Molecular Biology Group made the bridge between the clinical practice and laboratory expertise. The major focus of this group is to identify molecular marker for early detection of cancer. In addition, this division is also involved in human resource development by providing training and conducting workshop to clinical & basic researcher.

Our research group is focused primarily on functional genomics and epigenetics to understand the molecular mechanism for the development of cancers. The different approaches are

Mainly focus on:

• SNP/Haplotypre analysis using both candidate gene approach as well as Next Generation sequencing (NGS).
• Non-coding RNA biology
• In Epigenetic study, DNA methylation and histone modifications.

Disease of Interest are:

• Cervical cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Head and neck cancers
• Colorectal cancer, oesophageal cancer and prostate cancer etc.

• The group actively involved in development of new, cost effective HPV diagnostics for early detection of cervical cancer and also cost-effective India specific Human papillomavirus vaccine development against oncogenic HPVs 16/18 - DNA based approach.
• Collaborating with WHO in development of uniform international standards for HPV DNA diagnostics and serology to improve quality of laboratory detection for effective surveillance and monitoring of HPV vaccination impact.

We are working on signaling pathways of several proteins that have been associated with many cancers including breast, cervical and oral and other cancers. Signalling pathways has been emerging as a key cellular event that links chronic inflammation to cancer and frequently reported in majority of cancers. However, the cellular events responsible for constitutively active signaling and modulation of its downstream cellular effects remained a poorly-defined area and demanded better understanding for its effective therapeutic targeting. Although there are a number of positive and negative protein regulators that control expression and activity of signalling pathways.

Focus Area of Research

• Role of GSK3β and STAT3 signaling in regulation of EMT in breast cancer.
• Role of AP-1 transcriptional factor in breast cancer.
• Role of NF-kB transcriptional factor in breast cancer and cervical cancer.
• Role of Bach2 and HNF 1beta as well as interaction of HNF1beta with SOCS3in Prostate cancer.
• Role of Telomerase in cancers.
• Identifying secretary exosomal proteome in tobacco related cancers and its relevance in clinical intervention.

Our molecular biology group is working on therapeutic and preventive bioactive compounds of natural origin are significant due to their elevated margin of safety and desired range of efficacy. The major class of such bioactive compounds demonstrated protective effect against certain carcinoma cells. several natural herbal antioxidant agents are shown to have a wide range of pharmacological effects including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative activity against cancer cells such as cervical, breast and oral and other associated cancer cells.

Focus Area of Research

• Resveratrol anticancer drug used to control the breast cancer progression.
• Curcumin suppress the HPV infected cells on cervical cancer.
• Screening of anticancer properties of various spices/food products and their synthetic derivative compounds in various cancer cell lines.
• Evaluation of anticancer properties of various nanoparticles loaded/unloaded with drugs in various cancer cell lines.
• Evaluating anticancer properties of selected Homeopathic and ayurvedic preparations/ medicines.

Human Resource Development

• Guiding Ph.D./M.D/MS/DM students.
• Project dissertation training to M.Tech/B.Tech/M.Sc. students(10months/6months).
• Summer Training to M.Tech/B.Tech/M.Sc./B.Sc.(6-8weeks).
• Conducting hand on workshop on Molecular Biology Techniques to Medical & Basic science researcher (2 times/ year).