Room No. BT 402
Tel: 044-22574125, 99401 42155
guptasanj@iitm.ac.in
guptasanj@gmail.com

Research Interests

Apoptosis signaling in health and disease

                  Apoptosis is an evolutionary conserved form of cell suicide by which organism eliminates unwanted cells. During development, apoptosis eliminates cells as part of normal morphogenesis, as well as those that incur cellular or genetic damage. In mature organisms, apoptosis ensures proper tissue homeostasis, contributing to normal cell turnover and eliminating both dividing cells with genome damage and cells infected with pathogens, both of which would compromise proper homeostasis. Apoptosis has been implicated in a number of diseases, including certain cancers, autoimmune disorders, neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, as well as ischaemic injury caused by myocardial infarction and stroke.

                   The most commonly used chemotherapeutics remove tumor cells by inducing apoptosis. Tumors became resistant to treatment by modifying expression level or function of proteins involved in apoptosis. For example, apoptotic activity of tumor suppressor p53 is frequently compromised in human cancers where as antiapoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 and IAPs are frequently overexpressed in many cancers. A detailed study of the mechanisms of apoptosis is indeed essential if we are to target these pathways for drug development. We aim to identify novel modulators of caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death as they will open a window of opportunity for novel therapeutic interventions.

Educational Background

*    PhD.: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology. Hyderabad, India(1997 - 2001).

*    M.Sc.: Biochemistry First class Hamdard University, India (1994 - 1996).

*    B.Sc.: First class Delhi University, India(1991 - 1994).