues. RSC Advances, 2 (19). p. 7557.

Rowther FB, Kardooni H, Warr T. (2012). TOUCH-UP gradient amplification method. J Biomol Tech. 2012 Apr;23(1):1-3.

(Published from University of Keele)

Rowther FB, Richardson A, Clayton RN, Farrell WE (2010). Bromocriptine and dopamine mediate independent and synergistic apoptotic pathways in pituitary cells. Neuroendocrinology. 91(3):256-67.

(Published from P.D.Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai)

Rowther FB, Rodrigues CS, Deshmukh MS, Kapadia FN, Hegde A, Mehta AP, Joshi VR. Prospective comparison of eubacterial PCR and measurement of procalcitonin levels with blood culture for diagnosing septicemia in intensive care unit patients. (2009). J Clin Microbiol.47(9):2964-9.

Rowther FB, Rodrigues C, Mehta AP, Deshmukh MS, Kapadia FN, Hegde A, Joshi VR. (2005) An improved method of elimination of DNA from PCR reagents. Mol Diagn. 2005; 9(2):53-7.