Publications by authors named "Sharanjot Saini"

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a highly lethal variant of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) with poor survival rates. Current treatment options for NEPC are limited to highly toxic platinum drugs highlighting the urgent need for new therapies. This study aimed to develop a novel therapeutic approach using engineered exosomes against NEPC.

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The molecular basis of prostate cancer (PCa) progression from the primary disease to metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) followed by therapy-induced neuroendocrine prostate cancer is not fully understood. In this study, we elucidate the role of miR-410, a little-studied microRNA located on chromosome 14q32.31 within the DLK1-DIO3 cluster, in PCa.

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Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and associated lower urinary tract symptoms affect a large percentage of the male population and places a substantial burden on the world health system. Current therapies include 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and alpha-blockers that are only partially effective and pose a huge economic burden, emphasizing the urgent need for effective, economical therapies. We isolated nanovesicles from pomegranate juice (Punica Granatum) (referred to as 'POM-NVs') and report to our knowledge for the first time, that these vesicles possess therapeutic potential against BPH.

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Therapy-induced neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a highly lethal variant of prostate cancer that is increasing in incidence with the increased use of next-generation of androgen receptor (AR) pathway inhibitors. It arises a reversible trans-differentiation process, referred to as neuroendocrine differentiation (NED), wherein prostate cancer cells show decreased expression of AR and increased expression of neuroendocrine (NE) lineage markers including enolase 2 (ENO2), chromogranin A (CHGA) and synaptophysin (SYP). NEPC is associated with poor survival rates as these tumors are aggressive and often metastasize to soft tissues such as liver, lung and central nervous system despite low serum PSA levels relative to disease burden.

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Therapy-induced neuroendocrine prostate cancer (t-NEPC/NEPC) is an aggressive variant of prostate cancer (PCa) that frequently emerges in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) under the selective pressure of androgen receptor (AR)-targeted therapies. This variant is extremely aggressive, metastasizes to visceral organs, tissues, and bones despite low serum PSA, and is associated with poor survival rates. It arises via a reversible trans-differentiation process, referred to as 'neuroendocrine differentiation' (NED), wherein PCa cells undergo a lineage switch and exhibit neuroendocrine features, characterized by the expression of neuronal markers such as enolase 2 (ENO2), chromogranin A (CHGA), and synaptophysin (SYP).

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Catechol-estrogens can cause genetic mutations and to counteract their oncogenicity, the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is capable of neutralizing these reactive compounds. In this study, we determined the functional effects and regulation of COMT in prostate cancer. Both the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and immunohistochemical analysis of clinical specimens demonstrated a reduction of COMT expression in prostate cancer.

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Gene silencing in occurs by heterochromatin formation at the centromere (), mating-type () and telomere loci. It is mediated by silencing factors including Swi6, Clr1-4, Rhp6 and Pola. RNAi pathway also plays a role in establishment of silencing at the and loci.

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Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), a highly aggressive variant of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), often emerges upon treatment with androgen pathway inhibitors, via neuroendocrine differentiation. Currently, NEPC diagnosis is challenging as available markers are not sufficiently specific. Our objective was to identify novel, extracellular vesicles (EV)-based biomarkers for diagnosing NEPC.

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Prostate cancer remains a life-threatening disease among men worldwide. The majority of PCa-related mortality results from metastatic disease that is characterized by metastasis of prostate tumor cells to various distant organs, such as lung, liver, and bone. Bone metastasis is most common in prostate cancer with osteoblastic and osteolytic lesions.

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Metastasis is the leading cause of mortality from kidney cancer, and understanding the underlying mechanism of this event will provide better strategies for its management. Here we investigated the biological, functional, and clinical significance of lncTCL6 and its interacting miR-155 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). We employed a comprehensive approach to investigate the lncTCL6-miR-155-Src/Akt-mediated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway as a novel regulatory mechanism in ccRCC progression.

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Prostate cancer (PCa) is a significant cause of male morbidity in the United States. Despite recent advances in diagnosis and therapeutic interventions, significant fraction of cases still progress to an advanced stage. Various genetic/epigenetic elements that facilitate this progression are not yet completely known and the mechanism that favors advanced disease is an area of investigation.

