Prof Imran Ahmad - Models of Advanced Prostate Cancer
Introduction
Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality in men in the western world. Identifying and understanding the pathways that drive advanced and treatment-resistant prostate cancer will provide important information that will allow prognostication and individualised patient treatments.
Androgens have been found to be important for prostate cancer progression and androgen deprivation therapy is usually effective at initially controlling the disease. In many cases, however, there is a recurrent castration-resistant phase, for which there is no effective treatment.
Our current research interest is in understanding the mechanisms of treatment-resistance in advanced prostate cancer. Work in my laboratory uses state-of-the-art in vivo models in conjunction with patient samples to interrogate the disease processes in advanced and treatment-resistant prostate cancer. This work will help to provide information on drivers of prostate cancer progression and to identify novel biomarkers of disease and/or drug targets to treat the disease.
EmailStarter Grant for Clinical Lecturers awardee
Prof Imran Ahmad explains how a Starter Grant from the Academy of Medical Sciences allowed him to continue his research following his PhD. Click here to read the interview.
Lab Report
Key Publications
Galbraith LCA, Mui E, Nixon C, Hedley A, Strachan D, MacKay G, Sumpton D, Sansom OJ, Leung HY, Ahmad I. PPAR-gamma induced AKT3 expression increases levels of mitochondrial biogenesis driving prostate cancer. Oncogene. 2021;40:2355-2366.
Ahmad I, Mui E, Galbraith L, Patel R, Tan EH, Salji M, Rust AG, Repiscak P, Hedley A, Markert E, Loveridge C, van der Weyden L, Edwards J, Sansom OJ, Adams DJ, Leung HY. Sleeping Beauty screen reveals Pparg activation in metastatic prostate cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2016; 113: 8290-5
Ahmad I, Patel R, Singh LB, Nixon C, Seywright M, Barnetson RJ, Muller WJ, Edwards J, Sansom OJ, Leung HY. HER2 overcomes PTEN (loss) induced Senescence to cause Aggressive Prostate Cancer. PNAS. 2011; 208: 16392-97.
Biography
Education and qualifications
2015: FEBU, European Board of Urology
2014: FRCS (Urol), Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng)
2010: PhD in Bladder Cancer Biology, 'The role of Wnt Signalling in Urothelial Cell Carcinoma', CRUK Beatson Institute/University of Glasgow
2005: MRCS, RCSEng
2003: MB ChB, University of Glasgow
2001: BSc (MedSci) Hons in Anatomical Sciences (Class 1:1), University of Glasgow
Appointments
2023-present: Professor of Urological Oncology, School of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow
2016-present: Honorary Consultant Urological & Robotic Surgeon, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
2016-2023: CRUK Clinician Scientist and Senior Clinical Lecturer in Uro-Oncology, University of Glasgow
Honours and awards
2022: EAU Best Paper in Fundamental Research 2022
2018: AUA-BAUS Visiting Scholar 2018
2017: Chairman's Award at NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
2017: EAU Best Paper in Fundamental Research 2017
2014: ARTP Award (L'Association pour la Recherche sur les Tumeurs de la Prostate)
2013: Thomas and Margaret Smellie Prize (Best PhD thesis by a medical graduate), University of Glasgow
2013: Hunterian Professorship, Royal College of Surgeons of England
2013: EAU Prostate Cancer Research Award
2012: The Royal Medico-Chirurgical Society of Glasgow Prize
2011: Sir James Black Medal, Scottish Society of Experimental Medicine
Recent Publications
2024
Beijert IJ, Hagberg O, Gårdmark T, Holmberg L, Häggström C, Johnston A, Trail M, Hamid S, Dreyer BA, Padovani L, Garau R, Hasan R, Ahmad I, Hendry D, Compérat EM, Burger M, Rouprêt M, Gontero P, Ribal MJ, van der Kwast TH, Babjuk M, Sylvester RJ, Mariappan P, Liedberg F, van Rhijn BWG. The Importance of Being Grade 3: A Plea for a Three-tier Hybrid Classification System for Grade in Primary Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer. Eur Urol. 2024;86(5):391-399.
Mariappan P, Johnston A, Trail M, Hamid S, Hollins G, Dreyer BA, Ramsey S, Padovani L, Garau R, Enriquez JG, Boden A, Maresca G, Simpson H, Hasan R, Sharpe C, Thomas BG, Chaudhry AH, Khan RS, Bhatt JR, Ahmad I, Nandwani GM, Dimitropoulos K, Makaroff L, Shaw J, Graham C, Hendry D. Achieving Benchmarks for National Quality Indicators Reduces Recurrence and Progression in Non-muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer. Eur Urol Oncol. 2024;7(6):1327-1337.
2023
Bennett SS, Leung HY, Ahmad I. A cohort analysis of patients receiving neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy prior to robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy during the Covid-19 pandemic. J Clin Urol. 2023;16:131-139.
