Faculty

Gitali Ganguli-Indra lab projects

1. Identification and characterization of factors that can impact cutaneous wound healing by mobilizing stem cells and understand their molecular mechanisms.

Transcription factor CTIP2 plays essential roles in epidermal homeostasis, barrier formation and cutaneous wound healing. In collaboration with Drs. Leid and Arup Indra in OSU, we are identifying Ctip2-regulated novel genes and signaling pathways in epidermis and hair follicle niches that can promote effective scar free wound healing. Those identified factor will serve as potential therapeutic targets for pharmacological manipulation to accelerate the wound-healing process in human patients and promote efficient wound repair and tissue remodeling.

 2. Identifications of novel therapeutic targets for cancers of head and neck, prostate, lung, pancreas and skin (melanoma)

We have set up various in vitro assays using spectrum of early stage and metastatic cancer cell lines to screen natural compound libraries that are obtained from our OSU Colleagues Dr. Mahmud and Dr. Stevens for potential discovery of novel anti-cancer drug leads.  We will further characterize the identified natural compound(s) and determine their mechanisms of action, by studying their effects on cell proliferation, cell cycle distribution, senescence, apoptosis, angiogenesis, inflammation and expression levels of several bio-markers by RT-qPCR western blot and ELISA assay.  

In collaborations with our colleagues we are analyzing the effects of those compounds on cancer stem cell proliferation and survival.

Publication

Novel Pactamycin analogs induce p53 dependent cell-cycle arrest at S-phase in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells. Gunjan Guha Wanli Lua, Shan Li, Xiaobo Liang, Molly F. Kulesz-Martin, Taifo Mahmud, Arup Kumar Indra, and Gitali Ganguli-Indraa. PLOS ONE (In Press 2015)

Loss of keratinocytic RXRα combined with activated CDK4 or oncogenic NRAS generates UVB-induced melanomas via loss of p53 and PTEN in the tumor microenvironment. Coleman DJ, Chagani S, Hyter S, Sherman AM, Löhr CV, Liang X, Ganguli-Indra G, Indra AK. Mol Cancer Res. 2015 Jan;13(1):186-96. doi: 10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-14-0164. Epub 2014 Sep 4.    

Protocol for cutaneous wound healing assay in a murine model. Ganguli-Indra G. Methods Mol Biol. 2014;1210:151-9. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1435-7_12.

Retinoid-X-Receptors (α/β) in Melanocytes Modulate Innate Immune Responses and Differentially Regulate Cell Survival Following UV Irradiation. Daniel J. Coleman1, Gloria Garcia, Stephen Hyter, Hyo Sang Jang, Sharmeen Chagani, Xiaobo Liang, Lionel Larue, Gitali Ganguli-Indra, Arup K.  Indra.  PLoS Genet. 2014 May 8;10(5):e1004321. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1004321. eCollection 2014 May.

Endothelin-1 is a transcriptional target of p53 in epidermal keratinocytes and regulates ultraviolet-induced melanocyte homeostasis. Hyters S., Coleman D., Ganguli-Indra G., Merril G.F., Ma S., Yanagisawa M., Indra A.K.(2012). PCMR 2013 Mar;26(2):247-58. doi: 10.1111/pcmr.12063. Epub 2013 Jan 24.

Selective Ablation of Ctip2/Bcl11b in Epidermal Keratinocytes Triggers Atopic Dermatitis-like Skin Inflammatory Responses in Adult Mice. Wang Z., Zhang L., Guha G., Li S., Krylkova K., Kioussi C., Leid M., Ganguli-Indra G., Indra A.K. (2012). PLoS One 2012;7(12):e51262. doi: 10.1371/ journal.pone. 0051262. PMCID3527437.

Ctip2 is a dynamic regulator of epidermal proliferation and differentiation by integrating EGFR and Notch signaling. Zhang LJ, Bhattacharya S, Leid M, Ganguli-Indra G, Indra AK. (2012). J Cell Sci. 2012 Sep 26. PMCID: PMC3575708.

TranscriptionFactor Ctip2 Controls Epidermal Lipid Metabolism and Regulates Expression of Genes Involved in Sphingolipid Biosynthesis during Skin Development. Wang Z, Kirkwood JS, Taylor AW, Stevens JF, Leid M, Ganguli-Indra G, Indra AK. (2012). J Invest Dermatol. 2013 Mar;133(3):668-76. doi: 10.1038/jid.2012.358. Epub 2012 Oct 25. PMCID: PMC3556343.

Delayed Cutaneous Wound Healing and Aberrant Expression of Hair Follicle Stem Cell Markers in Mice Selectively Lacking Ctip2 in Epidermis. Liang X, Bhattacharya S, Bajaj G, Guha G, Wang Z, Jang HS, Leid M, Indra AK,  Ganguli-Indra G.(2012). PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e29999. Epub 2012 Feb 21. PMCID3283611. 

