Shahnaz’s bid to engineer next-gen cancer therapies
At Michigan State University, Bangladeshi researcher Shahnaz Akhtar Nishat is working on a field where molecular biology, bioengineering and drug development converge, seeking to design precision therapeutics capable of targeting cancer cells more selectively.
Her research focuses on next-generation antibody therapeutics, with particular attention to tumour-associated carbohydrate antigens and complex cancers such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
Shahnaz completed both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in organic chemistry at the University of Dhaka before moving to the United States for doctoral research at Michigan State University.
At Michigan State, she works across the Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering under the supervision of Dr Xuefei Huang, a pioneering researcher in glycobiology.
Her work brings together several areas of advanced molecular and bioengineering research, including protein engineering, antibody development, glycoprotein remodelling and complex glycan synthesis.
A major focus of her research has been the development of antibody therapeutics capable of recognising tumour-associated carbohydrate antigens and targeting difficult-to-treat carcinomas.
The research carries particular significance for pancreatic cancer, one of the most challenging forms of the disease.
According to 2025 estimates from the American Cancer Society, more than 67,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer were projected in the United States, along with nearly 52,000 deaths.
The disease has an exceptionally low five-year survival rate, with aggressive forms such as PDAC posing a particularly serious challenge to cancer treatment.
Against this backdrop, Shahnaz’s work seeks to exploit advances in molecular design and glycan engineering to develop more targeted therapeutic approaches.
One of the central components of her research is the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) through precision glycan engineering.
ADCs combine the targeting ability of antibodies with potent cytotoxic drugs, allowing therapeutic agents to be directed towards cancer cells.
The approach has emerged as an important area of the US biopharmaceutical industry, with applications in both solid tumours and blood cancers.
The commercial potential of the technology has also helped drive investment in the sector. There were 15 FDA approvals of ADCs through 2023, while blockbuster therapies such as Kadcyla have generated billions of dollars in global revenue.
The growing therapeutic and commercial prospects of ADCs have attracted venture capital investment, cross-sector partnerships and strategic acquisitions, reinforcing their importance in biopharmaceutical research and development.
Within this rapidly developing field, Shahnaz is working to advance her targeted therapeutic constructs towards preclinical stages.
Her research uses precision glycan engineering to develop antibody-drug conjugates intended to deliver targeted treatment against cancer.
The work represents an effort to bridge the gap between laboratory-based molecular discovery and potential applications in medicine.
For a researcher who began her academic journey in organic chemistry at the University of Dhaka, the work at Michigan State places her at the intersection of molecular science, biomedical engineering and therapeutic development.
Her research reflects the broader potential of biotechnology to translate sophisticated molecular engineering into new approaches for diseases that remain among medicine’s most difficult challenges.
