Research Interest

It is becoming clear that frequent epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes could be responsible for the development of tumor in various organs. RASSF1A inactivation by methylation is associated with advanced grade and stage of prostate cancer and many other cancers. Therefore, restoration of RASSF1A in prostate cancer cells would restrict their growth. Our study suggests that a plant alkaloid, mahanine, can reverse the expression of epigenetically silenced gene, RASSF1A in prostate cancer cells by inhibiting DNMT activity that in turn represses a key cell cycle regulator, cyclin D1 to inhibit cancer cell growth. Therefore, mahanine promises an encouraging therapeutic choice for prostatic cancer. Currently, we are investigating the efficacy of mahanine in vivo and exploring the molecular mechanism by which it re-activates RASSF1A in prostate cancer cells. In another study, using the TRAMP (Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate) model and human prostate cancer cell lines, we are investigating the molecular mechanisms by which a phytoestrogen, genistein regulate growth of prostate cancer cells. In a second line of research, we are investigating the extra-telomeric role of telomerase in cancer. Recent literature including our study indicates that telomerase has additional functions than to stabilizing chromosome ends. Telomerase can enhance cancer cell proliferation by increasing the transcription of growth controlling genes and promote survival by abating apoptosis and regulating cell cycle genes. We are investigating the down-stream function of telomerase/TERT in prostate cancer model.

Selected Publications

Jagadeesh S, Kyo S, and Banerjee PP. (2006) Genistein represses telomerase activity via both transcriptional and posttranslational mechanisms in human prostate cancer cells. Cancer Research 66:2107-2115.

Sinha S, Pal BC, Jagadeesh S, Banerjee PP, Bandyopadhyay A, and Bhattacharya S. (2006) Mahanine inhibits growth and induces apoptosis in prostate cancer cells through the deactivation of Akt and activation of caspases. Prostate 66:1257-1265.

Jagadeesh S and Banerjee PP. (2006) Telomerase reverse transcriptase regulates the expression of a key cell cycle regulator, cyclin D1. Biochemical Biophysical Research Communication 347: 774-780.

El Touny L and Banerjee PP. (2006) Identification of both Myt-1 and Wee-1 as necessary mediators of the p21-independent inactivation of the cdc-2/cyclin B1 complex and growth inhibition of TRAMP cancer cells by genistein. Prostate 66:1542-1555.

Jagadeesh S and Banerjee PP. (2006) Inositol hexaphosphate represses telomerase activity and translocates TERT from the nucleus in mouse and human prostate cancer cells via the deactivation of Akt and PKC-alpha. Biochemical Biophysical Research Communication 349: 1361-1367.

Chau M, El Touny L, Jagadeesh S, and Banerjee PP. (2007) Physiologically achievable concentration of genistein enhances telomerase activity in human prostate cancer cells via the activation of STAT3. Carcinogenesis 28:2282-2290.

Jagadeesh S, Sinha S, Pal BC, Bhattacharya S, and Banerjee PP. (2007) Mahanine reverses an epigenetically silenced tumor suppressor gene RASSF1A in human prostate cancer cells. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 362:212-217.

El Touny L and Banerjee PP. (2007) Akt/GSK3 pathway as a target in genistein-induced inhibition of TRAMP prostate cancer progression towards a poorly differentiated phenotype. Carcinogenesis 28:1710-1717.

Ahmed H, Banerjee PP and Vasta GR. (2007) Differential expression of galectins in normal, benign and malignant prostate epithelial cells: Silencing of galectin-3 expression in prostate cancer by its promoter methylation. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 358:241-246.

El Touny L and Banerjee PP. (2007). Genistein induces the metastasis suppressor kangai-1 which mediates its anti-invasive effects in TRAMP cancer cells Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 361:169-175.