Nethi aims to help cancer patients through targeted treatment

Parents who take a child to work can inspire a variety of careers in their children. Research scientist Susheel Kumar Nethi said his dedication to finding better ways to fight cancer goes back to trips to a government cancer hospital with his father Venkata Ramana.

"My father worked as an administrative superintendent at MNJ Regional Cancer Center in India, and when I would go there with him I would follow the lives of many of the patients," Nethi said. "It gave me a sense of how dreadful those diseases are and the bad suffering that can occur."

Nethi now spends his days at Iowa State's Nanovaccine Institute focused on targeted drug/gene delivery to fight cancers, particularly in the pancreas and breast. His goal is to attack the cancer without damaging healthy organs and tissues.

"Unlike other cancers, pancreatic cancer has a thick layer around it that prevents a drug from attacking the cancer cells," said Nethi, who has worked at Iowa State since July 2021. "My research focuses on penetrating this layer and delivering the drug."

Nethi received funding from Iowa State's Margaret B. Barry Cancer Research Program to test a new approach to treating pancreatic cancer -- the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States -- using engineered stem cells. He has seen promising results on cancer cells grown in the lab and in animal subjects.

"He is known for his meticulous attention to detail, ensuring that experiments are conducted with precision and reproducibility."

-- Surya Mallapragada, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor and assistant vice president for research

In addition to his research, Nethi mentors undergraduate students in the lab, through programs such as ISU's Biological Materials and Processes Experience for Undergraduates summer research program. The program creates novel research experiences in biological materials and processes for students from around the country. For all his efforts, Nethi is a 2025 recipient of the Professional and Scientific Outstanding New Professional Award.

"He is known for his meticulous attention to detail, ensuring that experiments are conducted with precision and reproducibility," said Surya Mallapragada, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor and assistant vice president for research. Mallapragada hired and supervises Nethi. 

Success through repurpose

While working in Mallapragada's lab, Nethi repurposed a pancreatic cancer drug to successfully reduce the size of breast cancer tumors. 

"I worked with a drug approved in the 1980s to fight worms in the gut," he said. "When I studied the drug in human cells, it starved cancer cells of energy. I was able to apply it to triple-negative breast cancer by delivering it more effectively through nanoparticles."

Nethi saw the cancerous tumors shrink in mouse subjects. 

His diligence in the lab and success enabled him to write grant proposals as principal investigator to pursue his own ideas.

"He has been working hard to establish his own research directions, in addition to what he is currently working on in my lab," Mallapragada said.

A holistic lab experience

Nethi said he strives to provide a well-rounded experience for students and interns that he mentors. He emphasizes the uses and safety measures required for the equipment but empowers students to be as hands-on as possible.

"I try not to limit what they can do in the lab or only allow them to do certain tasks," he said. "Students are the young minds with a deep curiosity to learn something, and I encourage them to question me. That's how new ideas and projects are developed."

Nethi's approach endears him to many students, and he has remained in contact with several as they pursue their own careers.

A home at Iowa State

Nethi received his bachelor and advanced degrees in India before coming to the United States as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and Temple University, Philadelphia. Working in two large metropolitan areas initially gave Nethi slight hesitation about moving to Iowa State, but a conversation with Mallapragada -- who he considers a mentor -- allayed any concerns.

"The Zoom interview I had with Surya changed my entire perception of Ames and Iowa State. The way she carried herself greatly encouraged me to come here because I knew she would help me grow," said Nethi. "My main goal coming here was to work on a National Institutes of Health-funded project, and Surya has given me the freedom to do that."

"We talked about how Iowa State is a collaborative place with low barriers to initiate interdisciplinary collaborations," Mallapragada said. "This is a friendly place."