Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
Prof. Pithi Chanvorachote is professor at the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. He is inspired by finding the best therapies to suit individuals and specific populations. And he has investigated herbal and marine organism extracts for use in cancer therapy and in "cosmeceuticals." He is the recipient of the TRF-CHE-Scopus Young Researcher Award sponsored by Elsevier, The Thailand Research Fund (TRF) and The Office of Higher Education Commission, Thailand (OHEC).
Cancer research is important to me because…
Cancer is obviously one of the major public health threats worldwide. It’s one of the main causes of death, and research, along with preventive health, is our best defense against this disease.
Understanding the defined molecular network and signaling of cancers can lead to discovering the ultimate drug targets that can then result in the best treatment. Humans have to overcome challenges presented by several deadly diseases and advances in cancer research and biomedical science during the past few decades have led to remarkable progress in the understanding of cancer, and this will lead to more precise and effective therapies in the near future.
The person who inspired me most in my career was…
One may think about the key experts or famous scientists. I would rather think of a huge number of cancer patients who are suffering from the disease as well as the traumatic idea that only limited hope could be expected.
Moreover, the incidence rate is increasing, and includes those who are close to us. That’s why, not only myself, but all cancer researchers I think, work harder.
If I were starting my career again…
We now know that each population and even each individual is different. Therefore I would focus more on the development of new high-efficacy and low-toxicity interventions in cancer treatment that are best for each population, if not each patient.
Tissue engineering is the field that I would like to expand my expertise in, as it is very challenging and is central to the treatment of degenerative diseases.
The happiest moment in my scientific career was…
There have been many happy moments. But if I were to mention the top one, it would be that I have been working so hard and became so active that others gain trust in what I have provided to the scientific community to the level that numerous public and private sectors sponsored my work.
Pithi Chanvorachote gaining insights together with Rapeepun Soonarong and Sucharat Tungsukruthai in their lab in Bangkok. Photo taken prior to COVID-19. The most important publication in cancer research is …
I pay close attention to all of the publications in cancer research because all works are valuable. We could only gain more and more knowledge building on the previous groundwork laid by others.The most important research breakthrough is …
Recently, we have discovered many new drug candidates and derivatives that specifically target oncogenes and cancer-related proteins, such as c-Myc, Mcl-1, Bcl-2, and PI3k/Akt, which have quite clear structure-activity-relationship details. In addition, we’ve discovered several compounds that have potential in targeting cancer stem cells. We hope to cure cancer at its root by eliminating the cancer stem-cell subpopulation.
The most important advancement in cancer research that must happen in the next five years …
The precise and complete profile of molecular signaling and genetic background of cancers is crucial. This should lead to a platform for drug trials that provide defined drug-target pathways and a full picture of how it interacts with cancerous and normal cells. Additionally, personalized vaccines, cell therapy, gene editing, and microbiome treatments are four technologies that will dramatically enhance the ways in which cancer is treated.How societies should change over the next 10 years to help control and prevent cancer …
Governments should educate people about how to protect themselves from cancer by avoiding the preventable causes and risk factors, such as campaigns to stop smoking. In addition, they need to seriously focus on environmental issues, such as solving the problem of PM 2.5 dust.I would recommend to young scientists …
Don’t lose hope and courage. Success can only be achieved through courageous devotion to the task in front of you, and there is nothing worthwhile comes without long, hard work. Scientists labor for years to discover answers, and typically experience numerous failures along the way. We understand that failed experiments provide answers as often as those that are successful.
I want to be remembered for …
Being a heroic person who helps and even rescues those caught in unfortunate situations. I also want to be remembered as someone who is kind
Prof. Pithi Chanvorachote
Prof. Pithi Chanvorachote is Head of Cell-based Drug and Health Product Development Research Unit, and Professor at the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. Since 2017, he is a member of the Committee for Research and Education, The Thai Red Cross Society. His research is focused on lung cancer. Pithi Chanvorachote gained his Ph.D. in 2006 and B.Sc. in Pharm. (first-class honors) in 2002 at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.
