Dr. Muhammad joined the Gene Therapeutics Research Institute in October 2004. He is in quest of accelerating the pace of bench to bed transition of gene therapy for neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease (PD) and for malignant brain tumors like glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).
His current work involves addressing the safety and efficacy issues of both first generation and newer high capacity `gutless' adenoviral vectors in furnishing neuroprotective and neurorestorative effects by topical expression of specific transgene proteins like glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and sonic hedgehog (Shh) and brain tumor cell killing potency of FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L) and thimidine kinase (HSVI-TK) protein expression. He is also working on means to regulate the production of transgene protein, i.e., therapeutic adenoviral vectors-mediated gene expression in vivo by using a tetracycline-inducible "tet-on, tet-off" system under the control of an antibiotic drug of common human usage, doxycycline (Dox). Dox is introduced into the host systemically to start the induction of transgene protein production. Dr Muhammad is studying these effects employing the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of neurodegeneration in rats and mice and both unifocal and multifocal rat CNS1 intracranial glioma brain tumor models.
Dr. Muhammad received his scientific and medial training in Bangladesh and received his medical degree from the Dhaka University. After completing residency in general surgery and neurosurgery, he served as assistant professor of clinical neurosurgery at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, a postgraduate academic institution that caters the best available medical treatments in the country. He pioneered stereotactic neurosurgery in Bangladesh operating upon the first patient in 2000. As a Japanese Government MONBUSHO scholar, Dr. Muhammad performed his doctorate studies in the department of neurosurgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan; his field of research encompassed delineating the profile of genetic abnormalities in astrocytic tumors and received his doctorate degree from the Osaka University, Japan. Afterwards, he was awarded postdoctoral fellowship at the same department under the auspices of the prestigious Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences (JSPS) and contributed towards characterizing a molecular genetic classification for astrocytic tumors, especially, primary and secondary GBM.
