Our scientist
AbulKalam M. Shamsuddin
M.B., B.S., PhD. A scientific career spanning pathology, cancer biology, and the investigation of IP6 and inositol.
The origins of the research
A question that became a lifelong pursuit.
From colon carcinogenesis to the biology of inositol phosphates, his work connects an interest in early disease processes with the search for new scientific understanding.
A career in pathology and discovery
AbulKalam M. Shamsuddin, M.B., B.S., PhD, graduated from the University of Dhaka’s Dhaka Medical College. He completed an internship in Massachusetts and pathology residency training in Maryland.
He was certified by the American Board of Pathology in 1977 and joined the University of Maryland School of Medicine as an instructor that year. He received his PhD from the University of Maryland in 1980 for research on colon carcinogenesis, and became a full professor in 1988.
The original biography describes repeated teaching honors, including the American Medical Students’ Association Golden Apple Award in 1999. Its account of his university appointments and achievements is preserved here as a scientific biography.
Opening a field of investigation
Shamsuddin began studying cancer formation and prevention in 1975. In mid-1985, he initiated experiments on the anticancer properties of inositol and IP6, natural constituents of cereals and legumes. The first paper from this work, reporting suppression of large intestinal cancer in rats by IP6, was published in Carcinogenesis in 1988.
Over the following years, his laboratory investigated the compounds in different experimental cancer models. He helped organize the First International Symposium of Disease Prevention by IP6 and Other Rice Components in Kyoto, Japan, on June 8–9, 1998.
This history connects his work in pathology with a broader program of research on naturally occurring molecules, cellular behavior, and the possibilities of disease prevention.
Cancer markers and early detection
His work on the steps of colon carcinogenesis led to research on screening tests intended to identify cancer-associated changes and precancerous lesions. The original biography describes investigations of the Gal-GalNAc marker and the associated field-effect phenomenon.
This research extended to markers studied in lung and breast cancer, with additional proposed applications in prostate and cervical cancer. The source biography reports use of a colon screening approach in China from the early 1990s. These are historical research descriptions; they do not identify a current recommended screening pathway.
His book Diagnostic Assays for Colon Cancer, published by CRC Press in 1991, was written for healthcare professionals. Original screening-related documents are available below.
Sharing the science
The original biography reports more than 200 scientific publications across Shamsuddin’s career, as well as contributions to book chapters. That count describes his broader publication record, not a count of clinical trials or IP6 studies.
His books include IP6 + Inositol: Nature’s Medicine for the Millennium. The source also notes an earlier book available in Japanese. In 2015, he and Guang-Yu Yang published Inositol & its Phosphates: Basic Science to Practical Applications.
Service beyond the laboratory
A veteran of the Bangladesh Liberation War, Shamsuddin was the founding president of the IP-6 Foundation, Inc. in Baltimore and Komolpur Janakallyan Trust in Dhaka.
The original biography describes these nonprofit organizations as supporting healthcare and economic empowerment in rural Bangladesh.
Career milestones
Co-authored Inositol & its Phosphates.
Received the Golden Apple teaching award.
Helped organize the international IP6 symposium in Kyoto.
Published the first IP6 paper and became a full professor of pathology.
Began experiments on IP6 and inositol.
Received a PhD for research on colon carcinogenesis.
Joined the University of Maryland School of Medicine faculty.
Began research on cancer formation and prevention.
Original screening research documents
Explore original research figures (1)
Historical figures preserved from ip-6.net. Read alongside the original publications for methods, experimental conditions, and interpretation. Select an image to view it at its original resolution.
Sources & references
Explore the publications cited in the original IP-6 Research collection. Some older journal links may redirect or require access through a library.
Research on colon cancer screeningPubMed · PMID 7812349Colon cancer screening research in ChinaPubMed · PMID 8033605Gal-GalNAc as a cancer-associated markerPubMed · PMID 7805025Lung cancer screening researchPubMed · PMID 8762480Breast cancer marker researchPubMed · PMID 15197795