Research Projects

Osteopontin, also known as secreted phosphoprotein 1 (sPP1), is a poor prognostic factor in cancer cells and is expressed by tumor cells and stromal cells like macrophages. However, there is a lack of studies in India distinguishing the expression of sPP1 between cancer cells and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). The role of Macrophage-derived sPP1 in conferring chemoresistance is still unknown. sPP1 on TAMs has been associated with poor clinical outcomes in many cancers, and its protumor function may be related to chemoresistance and cancer cell re-growth. Therefore, sPP1 derived from TAMs may be a target for anticancer therapy in cervical cancer. sPP1 is also a potential marker for identifying monocyte-derived TAMs in cancer. This study aims to evaluate sPP1 expression status on cancer cells and TAMs separately, investigate the cell signaling mechanism effected by sPP1 silencing in CAF and TAM, and investigate sPP1 role in anti-cancer drug resistance in cervical cancer cell lines. The study will use sPP1 gene expression analysis, protein expression analysis, in vitro studies, and in vivo assays.