Faculty and Staff

My research is centered on the identification and characterization of novel bioactive natural compounds derived from dietary sources, including food, beverages, spices, and medicinal plants, with potential applications in cancer therapy. The primary objective is to evaluate their cytoprotective efficacy in mitigating chemotherapy-induced toxicity, while simultaneously enhancing tumor cell sensitivity to conventional anticancer agents. A key emphasis of our work is the investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying the modulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) by these natural compounds. We aim to elucidate their role in disrupting CSC-driven pathways associated with tumor initiation, progression, drug resistance, and recurrence. In parallel, our research explores the anti-angiogenic potential of these compounds, particularly in combination with standard chemotherapeutic regimens, to inhibit tumor vascularization and improve therapeutic outcomes. Through integrative in vitro and in vivo approaches, we seek to identify synergistic interactions that enhance efficacy while minimizing adverse effects.

Collectively, these studies are directed toward the development of innovative, mechanism-based combinatorial strategies for cancer prevention and treatment, with a focus on overcoming chemoresistance and reducing tumor relapse.

2026 Evaluation of the Diagnostic Accuracy of Cervical Cell Morphologies from Android Device-Captured Cytopathological Microscopic Images through Artificial Intelligence in Mainly Rural or Resource-Constraint Areas of IndiaA. Ray, A. Karmakar, M.Maiti, S. Banerjee, S. Dasgupta, S. Dey, U. Faruk, P. Das, P. Saha,  Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, , 27 (2), 601-612

2025 Attenuation of paclitaxel-induced toxicities by polyphenolic natural compound rutin through inhibition of apoptosis and activation of NRF2/ARE signaling pathways, S Biswas, M Mondal, S Pakhira, R Ghosh, P Samanta, J Basu, A Bhowmik, Hajra S., Saha P.  Food and Chemical Toxicology, 200, 115408

2025 A short synthesis of carbohydrate derived N-benzyl aminocyclopentitols through N–O bond cleavage of the corresponding isoxazolidine derivatives: Evaluation of their anticancerproperties using in vitro and in silico studies, T Halder, R Ghosh, A Sahoo, SS Swain, R Hore, S Ghosh, Saha P., Maity J., Carbohydrate Research 552, 109465

2025 Natural flavonoid Orientin restricts 5-Fluorouracil induced cancer stem cells mediated angiogenesis by regulating HIF1α and VEGFA in colorectal cancer, Ghosh R, Bhowmik A., Biswas S., Samanta P., Sarkar R., Pakhira S., Mondal M., Hajra S., Saha P, Molecular Medicine, 5;31(1):85. doi: 10.1186/s10020-024-01032-1.

2024 Crude extract of Ruellia tuberosa L. flower induces intracellular ROS, promotes DNA damage and apoptosis in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells: Guha S., Talukdar D., Mandal G, