Rana P Singh

Jawaharlal Nehru University | JNU · School of Life Sciences

MicroRNA aberrations including that of miR-24-2 have been reported in various cancers. However, the target genes for miR-24-2 are yet to be identified and validated in invasive breast cancer and the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Using in silico approaches and gene expression analyses, we identified and validated the target genes of miR-24-2...

Objective: A polyherbal medicine, Habb-e-Ustukhuddus (HU), is used for its anti-inflammatory properties. However, the anticancer and chemopreventive properties of HU were not known, and Therefore, investigated in the present study. Methods: Cancer cells were treated with 50-400 µg/ml HU and MTT, trypan blue, and clonogenic assays were performed....

Ionizing radiation is frequently used to treat solid tumors, as it causes DNA damage and kill cancer cells. However, damaged DNA is repaired involving poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) causing resistance to radiation therapy. Thus, PARP-1 represents an important target in multiple cancer types, including prostate cancer. PARP is a nuclear enz...

The School of Life Sciences at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India held an International Symposium on Mitochondria, Cell Death and Human Diseases on February 18–19, 2023. The meeting provided a highly interactive forum for scientific discussion, cultural exchange, and collaborations between international scientists working in divers...

Introduction: Single cell transcriptome is used for mapping the genetic heterogeneity of a tumour; however, it does not reflect the functional heterogeneity. Currently, no model is available to provide a genotype to phenotype correlations for the heterogeneity. We developed the HNSCC spheroids from single cell that showed hyperproliferation/hypomig...

Acacetin (AC), a naturally occurring flavonoid has shown anticancer potential. Herein, we studied the mechanisms of cell death and growth inhibition by AC in breast carcinoma T-47D and MDA-MB-231 cells. AC (10-40 μM) significantly decreased the levels of G2/M phase cyclins and CDKs, simultaneously increasing the expression of CDK inhibitors includi...

We have shown that decursin, a coumarin compound, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells (PCa); however, its molecular mechanisms are largely unexplored. We studied the mechanisms associated with its anticancer activity in advanced human prostate carcinoma cells. We found that decursin inhibited epidermal growth fact...

The therapeutic toxicity and resistance to currently available treatment options are major clinical challenges for the management of lung cancer. As a novel strategy, we synthesized analogues of a known flavonol, fisetin, which has shown anti-tumorigenic potential against cancer in cell culture with no adverse effects in animal models. We studied t...

Emergence of radioresistance in prostate cancer (PCa) cells is a major obstacle in cancer therapy and contributes to the relapse of the disease. EGF receptor (EGFR) signaling plays an important role in the development of radioresistance. Herein, we have assessed the modulatory effects of silibinin on radiation-induced resistance via DNA repair path...

Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) is an attractive anti-cancer phytochemical with in vitro and in vivo growth inhibitory effects against different solid tumors including breast cancer. We have shown previously that an immortalized mammary epithelial cell line (MCF-10A) is resistant to growth inhibition by DATS. In this study, we performed RNA-seq analysis...

In this study, we report the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the aqueous leaf extract of Tridax procumbens (TNP), which acts as the source of the reducing and capping agent. The distinctive absorption at 370 nm suggested synthesis of TNPs, which was confirmed by TEM, with a size in the range of 11.1 nm to 45.4 nm and a spheric...

Introduction: Head and neck cancer squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are diverse and complex with inter-tumor and intra-tumor heterogeneity and discrepancies in therapy response regardless of the clinical stage. Tumors are thought to be heterogeneous at the single-cell level involving cancer stem cells. Therefore, cancer diagnosis and treatment are...

This invention relates to compounds that are 4'-substituted analogues of the flavonol Fisetin. In particular, the invention relates to such compounds wherein the 4' position on the B-ring is substituted with a ring deactivating group which has a para-Hammett constant greater than zero, and the use of these compounds in the treatment of cancer, incl...

Rubia cordifolia L. is a widely used traditional medicine in the Indian sub-continent and Eastern Asia. In the present study, the aqueous leaf extract of the R. Cordifolia was used to fabricate silver nanoparticles (RC@AgNPs), following a green synthesis approach. Effect of temperature (60 °C), pH (8), as well the concentration of leaf extract (2 m...

Bioengineered nanoparticles display unique characteristics at the cellular, atomic, and molecular levels with their geometric shapes dictating suitable actions and use. In the present study, bioengineered and bio-compatible silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were obtained from Thalictrum foliolosum leaf extract which served as a capping and reducing agen...

