Dr. PA Mathew awarded a U.S. patent for cancer treatment

Dallas: For research leading to the prophylactic treatment of prostate cancer and breast cancer, Dr. P.A. Mathew received a patent from the US government. The patent is named after the composition and methods used to activate NK cells that kill prostate and breast cancer cells. Dr. Mathew is Professor of Immunology and Cancer Biology at the University of North Texas Health Sciences Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Mathew has been conducting research on the immunotherapy of cancer for the past three decades. Previously, Dr. Mathew’s research opened new treatment for multiple myeloma (bone cancer). The current patent focuses on the use of a type of immune cell called a natural killer cell to kill prostate cancer and breast cancer.

The human body is made up of billions of tiny cells. Cancer occurs when these normal cells lose control and become abnormal. Our immune system recognizes these cancer cells and kills them before they grow and spread to other organs. However, cancer cells use different strategies to escape from the immune system. Dr. Mathew’s research focused on molecular mechanisms that prevent cancer cells from being killed by the natural killer cells. First, Drs. Matthew's research team found and cloned receptors in NK cells. They generated monoclonal antibodies to activate NK cells to kill cancer cells that had not been killed before. For the past ten years, Dr. Mathew and his team focused on prostate cancer and breast cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and the most common cancer in women is breast cancer. The discovery showed that a special monoclonal antibody created by Dr. Mathew's research team led NK cells to kill prostate cancer and breast cancer cells.

Dr. Mathew received his undergraduate degree in Physics from St. Thomas College, Ranni, Kerala. He holds an MSc and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Pune. Dr. Mathew received a fellowship from the American Cancer Society and studied postdoctoral studies at the University of New Jersey. Before moving to the University of North Texas Health Science Center, he was an assistant professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

He is the youngest son of the late Porunelloor Abraham of Ranni.and his wife Salamma is the daughter of the late Myalil Abraham Sir of Kuriannoor. Dr. Mathew is a member of the American Association of Cancer Society and the American Association of Immunologists.