Urology Research Lab

About

The urology research lab focuses on multiple aspects of cancer research, specifically on understanding cancer immuno-biology and the role of inflammation in the development and progression of prostate cancer. Our primary goal is to harness the power of the immune system to improve both preventive and therapeutic efficacy against cancer cells using natural compounds, chemotherapy drugs, and antigen-specific immunotherapy.

We conduct transdisciplinary research at the intersection of molecular chemistry and biology to investigate the effects of natural and chemically synthesized drugs in the treatment of cancer and their impact on regulating the tumor microenvironment to suppress tumor-promoting environment.

Additionally, we have developed an adenovirus (Ad)-based vaccine for simultaneous targeting of prostate-specific antigens and demonstrated its superior therapeutic efficacy in preclinical studies and are actively working to translate this immunotherapy approach into clinical settings.

Urology residents also participate in the lab experience through an immersive 4-month rotation during their post-graduate year 3. During this time, they gain key foundational skills in basic science methodologies as well as sharpen critical thinking, data interpretation, and scientific writing abilities.

Key Research Areas

(Advancing urological research in developing novel immunotherapy approaches
Understanding the molecular basis of the treatment failures and developing new avenues targeting castration-resistance prostate cancer
Multi-omics approaches to uncover the novel mechanisms of therapy-resistant prostate cancer, identification of targeting molecules associated with the tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies
Understanding the role of microbiome in association with urinary tract infections (UTI)
Our laboratory also seeks to understand the molecular basis of prostate cancer disparities in underserved communities.

Recent Publications

Karan D, Dubey S, Gunewardena S, Iczkowski KA, Liu P, Poletti A, Choo Y-M, and Hamann MT. 2023. Manzamine A reduces androgen receptor transcription and synthesis by blocking the E2F8-DNA interactions and effectively inhibits prostate tumor growth in mice. Molecular Oncology 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38605607/
Karan D, Singh M, Dubey S, Van Veldhuizen P, Saunthararajah Y. 2023. DNA methyltransferase 1 targeting using guadecitabine inhibits prostate cancer growth by an apoptosis-independent pathway. Cancers (Basel) 2023, 15(10): 2763. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15102763
Karan D, Wick J, Dubey S, Sinha CK, Siddiqui J, Kunju LP, and Chinnaiyan AM. 2023. Racial differences in serum chemokines in prostate cancer patients. Cancer (ACS): 2023: 1-7 https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.35012.
Dubey S, Singh M, Nelson A, and Karan D. 2021. A perspective on Withania somnifera modulating antitumor immunity in targeting prostate cancer. Journal of Immunology Research, Vol 2021; Article ID: 9483433. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9483433
Karan D. 2018. Inflammasomes: emerging central players in cancer immunology and immunotherapy. Frontiers in Immunology 9:3028. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.03028