Since humans started to explore the possibilities of life beyond earth, space missions began unmanned in the beginning and late with astronauts to explore the curiosity. There are several factors in space which are different from that of the earth's atmosphere, including gravity, cosmic radiation, extreme temperatures, and heavy ions. The space env...

Bioengineered nanoparticles display unique characteristics at the cellular, atomic, and molecular levels with their geometric shapes dictating suitable actions and use. In the present study, bioengineered and bio-compatible silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were obtained from Thalictrum foliolosum DC leaf extract (TFLE) which served as a capping and red...

The havoc of cancer is widely observed across the globe. Although the extent of affecting the population in developed and developing regions is different due to distinct contributing factors, however, treatment modalities across the world remain the same. Cancer therapy uses different treatments, either alone or in combinations, for treating cancer...

Aim: To study the role of EGFR signaling in regulation of intrinsic resistance in prostate cancer. Materials and methods: Radioresistant prostate carcinoma DU145 and PC-3 cells were used to study the effect of shRNA-mediated knockdown of EGFR on intrinsic radioresistance mechanisms. Semi-quantitative PCR, western blotting, growth kinetics, colon...

The weightlessness or microgravity, a physical factor in space, may adversely affect the health of the space travellers or astronauts. The knowledge about the effect of microgravity on human cancer cells is very limited and poorly understood. Here, we employed rotary cell culture system (RCCS) to induce simulated microgravity (SMG) and examined its...

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is among the ten leading malignancies worldwide, with India solely contributing one-third of global oral cancer cases. The current focus of all cutting-edge strategies against this global malignancy are directed towards the heterogeneous tumor microenvironment that obstructs most treatment blueprints. Subsequent to the po...

p>Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the seventh most prevalent cancer worldwide. The five-year survival rate is less than fifty percent despite significant advances in therapeutic approaches. Early diagnosis and treatment can help in prevention and disease management. Studies have reported that dietary intake of Allium vegetables or processed garlic th...

Diallyl trisulfide (DATS), a metabolic by-product of processed garlic, is highly effective in inhibiting growth of human breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, but the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. In this study, we performed RNA-seq analyses using luminal-type (MCF-7) and basal-like (MDA-MB-231) human breast cancer cells...

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the leading cancers with poor disease survival rate. Herein, we explored molecular basis, in silico identification and in vitro verification of genes associated with OSCC. Five gene expression series including, GSE30784, GSE13601, GSE9844, GSE23558 and GSE37991 were screened for differentially expressed...

Treatment of cancer has been limited by the poor efficacy and toxicity profiles of available drugs. There is a growing demand to develop alternative approaches to combat cancer such as use of nano-formulation-based drugs. Here, we report biosynthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with papaya leaf extract (PLE) and its anti-ca...

miR-490 is epigenetically silenced in GBM by EZH2 based mechanisms and its downregulation could be important for gliomagenesis and progression via the regulation of pro-metastatic TGF beta signaling.

Bryophyllum pinnatum is a perennial herb traditionally used in ethnomedicine. In the present report, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using B. pinnatum leaf extract. BP-AgNPs were confirmed following UV-Vis spectroscopy with SPR peak at 412 nm and further characterized by FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDX, and TEM. Microscopic images confirmed the sp...

Aim To study the role of PARP-1 in EMT of non-small cell lung carcinoma. Materials and methods We used H1299 and H460 lung cancer cells for knockdown study of PARP-1 using shPARP-1 lentiviral particle. We performed western blotting, confocal microscopy, semi-quantitative PCR, wound healing and colony formation assays. Background and key findings...

Background: To circumvent Warburg effect, several clinical trials for different cancers are utilising a combinatorial approach using metabolic reprogramming and chemotherapeutic agents including metformin. The majority of these metabolic interventions work via indirectly activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) to alter cellular metabolism i...

Poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) is a superfamily of 18 proteins characterized by the PARP homology domain, the catalytic domain. This catalytic domain helps in the ADP‐ribosylation of various acceptor proteins using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) as a donor for ADP‐ribose. PARP‐1 and PARP‐2 carry out 80% of poly‐ADP‐ribosylation of ce...

Aging is accompanied by several age-related disorders leading to death of living beings. These age-related disorders and pathological conditions may also include the development of cancer. Cancer is a chronic disease, and many changes at cellular, molecular, and physiological levels that occur during aging affect the biology of cancer. There are se...

Resveratrol and quercetin alone are well reported to have anticancer potential, but their combination studies are very inadequate. We have examined their combination in Cal-33 and SCC-15 oral cancer cells (OCCs) and noncancerous HEK-293 cells. Combination of 10 μM concentration of each resveratrol and quercetin brought additive effect on cellular g...