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Prostate cancer is a condition commonly associated with men worldwide. Androgen deprivation therapy remains one of the targeted therapies. However, after some years, there is biochemical recurrence and metastatic progression into castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

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This study investigated the role of the PI3K/Akt pathway in cadmium (Cd) induced malignant transformation of normal prostate epithelial (PWR1E and RWPE1) cells. Both PWR1E and RWPE1 cells were exposed to 10 μM Cd for one year and designated as Cd-PWR1E and Cd-RWPE1. Cd-RWPE1 cells robustly formed tumors in athymic nude mice.

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Therapy-induced neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), an extremely aggressive variant of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), is increasing in incidence with the widespread use of highly potent androgen receptor (AR)-pathway inhibitors (APIs) such as Enzalutamide (ENZ) and Abiraterone and arises via a reversible trans-differentiation process, referred to as neuroendocrine differentiation (NED). The molecular basis of NED is not completely understood leading to a lack of effective molecular markers for its diagnosis. Here, we demonstrate for the first time, that lineage switching to NE states is accompanied by key miRNA alterations including downregulation of miR-106a~363 cluster and upregulation of miR-301a and miR-375.

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The molecular heterogeneity of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) complicates the therapeutic interventions for advanced metastatic disease and thus its management remains a significant challenge. This study investigates the role of the lncRNA CDKN2B-AS1 and miR-141-3p interactions in the progression and metastasis of kidney cancer. Human renal cancer cell lines (ACHN and Caki1), normal RPTEC cells, tissue cohorts, and a series of in vitro assays and in vivo mouse model were used for this study.

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Ablation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling by androgen deprivation is the goal of the first line of therapy for prostate cancer that initially results in cancer regression. However, in a significant number of cases, the disease progresses to advanced, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which has limited therapeutic options and is often aggressive. Distant metastasis is mostly observed at this stage of the aggressive disease.

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Purpose: Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC), an aggressive variant of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), often emerges after androgen receptor-targeted therapies such as enzalutamide or , via trans-differentiation process of neuroendocrine differentiation. The mechanistic basis of neuroendocrine differentiation is poorly understood, contributing to lack of effective predictive biomarkers and late disease recognition. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of novel proneural it-ct-nc-domain transcription factors (TF) in NEPC and examine their potential as noninvasive predictive biomarkers.

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Prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates are higher in African-American (AA) than in European-American (EA) men. The main objective of this study was to elucidate the role of miR-130b as a contributor to prostate cancer health disparity in AA patients. We also determined whether miR-130b is a prognostic biomarker and a new therapeutic candidate for AA prostate cancer.

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The prostate cancer (PCa) genome is characterized by deletions of chromosome 8p21-22 region that increase significantly with tumor grade and are associated with poor prognosis. We proposed and validated a novel, paradigm-shifting hypothesis that this region is associated with a set of microRNA genes-miR-3622, miR-3622b, miR-383-that are lost in PCa and play important mechanistic roles in PCa progression and metastasis. Extending our hypothesis, in this study, we evaluated the role of a microRNA gene located in chromosome 8p-miR-4288-by employing clinical samples and cell lines.

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Prostate cancer causes significant morbidity in men and metastatic disease is a major cause of cancer related deaths. Prostate metastasis is controlled by various cellular intrinsic and extrinsic factors, which are often under the regulatory control of various metastasis-associated genes. Given the dynamic nature of metastatic cancer cells, the various factors controlling this process are themselves regulated by microRNAs which are small non-coding RNAs.

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Cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) converts xenobiotics to carcinogens and how lifestyle choices may interact with CYP1B1 polymorphisms and affect prostate cancer risk was assessed. Blood genomic DNA from a Caucasian population was analysed at polymorphic sites of the 5' untranslated region of CYP1B1 using TaqMan genotyping assays. Overall, drinker status and minor alleles at rs2551188, rs2567206 and rs10175368 were associated with prostate cancer.

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The molecular heterogeneity of clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) makes prediction of disease progression and therapeutic response difficult. Thus, this report investigates the functional significance, mechanisms of action, and clinical utility of miR-182-5p and metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (), a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), in the regulation of kidney cancer using human kidney cancer tissues as well as and model systems. Profiling of miR-182-5p and in human renal cancer cells and clinical specimens was done by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).

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This study aims to investigate the role of miR-203-HOTAIR interaction in the suppression of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We employed series of assays such as proliferation, invasion, migration, and colony formation along with tumor xenograft model. Profiling of miR-203 and HOTAIR expression revealed that miR-203 was significantly underexpressed, whereas HOTAIR was overexpressed in RCC cell lines and clinical specimens compared with normal cell line and tissue.

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