The CityU iGEM Team is Back in 2024 – The Babak Lab

The Babak Lab shared a post on LinkedIn:

“The CityU iGEM Team is Back in 2024!

We’re thrilled to announce that the CityU iGEM team is once again participating in the iGEM Competition. This year, our team of 18 innovators is tackling a critical issue affecting cancer patients globally: drug counterfeiting.

Did you know? In 2021, over 6,000 counterfeit drug cases were reported worldwide, threatening the lives of cancer patients in vulnerable regions, including war zones and developing countries. One of the drugs frequently counterfeited is Bevacizumab, a vital cancer treatment. In 2012, the FDA reported that over 19 hospitals had unknowingly purchased counterfeit batches of this life-saving medication.

That’s where our project comes in. We’ve developed an aptamer-based lateral flow test strip for the rapid detection of counterfeit Bevacizumab. This express test is affordable, sensitive, and easy to use, making it ideal for regions lacking advanced medical infrastructure.

Our mission? To ensure that cancer patients everywhere have access to genuine treatments and improve treatment quality assurance on a global scale.

How can this type of innovation impact global healthcare? What challenges do you think we might face when distributing such devices to developing regions?

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this issue! Drop your comments below and let’s start a conversation on how we can ensure safer treatments for everyone.”

Maria Babak shared the above post on LinkedIn, adding:

“This is a huge step forward! The CityU iGEM team is making a real impact by tackling the global issue of counterfeit cancer drugs. Their innovative test could save lives in regions where access to genuine medicine is scarce. This is a brilliant example of how science can change the world for the better.

Curious about how such innovations can shape healthcare? Or what it takes to bring such solutions to underserved areas? Share your thoughts and let’s discuss!

What other areas of healthcare do you think need innovation like this? How can we overcome the challenges of distributing these technologies globally?”

Dr. Maria (Masha) Babak is the Head of The Babak Lab and an Assistant Professor at the City University of Hong Kong. In November 2020, she joined the City University of Hong Kong as an assistant professor. Dr. Babak received the Graeme Hanson-AsBIC Early Career Award in 2022.

Her research interests are at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and medicine, with a focus on the discovery and preclinical development of anticancer drugs for resistant and aggressive cancers with limited treatment options, such as malignant pleural mesothelioma and brain metastases. She received the Yvonne Award by OncoDaily in the “mentorship” category.