Despite major advances in the early detection of some cancers, preventive measures and response to therapeutic innervations with the traditional chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy as well as targeted therapeutics with monoclonal antibody based drugs and small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, cancer is a global health problem and a major cause of death worldwide.?
In order to reduce the cancer mortality rates, in addition to preventive measures, there is an urgent need for more comprehensive basic and translational cancer research that ultimately leads to identification of additional therapeutic targets and development of more effective therapeutic agents. Monoclonal antibody (mAb) technology is an ideal tool for discovery of cell surface antigens with high levels of expression in tumour cells.?Using this technology, mAbs can be produced which are directed against distinct epitopes on the cell surface antigens of living tumour cells for use in basic research and cancer diagnosis and therapy.?
As George Bernard Shaw rightly said, "science never solves a problem without creating ten more". Having completed my Masters in Cancer Biology, I realised that my laboratory research left me with numerous unsolved problems and awakened a heightened curiosity for research in the field of immune therapy. After working as a Medical Advisor for a pharmaceutical company that specialises in immune oncology drugs, I realised that in order to quench my thirst for knowledge, I must pursue active research in the form of a PhD.