Introduction Papaya (Carica papaya Linn.) belongs to the family Caricaceae and iswell known for its therapeutic and nutritional properties all over the world. The different parts of the papaya plant have been used since ancient times for its therapeutic applications. Herein, we aimed to review the anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and ant...

Abstract Introduction Papaya (Carica papaya Linn.) belongs to the family Caricaceae and is well known for its therapeutic and nutritional properties all over the world. The different parts of the papaya plant have been used since ancient times for its therapeutic applications. Herein, we aimed to review the anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antidiabe...

In this study, the hepatoprotective activity of methanol bark extract of Alangium salviifolium (BEA) was evaluated for biochemical and histological parameters in swiss albino mice with CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity. The hepatomodulatory effect of two doses of BEA (20 and 50 mg/kg bw for 15 days by oral gavage) was assessed on antioxidant enzymes, pha...

Usnic acid, a dibenzofuran derivative found in many lichen species, is reported to have anticancer activity against human gastric cancer. We investigated the molecular alterations associated with anticancer effects of usnic acid against human gastric adenocarcinoma AGS and gastric carcinoma SNU-1 cells. Usnic acid (10-25 μM) treatment to these cell...

Usnic acid is a secondary metabolite obtained from various species of lichen. Previous studies have shown various biological activities of usnic acid, such as anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-protozoal, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative activities in different models. Its anti-proliferative activities in gastric cancer cells a...

Berberine has shown anticancer properties and has potential for a chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic agent for breast cancer. Berberine showed cytotoxicity to breast cancer cells, with an increase in the levels of p21/cip1 and p27/kip1, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKI), but mechanisms involved in up-regulating these molecules are larg...

(papaya), from the family of Caricaceae, is a perennial plant originating from the Southern part of Mexico. leaf extract (CPE) has been traditionally used to treat various diseases, including infectious diseases and cancer. However, the anticancer effects and molecular mechanism of CPE are elusive. The aim of our study is to examine the anticancer...

(papaya), from the family of Caricaceae, is a perennial plant originating from the Southern part of Mexico. leaf extract (CPE) has been traditionally used to treat various diseases, including infectious diseases and cancer. However, the anticancer effects and molecular mechanism of CPE are elusive. The aim of our study is to examine the anticancer...

Extra-cellular signal regulated kinase-5 (Erk-5), a transcriptional activator and regulator of endothelial cells (ECs) homeostasis, has been implicated in shear stress-induced endothelial dysfunction (ED), however its role in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)- induced ED during metabolic stress is not known. Herein, regulation and function o...

Recent advancement in understanding cancer etiology has highlighted epigenetic deregulation as an important phenomenon leading to poor prognosis in Glioblastoma (GBM). Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) is one such important epigenetic modifier reportedly altered in GBM. However, its defined mechanism in tumorigenesis still remains elusive. In pr...

Carica papaya (papaya), from the family of Caricaceae, is a perennial plant originating from the Southern part of Mexico. Carica papaya leaf extract (CPE) has been traditionally used to treat various diseases, including infectious diseases and cancer. However, the anticancer effects and molecular mechanism of CPE are elusive. The aim of our study i...

The combined treatment causes significant cell growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, DNA damage and deregulations in HDACs expression.

The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from the plant extract is gaining attention due to their application in biomedical sciences including anticancer activity. Here, we first time report that the biosynthesis and physicochemical characterization of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using papaya leaf extract (PLE) and its anticancer activity again...

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Fisetin (3,3′,4′,7-tetrahydroxyflavone) is a bioactive polyphenolic flavonoid found in many fruits and vegetables. It exhibits a variety of pharmacological activities including anticancer and anti-invasive effects. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) allows the tumor cells to acquire increased migratory and invasive properties mediating thei...

Acacetin is an O-methylated flavone which is extracted from various edible and medicinal plants such as Turnera diffusa (Damiana), Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust) and honey. Acacetin has been studied to possess anti-malarial, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor efficacy. Although, its potential as an anti-tumor agent against breast cancer has not...

Normal stem cells are known to possess three important characteristics of self-renewal, restriction on stem cell numbers and ability to divide and differentiate. Compared to normal stem cells, the cancer stem cells (CSCs) have no control on the stem cell numbers. CSCs constitute a miniscule number of cells in the tumour and are responsible for tumo...