Taggart R, Dutto L, Leung HY, Salji M, Ahmad I. A contemporary analysis of disease upstaging of Gleason 3 + 3 prostate cancer patients after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. Cancer Med. 2023.
Tibbo AJ, Hartley A, Vasan R, Shaw R, Galbraith L, Mui E, Leung HY, Ahmad I. MBTPS2 acts as a regulator of lipogenesis and cholesterol synthesis through SREBP signalling in prostate cancer. British Journal of Cancer. 2023;128: 1991–1999
Hartley A, Ahmad I. The role of PPARγ in prostate cancer development and progression. Br J Cancer. 2023;128:940-945.
2022
Catto JWF, Khetrapal P, Ricciardi F, Ambler G, Williams NR, Al-Hammouri T, Khan MS, Thurairaja R, Nair R, Feber A, Dixon S, Nathan S, Briggs T, Sridhar A, Ahmad I, Bhatt J, Charlesworth P, Blick C, Cumberbatch MG, Hussain SA, Kotwal S, Koupparis A, McGrath J, Noon AP, Rowe E, Vasdev N, Hanchanale V, Hagan D, Brew-Graves C, Kelly JD. Effect of Robot-Assisted Radical Cystectomy With Intracorporeal Urinary Diversion vs Open Radical Cystectomy on 90-Day Morbidity and Mortality Among Patients With Bladder Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Jama. 2022;327:2092-2103.
Dinneen E, Allen C, Strange T, Heffernan-Ho D, Banjeglav J, Lindsay J, Mulligan J-P, Briggs T, Nathan S, Sridhar A, Grierson J, Haider A, Panayi C, Patel D, Freeman A, Aning J, Persad R, Ahmad I, Dutto L, Oakley N, Ambrosi A, Parry T, Kasivisvanathan V, Giganti F, Shaw G, Punwani S. Negative mpMRI Rules Out Extra-Prostatic Extension in Prostate Cancer before Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy. Diagnostics. 2022;12:1057.
Sooriakumaran P, Wilson C, Rombach I, Hassanali N, Aning J, A DL, Cathcart P, Eden C, Ahmad I, Rajan P, Sridhar A, Bryant RJ, Elhage O, Cook J, Leung H, Soomro N, Kelly J, Nathan S, Donovan JL, Hamdy FC. Feasibility and safety of radical prostatectomy for oligo-metastatic prostate cancer: the Testing Radical prostatectomy in men with prostate cancer and oligo-Metastases to the bone (TRoMbone) trial. BJU Int. 2022;130:43-53.
2021
Galbraith LCA, Mui E, Nixon C, Hedley A, Strachan D, MacKay G, Sumpton D, Sansom OJ, Leung HY, Ahmad I. PPAR-gamma induced AKT3 expression increases levels of mitochondrial biogenesis driving prostate cancer. Oncogene. 2021;40:2355-2366.
Ntala C, Salji M, Salmond J, Officer L, Teodosio AV, Blomme A, McGhee EJ, Powley I, Ahmad I, Kruithof-de Julio M, Thalmann G, Roberts E, Goodyear CS, Jamaspishvili T, Berman DM, Carlin LM, Le Quesne J, Leung HY. Analysis of Prostate Cancer Tumor Microenvironment Identifies Reduced Stromal CD4 Effector T-cell Infiltration in Tumors with Pelvic Nodal Metastasis. Eur Urol Open Sci. 2021;29:19-29.
Tan WS, Arianayagam R, Khetrapal P, Rowe E, Kearley S, Mahrous A, Pal R, Fowler W, Heer R, Elajnaf M, Douglas-Moore J, Leyshon Griffiths TR, Voss J, Wilby D, Kadhi OA, Noel J, Vasdev N, McKay A, Ahmad I, Abu-Nayla I, et al. Major Urological Cancer Surgery for Patients is Safe and Surgical Training Should Be Encouraged During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multicentre Analysis of 30-day Outcomes. Eur Urol Open Sci. 2021;25:39-43
Hartley A, Leung HY, Ahmad I. Targeting the BAF complex in advanced prostate cancer. Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery. 2021;16:173-181.
2020
Loveridge CJ, Slater S, Campbell KJ, Nam NA, Knight J, Ahmad I, Hedley A, Lilla S, Repiscak P, Patel R, Salji M, Fleming J, Mitchell L, Nixon C, Strathdee D, Neilson M, Ntala C, Bryson S, Zanivan S, Edwards J, Robson CN, Goodyear CS, Blyth K, Leung HY. BRF1 accelerates prostate tumourigenesis and perturbs immune infiltration. Oncogene. 2020; 39:1797–1806
Mevel R, Steiner I, Mason S, Galbraith LCA, Patel R, Fadlullah MZH, Ahmad I, Leung HY, Oliveira P, Blyth K, Baena E, Lacaud G. RUNX1 marks a luminal castration resistant lineage established at the onset of prostate development. eLife. 2020;9:e60225.
