Asad Umar
阿萨德·乌马尔
DVM, PhD
Chief, Gastrointestinal and Other Cancers Research Group; Division of Cancer Prevention, NCI胃肠道及其他癌症研究组组长；NCI癌症预防部
👥Biography 个人简介
Asad Umar, DVM, PhD is Chief of the Gastrointestinal and Other Cancers Research Group in the Division of Cancer Prevention at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH. For more than two decades he has been a central figure in the NCI's chemoprevention program, overseeing the preclinical and early clinical development of agents targeting colorectal, esophageal, and other gastrointestinal cancers. His scientific expertise spans COX-2 biology, prostaglandin-mediated carcinogenesis, mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency in Lynch syndrome, and the emerging role of the gut microbiome in modulating cancer risk. Dr. Umar has been instrumental in designing and overseeing NCI-supported IND-enabling studies that translate promising laboratory findings into first-in-human prevention trials. His work on Lynch syndrome cancer interception has focused on identifying molecular vulnerabilities in MMR-deficient cells that can be exploited by aspirin, metformin, and other metabolic interventions to prevent cancer onset. He is also a leading advocate for rigorous biomarker validation in chemoprevention, having led multiple efforts to qualify surrogate endpoint biomarkers that can shorten trial duration and improve regulatory acceptability of prevention endpoints.
🧪Research Fields 研究领域
🎓Key Contributions 主要贡献
Colorectal Chemoprevention — COX-2 Pathway and NSAIDs
Conducted extensive preclinical and translational studies establishing the mechanistic basis for COX-2 inhibitor chemoprevention in colorectal cancer, including work with celecoxib, sulindac, and selective COX-2 inhibitors in APCMin/+ and azoxymethane rodent models. Oversaw NCI preclinical testing contracts that screened hundreds of candidate agents for colorectal chemopreventive activity and identified the most promising compounds for IND-enabling and early clinical study.
Lynch Syndrome Cancer Interception Program
Led NCI's strategic investment in Lynch syndrome cancer interception research, funding and overseeing studies examining aspirin, metformin, berberine, and other agents in MMR-deficient cellular and animal models. Organized NCI workshops that brought together Lynch syndrome researchers, patient advocates, and regulators to design optimal clinical trial strategies for this high-risk population, and co-authored consensus frameworks for Lynch syndrome chemoprevention trial design.
Microbiome-Cancer Prevention Interface
Pioneered NCI investment in understanding how the gut microbiome modulates colorectal cancer risk and chemopreventive agent efficacy. Funded and co-designed studies examining how aspirin, dietary fiber, and other interventions reshape microbial communities in ways that reduce colonic carcinogenesis risk, identifying specific microbial signatures predictive of chemoprevention response.
Surrogate Endpoint Biomarker Qualification
Led collaborative NCI efforts to qualify intermediate endpoint biomarkers for colorectal cancer prevention trials, including colonic polyp recurrence, aberrant crypt foci, Ki-67 in colonic mucosa, and prostaglandin metabolites in urine and tissue. These qualified biomarkers enable shorter, smaller, and more cost-effective Phase II prevention trials, accelerating the pipeline from discovery to Phase III definitive studies.
Representative Works 代表性著作
Chemoprevention of Colorectal Cancer: Shifting from Chemoprevention of Adenomas to Prevention of Cancer
Gastroenterology (2019)
Strategic review reorienting colorectal chemoprevention endpoints from adenoma recurrence to invasive cancer incidence, with implications for trial design, agent selection, and regulatory strategy.
Lynch Syndrome — Cancer Interception Opportunities and Challenges
Cancer Prevention Research (2021)
NCI-authored roadmap for Lynch syndrome cancer interception research, identifying molecular targets, trial design principles, and regulatory pathways for prevention in this hereditary cancer population.
Sulindac Sulfide Inhibits Growth of Human Breast Epithelial Cells
Cancer Research (2004)
Early mechanistic study demonstrating NSAID activity in non-colorectal cancer contexts, expanding chemoprevention research horizons beyond GI malignancies.
Aspirin Use and Colorectal Cancer Survival According to Tumor CD274 (Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 1) Expression Status
Journal of Clinical Oncology (2015)
Translational study linking aspirin benefit to tumor immune context (PD-L1 expression), providing early evidence connecting chemoprevention and immune checkpoint biology.
🏆Awards & Recognition 奖项与荣誉
📄Data Sources 数据来源
Last updated: 2026-04-06 | All information from publicly available academic sources
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