Presenter: Abhirami Thaivalappil, Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics, Global Public Health Scholars
In many non-western countries, traditional medicine systems (such as Ayurveda or Kampo) are often used as a primary treatment method for various illnesses, including cancer. In India alone, over 1/3 of cancer patients claim to use Ayurvedic medicine either alone or alongside conventional chemotherapy, which makes research into these therapies vitally important to study their effects. At SP Pune University in India, clinical trials are underway to explore the effects of two Ayurvedic plants, Withania somniferia and Asparagus racemosus, when used with chemotherapy.
My practicum project aims to study the effects of these two compounds on the development of multidrug resistance in cancer cells. Multidrug resistance is influenced by the presence of some ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) Transporters. ABC transporters are mostly membrane proteins that translocate substances into and out of cells. When cancer cells arise, the overexpression of certain ABC transporters such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) renders these cells resistant to chemotherapy drugs. My project studies the effect of Withania smoniferia and Asparagus racemosus extracts on the activity of P-gp.
You are an excellent presenter, Ami. Even virtually! You demonstrate personal connection and it sounds like the experience convinced you to go further down this path.
This was really good, and your poster is very well done! I was wondering if you had any explanation for why the western world does not already use Ayurvedic medicine in addition to chemotherapy?
Hey Reva! Thanks for your comment!
I think this experience has certainly showed me that my work can have global public health applications, even though it might not be very overt. In GPH, a lot of the examples of careers we saw had very clear ties to global public health, where people were working with NGOs, public health legislation, or similar topics. My practicum experience was heavily involved with wet lab work (conducting physical experiments on cells) which, at a glance, doesn't seem to be related to global health. However, since I was researching the implications of Ayurvedic medicines and chemotherapy on cancer , I was able to recognize that my work still could be applied in a global context.…
Excellent job! Your presentation is clear, engaging and informative. What a great experience you had! How do you think this will inform your future career goals in global public health?