Plumbagin, an important phytochemical from the roots of the medicinal plant Plumbago zeylanica L. has shown many biological activities. The roots of this plant have been in use in the Indian system of medicine for more than twenty five centuries for treatments of various ailments. It has shown anticancer activities, however, the anticancer and anti...

Poisoning from pesticides is a global public health problem and accounts for nearly 300,000 deaths worldwide every year. Exposure to pesticides is inevitable; there are different modes through which humans get exposed to pesticides. The mode of exposure is an important factor as it also signifies the concentration of pesticides exposure. Pesticides...

Background Hypoxia in tumors is associated with resistance towards various therapies including radiotherapy. In this study, we assessed if hypoxia in cancer spheres could be effectively reduced by adding etomoxir (a β-oxidation inhibitor) immediately after cell irradiation. Methods We employed cancer cells’ sphere model to target hypoxia. Confocal...

Salix aegyptiaca has been used traditionally from the ancient time for its beneficial effects. The protective action of this plant is not well understood so far. Oxidative stress and inflammation are generally linked with carcinogenesis. In the present study, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of hydroethanolic bark extract of...

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a major epithelial cancer among men and with the second highest incidence rate, worldwide. The high ratio of IGF-1/IGFBP-3 correlates with increased risk of many cancers including prostate cancer. In present study, we have evaluated the role of IGFBP-3 and effect of fisetin, a phytochemical, active constituent of strawberry...

Mancozeb (Manganese ethylene bis-dithiocarbamate with zinc salt) is a dithiocarbamate fungicide used to control fungal disease in many fruit plants, flowers and the maintenance of field crops. The effect of mancozeb on cell viability of human gastric adenocarcinoma AGS, SNU-1 cells and human normal FHs 74 Int cells were investigated. This study dem...

Mitochondrial biology has become an area of intense research owing to the unique physiology of the organelle and its role in several types of cancers and other disorders. It has been found that mitochondria-encoded proteins, mitochondrial DNA and even RNA influence the functioning of the cell in more ways than were previously imagined. This may con...

Herbs are being used in skin care and therapeutics from centuries. Their ingredients including bioactive phytochemicals have been widely used in sunscreens, moisturizers, and anti-aging lotions. Sunscreens have enhanced photo-protection activity when they contain bioactive components including vitamins such as A, C and E, flavonoids, carotenoids, p...

Integrins are the major cell adhesion glycoproteins involved in cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interaction and metastasis. Further, glycosylation on integrin is necessary for its proper folding and function-ality. Herein, differential expression of integrins viz., avb3 and avb6 was examined in MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468 and MCF-10A cells, which signif...

Background: Salix aegyptiaca is known for its medicinal properties mainly due to the presence of salicylate compounds. However, it also contains other beneficial phytochemicals such as gallic acid, quercetin, rutin and vanillin. The aim of the study was to examine the redox potential, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of these phytochemic...

Cervical cancer is fourth most common fatal cancer in women worldwide. Lupeol is a dietary triterpenoid and has shown its anticancer efficacy against various cancer types with selectivity in targeting cancer cells. In the present study, anticancer efficacy and mechanism of action of a phytochemical, lupeol, in human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells...

Integrins are the major cell adhesion glycoproteins involved in cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interaction and metastasis. Further, glycosylation on integrin is necessary for its proper folding and functionality. Herein, differential expression of integrins viz., αvβ3 and αvβ6 was examined in MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468 and MCF-10A cells, which signify...

Background: In recent decades, the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using photochemical or plant extracts has gained a high attention due to their biomedical applications. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous Carica papaya leaf extract and explore its anticancer efficacy...

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Despite significant advances in therapeutic approaches, survival rate is less than 50%. Early detection and treatment will help in prevention of spreading of invasive cancer and thereby improve the survival rates. Studies showed that dietary intake of Allium ve...

Cancer has become one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Presently, available chemotherapeutic agents have several limitations including severe side effects. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a polyphenol derived from the plant Curcuma longa. Curcumin has been used extensively as spice in many Asian countries and in Ayurvedic medicines. It is...

Silymarin, a flavolignan from dried fruit of the milk thistle (Silybum marianum) plant, is used as an ancient medicinal plant for protection against various liver disorders. The role of silymarin and its active constituents, mainly silibinin, has been extensively explored and established in the chemopreventive efficacy against different cancers inc...

Background: Apart from exposure to UV-radiation, studies show relationship between skin cancer and chronic ingestion of arsenic through drinking water. Chemopreventive strategies could help in reducing the toxic effects of arsenic and arsenic-induced skin cancer. Methods: Cytotoxicity of arsenic on human skin keratinocytes HaCaT cells was evalua...