Professor Dr. Rasha Abdul Ali Al-Khalidi, Head of the Biomedical Applications Department at the College of Artificial Intelligence, University of Baghdad, participated as a member of the doctoral dissertation committee for student Marwa Mohsen Khudair Nazal Al-Rubaie at the College of Science, University of Baghdad. The dissertation, titled “Evaluating the Role of the Wnt/β-catenin Pathway in Cancer Development in Vitro,” explored the role of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in cancer development. Specifically, it evaluated the effect of inhibiting this pathway on esophageal and colorectal cancer cells, comparing the results to those of normal cells using a range of molecular and biological assays.
The study’s findings demonstrated that inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway reduced cancer cell proliferation, induced apoptosis (programmed cell death), and decreased their ability to spread, with a limited effect on normal cells. This confirms the potential of this pathway as a promising therapeutic target for treating esophageal and colorectal cancers.
At the conclusion of the discussion, the discussion committee decided to award the student a PhD with distinction, in appreciation of her scientific efforts and the value of the results reached in the thesis, wishing her continued success in her academic and research career.