Patel R, Brzezinska EA, Repiscak P, Ahmad I, Mui E, Gao M, Blomme A, Harle V, Tan EH, Malviya G, Mrowinska A, Loveridge CJ, Rushworth LK, Edwards J, Ntala C, Nixon C, Hedley A, Mackay G, Tardito S, Sansom OJ, Leung HY. Activation of beta-catenin cooperates with loss of Pten to drive AR-independent castration-resistant prostate cancer. Cancer research. 2020; 80: 576-590
2018
Patel R, Fleming J, Mui E, Loveridge C, Repiscak P, Blomme A, Harle V, Salji M, Ahmad I, Teo K, Hamdy FC, Hedley A, van den Broek N, Mackay G, Edwards J, et al. Sprouty2 loss-induced IL6 drives castration-resistant prostate cancer through scavenger receptor B1. EMBO Mol Med 2018; 10: e8347
Ahmad I, Sansom OJ. Role of Wnt signalling in advanced prostate cancer. J Pathol 2018; 245: 3-5
Galbraith L, Leung HY, Ahmad I. Lipid pathway deregulation in advanced prostate cancer. Pharmacol Res 2018; 131: 177-84
2017
Loveridge, CJ, Mui EJ, Patel R, Tan EH, Ahmad I, Welsh M, Galbraith J, Hedley A, Nixon C, Blyth K, Sansom O, Leung HY. Increased T cell infiltration elicited by Erk5 deletion in a Pten-deficient mouse model of prostate carcinogenesis. Canc Res 2017; 77: 3158–68
Loveridge, CJ, van't Hof RJ, Charlesworth G, King A, Tan EH, Rose L, Daroszewska A, Prior A, Ahmad I, Welsh M, Mui EJ, Ford C, Salji M, Sansom O, Blyth K, Leung HY. Analysis of Nkx3.1:Cre-driven Erk5 deletion reveals a profound spinal deformity which is linked to increased osteoclast activity. Sci Rep 2017; 7: 1324
Salji, M, Hendry, J, Patel, A, Ahmad, I, Nixon, C and Leung, HY. Peri-prostatic fat volume measurement as a predictive tool for castration resistance in advanced prostate cancer. Eur Urol Focus. 2017; 4: 858–866
Tan WS, Lamb BW, Tan MY, Ahmad I, Sridhar A, Nathan S, Hines J, Shaw G, Briggs TP, Kelly JD. In-depth analysis of complications following Robot-assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion. Eur Urol Focus. 2017; 3: 273–9
2016
Ahmad I, Mui E, Galbraith L, Patel R, Tan EH, Salji M, Rust AG, Repiscak P, Hedley A, Markert E, Loveridge C, van der Weyden L, Edwards J, Sansom OJ, Adams DJ, Leung HY. Sleeping Beauty screen reveals Pparg activation in metastatic prostate cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2016; 113: 8290-5
Lab Members
Group Leader
Imran Ahmad
Imran.Ahmad@glasgow.ac.uk
As a Surgeon-Scientist I am passionate about improving outcomes for my patients, keeping my research portfolio clinically relevant. In addition to running a lab at the CRUK Scotland Institute, I am a Urological Surgeon based at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, with a special interest in robotic surgery for advanced prostate and bladder cancer. As a partnership between NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and the University of Glasgow, the service has delivered several practice-changing clinical surgical trials over the last decade. I am very keen to hear from students and post-docs interested in prostate cancer, as well as clinicians interested in research. Outside work, I am often found at the local park with my 2 young sons.
Postdoctoral Scientist
Richa Vasan
Richa.Vasan@glasgow.ac.uk
I am Richa, a Postdoc Research Associate in the lab. I am studying Castration and Enzalutamide Resistance in Prostate Cancer using both in vitro and in vivo models. I did my PhD at the University of Nottingham. During my postgraduate studies I worked on multiple projects focussing on mechanisms in different cancer types. I am from India and moved to the UK for higher studies. In my free time I enjoy reading, cooking and practising yoga. .
PhD Students
Poppy Brown
2385470b@student.gla.ac.uk
I am a PhD student working on investigating novel immune targets and enhancing the immunogenicity of prostate cancer. I am from the north of Ireland and have lived in Glasgow from my undergraduate where I studied Molecular and Cellular Biology at UofG. Outside of the lab I love to enjoy the Scottish scenery, read and try my hand at lots of different crafts.
Zhangdong Jiang
3038562J@student.gla.ac.uk
I am Zhangdong Jiang, a PhD student working on how mitochondria contribute to tumorigenesis and treatment resistance in prostate cancer. I am from China, where I completed my undergraduate degree in clinical medicine and master's in surgery with a focus on urology at Xi'an Jiaotong University. Outside of the lab, I enjoy traveling around, reading, and practicing calligraphy.
