Basmina Parmakhtiar, Ph.D.

Provide medical and scientific support for Sanofi Genzyme's Rare Genetics portfolio including Gaucher, ASMD, Fabry, Pompe, and MPS I diseases and supporting the current rare disease pipeline.

Carrying out an independent research project elucidating the structures of agents that promote cancer stem cell differentiation.  Determine whether two lead compounds act synergistically with agents that inhibit hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF), a transcription factor that upregulates hTERT and is associated with the cancer stem cell phenotype.  Mass Spectrometry, basic HPLC, and basic NMR Spectroscopy. Purifying small quantitites to identify structure of most active cancer stem cell differentiation inducing agent.

The general focus has been identifying mechanisms for drug resistance in cancer, specifically, targeting signaling pathways upregulated by hypoxia in ovarian cancer and melanoma. This provides a useful therapeutic strategy for debilitating tumor progression and metastasis. In addition, our focus is identifying markers for angiogenesis that can lead to prognostic information and predict response to various anti-angiogenesis therapies. My PhD research focus has been evaluating the underlying mechanisms for hypoxia induced drug resistance in cancer, specifically targeting HIF-1α driven pathways with the use of cell lines and primary tumors using various small molecule inhibitors, such as topotecan, and naturally occurring compounds, such as resveratrol, and evaluating their effects in vitro. We are also evaluating synergistic interactions between various agents. These mechanisms are also being evaluated in primary tumors. Publications 1. Tang Y, Parmakhtiar B, Simoneau AR. Xie J, Fruehauf J, Lilly M, and Zi, X. Lycopene enhances docetaxel’s effect in castration-resistant prostate cancer associated with insulin-like growth factor I receptor levels. Neoplasia, 2011 Feb; 13(2):108-19. 2. Trapp, V, Parmakhtiar, B, Papazian V, Willmott L, Fruehauf J Anti-angiogenic effects of resveratrol mediated by decreased VEGF and increased TSP1 expression in melanoma-endothelial cell coculture. Angiogenesis, 2010 Dec; 13(4):305-15. 3. Han ES, Burger RA, Darcy KM, Sill MW, Randall L, Chase D, Parmakhtiar B, Monk BJ, Greer BE, Geest KD, and Fruehauf JP. Predictive and Prognostic Angiogenic Markers in a Gynecologic Oncology Group Phase II Trial of Bevacizumab in Recurrent and Persistent Ovarian or Peritoneal Cancer. Gynecologic Oncology, 2010 Dec; 119 (3):484-90.