Research Projects

The differential expression of chromatin organizers sATB1 and sATB2 has been reported in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). CRCs contain a rare population of cells characterized by self-renewal, multi-lineage differentiation, tumor-initiating capacity termed as cancer stem cells (CsCs) which constitute the regenerative fraction within the tumor. These are responsible for chemo- and radio-resistance culminating in disease relapse. The involvement of sATB proteins with respect to generation and maintenance of the CsCs is not clear. The proposed study is aimed to understand the role of sATB1/2 in regulation of CsCs and further colorectal cancer progression by generating sATB1/2 knockout and overexpression organoid as well as colonoid-derived xenografts to evaluate the associated regenerative potential. CsCs are the prime therapeutic targets in CRC. It is often argued that the CsCs undergo epigenetic alterations giving rise to the phenotypically diverse cells in the tumor and thus contribute to the tumor heterogeneity which evolves primarily from the clonal evolution and thereby contributing to tumor metastasis. such heterogeneity is one of the major challenges faced by researchers for therapeutics as it may confer drug resistance to the tumor tissue. Thus, the current study is aimed at understanding the role of sATB family chromatin organizers in regulation of CsCs and to study the genetic and epigenetic alterations caused due to sATB proteins in CRC using the transgenic mice derived organoid model and colonoid derived xenograft models.