Walking through his village in Nigeria, Dr. Samson Amos, chair and
associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at Cedarville
University, heard a woman’s persistent cries.
Having recently graduated with his
Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Nigeria, Amos knew he
could not ignore his neighbor’s cries. He found her with eyes
closed and tears streaming down her face — she had recently been
diagnosed with breast cancer.
Upon hearing Amos’ familiar voice, the
woman said, “Samson, please help women like me.” Moved with
compassion, Amos knew he was being called to use his gifts to help
others through cancer research.
“I may not have all the answers, but I
can depend upon the knowledge that God has given me to find
solutions to human disease,” Amos said. “That woman was my first
encounter with cancer and since, I’ve seen how cancer affects
humanity. I asked God to use me as an instrument to help the world
better understand this disease.”
Amos began working for the National
Institute for Pharmaceutical Research in Abuja, Nigeria, as a
researcher and professor. There, he studied the effects of natural
products — plants, fruits and vegetables — on different disease
states, including hypertension, diabetes, malaria and sickle cell
disease. Upon moving to the United States in 2000, Amos began
training at the University of Virginia so he could better
understand the molecular basis of cancer growth, specifically in
the brain and prostate. Ten years later, after successfully
publishing several research papers on cancer research, Amos joined
Cedarville University’s faculty in the school of
pharmacy.
“I was drawn to Cedarville because of
its mission and vision,” Amos said. “Most importantly, Cedarville
gave me the platform to share my faith and genuinely come alongside
students to make a significant kingdom impact.”
Despite the change of environment,
Amos continued studying cancer cells and the molecular basis of
cancer growth, while exploring the effects of natural products on
various diseases — specifically targeting brain
tumors.
“I wanted to research the use of plant
compounds to help in the management of brain tumors and
glioblastomas,” Amos said. “When a patient develops a glioblastoma,
they are placed on a drug called Temozolomide, which has a minimal
clinical outcome. Because of this, I wanted to find out whether
there were things in nature that could help us unravel the mystery
of this disease and better manage brain tumors.”
Due to the resistance and low clinical
outcomes of Temozolomide on both the tumor and patient, Amos
decided to research whether he could use a lower dose of
Temozolomide, as well as a small dose of two different natural
products found in plants to treat brain tumors as well as other
cancers.
Using an in vitro setting — the use of
a bench in the lab as opposed to live animals — Amos and his team
of Cedarville Doctor of Pharmacy students studied the effect of
both agents to treat brain tumors. The results were
overwhelming.
"Our preliminary data in vitro clearly
shows that this combination is synergistic,” Amos said. “When we
use a low dose of Temozolomide and our natural product, we have a
better biological readout than when we use a higher concentration
of Temozolomide.”
Encouraged by the positive results,
Amos plans to continue his research with the help of his
students.
“I have had many Cedarville students
from pharmacy, math and science who have expressed interest in our
cancer research,” Amos said. “If these students have an interest,
it behooves me to train and come alongside them in their
passion.”
Amos’ cancer research is a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Cedarville students. Already,
their work is being cited in research projects. Other educational
institutions are also vying to come alongside Cedarville’s School
of Pharmacy in this research.
But, despite the initial success, Amos
sees their research as having a deeper kingdom
impact.
"I want to ensure that when students
graduate from Cedarville, they have all that is required for them
to be successful clinicians,” Amos said. “But more importantly, I
want them to carry Christ into their hospital and allow patients to
see the genuine and compassionate care that Christ has for all
humanity.”
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville
University is a Baptist university with undergraduate programs in
arts, sciences, and professional programs, and graduate programs.
With an enrollment of 5,456 students in 175 areas of study,
Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio and
is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community,
rigorous academic programs, such as the Bachelor of Science in
Pharmaceutical Science and Doctor of Pharmacy, and high graduation
and retention rates. For more information about the university,
visit cedarville.edu.
Written by Cara Groves, Cedarville
Public Relations Student
Photos by Scott Huck
- Cancer Research
- Cancer Researcher
Mark D. Weinstein
Cedarville University
937-766-8800
mweinstein@cedarville.edu