MCS Featured Lab - December 2020


Sanjukta Chakraborty, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Medical Physiology
College of Medicine
Texas A&M Health Science Center
Dr Sanjukta Chakraborty

Research Description:

The main goal of my research program is primarily interested in determining how an inflammatory tumor-lymphatic microenvironment contributes to cancer progression and metastasis. Our research focuses on the interplay between cytokine and chemokine gradients that regulate tumor migration and subsequent lymph node and distant metastases in head and neck and liver cancers. In particular, using combinatorial drug approaches, we are interested in identification of therapeutic targets that suppress tumor associated lymphangiogenesis. We utilize an array of cutting-edge molecular and genomic techniques, clinical samples and different in vitro and in vivo experimental approaches to identify some of the fundamental mechanisms involved in the tumor crosstalk with surrounding lymphatic vasculature. In addition, we are also engaged in identifying how the gut microbiome interacts with the surrounding lymphatic vasculature and promotes lymphatic inflammation associated pathologies.

Lab Website:

https://research.tamhsc.edu/chakrabortylab/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/ChakrabortySLab

Top lesson you have learned in your career:

Persistence always pays off in the end, having good mentors is critical, most people are usually happy to help only need to ask!

Recent Publications:

  • Kumaravel S, Singh S, Roy S, Venkatasamy S, White T, Sinha S, Glaser S, Safe S, Chakraborty S. CXCL11-CXCR3 axis mediates tumor lymphatic crosstalk and inflammation induced tumor promoting pathways in head and neck cancers. Am J Pathol. 2020 Apr;190(4):900-915. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2019.12.004. Epub 2020 Feb 5. (PMID: 32035061)
  • Kumaravel S, Duran CL, Bayless KJ, Chakraborty S. The β1 integrin plays a key role in lymphatic endothelial cell invasion in an optimized 3D Collagen matrix model. 2020. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2020 Oct 14. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00299.2020. Online ahead of print. (PMID: 33052069)
  • Johnson SC, Chakraborty S, Anastasios Drosou A, Paula Cunnea P, Dimitrios Tzovara D, Katherine Nixon K, Zawieja DC, Muthuchamy M, Fotopoulou C and Moore Jr JE. Inflammatory state of lymphatic vessels and miRNA profiles associated with relapse in ovarian cancer patients. 2020. Plos One July 27, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230092. (PMID: 32716937)