Conditional ablation of integrin alpha-6 in mouse epidermis leads to skin fragility and inflammation. Niculescu C, Ganguli-Indra G, Pfister V, Dupé V, Messaddeq N, De Arcangelis A, Georges-Labouesse E. (2011). Eur J Cell Biol. 2011 Feb-Mar;90(2-3):270-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2010.09.003. Epub 2010 Oct 20.

RXRα ablation in epidermal keratinocytes enhances UV radiation induced DNA damage, apoptosis, and proliferation of keratinocytes and melanocytes. Wang Z., Coleman, D.J., Bajaj, G., Liang X., Ganguli-Indra, G., Indra, A.K. (2011). JID (NPG). Jan;131(1):177-87. Epub 2010 Oct 14. PMCID: PMC3073005

CTIP2 expression in Head and Neck sqamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is linked to poor differentiation state of the tumor. Ganguli-Indra, G., Wasylyk, C., Liang, X., Millon, R., Leid,M., Wasylyk, B., Abecassis, J., and Indra, A.K. (2009). PLoS ONE. 4:e5367. PMID: 19399189

Expression of CTIP2 in human inflammatory skin diseases. Ganguli-Indra, G., Liang, X., Hyter, S., Leid, M., Hanifin, J. and Indra, A.K. (2009). Exp. Dermatol.  18:994-6. PMID:    19366371

Dual role of COUP-TF-interacting protein 2 (CTIP2) in regulating epidermal homeostasis and skin barrier formation during mouse fetal development. Golonzhka, O., Liang, X., Messaddeq, N., Campbell, A., Metzger, D., Chambon, P. Ganguli-Indra, G., Leid, M., Indra, A.K (2009).J Invest Dermatol. 129:1459-70. PMID:    19092943          .

Expression of COUP-TF-interacting protein 2 (CTIP2) in mouse skin during development and in adulthood.Mechanism of Development. Golonzhka, O., Leid, M., Indra, G., Indra, A.K.(2007). Gene Expr Patterns. 2007 Aug;7(7):754-60. Epub 2007 Jun 13.PMID:    17631058

Loss of a6 integrins in keratinocytes leads to an increase in TGFb and AP-1 signaling and in expression of differentiation genes. Rodius, S., Indra (nee Ganguli), G., Thibault, C., Pfister, V., Georges-Labouesse, E. (2007). J Cell Physiol. 2007 Aug;212(2):439-49.

Analysis of a novel human gene,LOC92912, over-expressed in hypopharyngeal tumours. Seghatoleslam, A., Zambrano, A., Millon, R.,Ganguli, G., Abecassis J., & Wasylyk, B. (2006). BBRC, Jan 6;339(1):422-9.

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) transcriptome analysis by comprehensive validated differential display. Carles A., Millon R., Cromer A., Ganguli G., Lemaire F., Young J., Wasylyk C., Muller D., Schultz I., Rabouel Y., Dembele D., Zhao C., Marchal P., Ducray C, Bracco L., Abecassis J., Poch O., Wasylyk B. (2005).. Oncogene., Oct 31.

Functional interaction between tumor suppressor p53 and Net. Nakade, K., Ganguli, G., Hong, Z., and Wasylyk B. (2004)., Mol Cell Biol., Feb;24(3):1132-42. (HZ and GG are equal second authors).

p53 independent functions of MDM2. Ganguli G. and Wasylyk B.(2003).  Molecular Cancer Research,Dec;1(14):1027-35.

Molecular classification of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Cromer, A., Carles, A., Million, R., Ganguli, G., Lemaire, F.,Young, J., Dembélé, D., Thibault, C., Diemunsch, F., Abecassis, J. and Wasylyk B.(2003)., Oncogene, Dec;1-15 (First 3 are equal first authors and GG is second author).

The p53 tumour suppressor inhibits glucocorticoid induced proliferation of erythroid progenitors. Ganguli, G., Back, J., Sengupta, S. and Wasylyk B. (2002). EMBO Reports.June; 3(6):569 –574.

MDM2 induces hyperplasia and premalignant lesions when expressed in the basal layer of the epidermis. Ganguli, G., Abecassis, J. and Wasylyk B. (2000). EMBO J. 19(19): 5135-5147.

MDM2 overexpression generates a skin phenotype in both wild type and p53 null mice Ganguli, G., Alkhalaf, M., Messadeq, N., LeMeur, M. and Wasylyk, B. (1999).. Oncogene. Feb 18: 1419-1934.

Suitability of the follicular oocytes obtained from slaughtered buffalo ovaries and assessment of their nuclear maturation. Ganguli, G., Indra, A. and Gupta P. (1998): Buffalo. J. 2: 217-227.