Molecular Parasitology, Therapeutics and Cancer Stem Cells (Mo.9430017325)

Key research interests:

• Molecular Parasitology, Drug Development and Therapeutics
• Role of DNA Topoisomerase in Cancer Stem Cells
• Mechanism of Chemo-resistance in Cancer Stem Cells

Research Group:

Snehal Shingade – M.Sc.Project student

Chanhorngam Hongchui - M.Sc.Project student

Group Description:(max. 100 words)
Visceral leishmaniasis or “kala-azar” is the second largest parasitic killer disease (after malaria) caused by protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani. In India, it is a serious problem at West Bengal, Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. About 70% of the parasite burden occurs mostly in the state of Bihar. There are large numbers of drugs for treatment of this neglected disease. But all available drugs are very toxic and have serious side-effects. Therefore, our group dedicatedly involve in development of potent newer drugs against kala-azar and to find out new molecular targets for improved drug therapy against visceral leishmaniasis, which is an urgent need today. The study believed to be highlighted a new strategy in treatment of Visceral Leishmaniasis or Kala-azar in near future.

Publications: (Last five years)

1. Eigil Kjeldsen, Christine J.F. Nielsen, Amit Roy, Cinzia Tesauro, Ann-Katrine Jakobsen, Magnus Stougaard and Birgitta R. Knudsen (2018) Characterization of Camptothecin-induced Genomic Changes in the Camptothecin-resistant T-ALL-derived Cell Line CPT-K5. Cancer Genomics and Proteomics, 15: 91-114.

2. Manoj Kumar Singh, Siddhartha Kumar Bhaumik, Subir Karmakar, Joydeep Paul, Sudeshna Sawoo, Hemanta K. Majumder and Amit Roy▲ (2017) Copper Salisylaldoxime (CuSAL) Imparts Protective efficacy against visceral leishmaniasis by Targeting Leishmania donovani Topoisomerase IB. [▲correspondence author] Experimental Parasitology, 175:8-20. [Citated in ACS Chemical Reviews (2019) 119: 730-796, Impact factor = 52.613 (2017)]

3. Niels Frank Jensen1, Keli Agama, Amit Roy, David Hersi Smith, Thomas D. Pfister, Maria Unni Rømer, Hong-Liang Zhang, James H. Doroshow, Birgitta R. Knudsen, Jan Stenvang, Nils Brünne and Yves Pommier (2016) Characterization of DNA topoisomerase I in three SN-38 resistant human colon cancer cell lines reveals a new pair of resistance-associated mutations. Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, 35:56. [IF = 4.429]

4. Amit Roy, Cinzia Tesauro, Rikke Frøhlich, Marianne S. Hede, Maria J. Nielsen, Eigil Kjeldsen, Magnus Stougaard, Irina Gromova, Birgitta R. Knudsen (2014) Decreased Camptothecin Sensitivity of the Stem-Cell-like Fraction of Caco2 cells Correlates with an Altered Phosphorylation Pattern of Topoisomerase I. PLoS ONE, 9(6): e99628. [IF = 4.438]

5. Joanna Proszek, Amit Roy, Ann-Katrine Jakobsen, Rikke Frøhlich, Birgitta R. Knudsen, Magnus Stougaard (2014) Topoisomerase I as a biomarker: Detection of activity at the single molecule level. Sensors, 14: 1195-1207. [IF =2.475] 6. Sissel Juul, Christine J. F. Nielsen, Rodrigo Labouriau, Amit Roy, Cinzia Tesauro, Pia W. Jensen, Emil L. Kristoffersen, Charlotte Harmsen, Ya-Ling Chiu, Rikke Frøhlich, Paola Fiorani, Janet Cox, David P. Tordrup, Jørn Koch, Anne-LiseBienvenu, Alessandro Desideri, Stephane Picot, Eskild Petersen, Kam W. Leong, Yi-Ping Ho, Magnus Stougaard, and Birgitta R. Knudsen (2012) A Droplet Microfluidics Platform for Highly Sensitive and Quantitative Detection of Malaria Causing Plasmodium Parasites Based on Enzyme Activity Measurement. ACS Nano, 6(12): 10676–10683. [IF = 13.709]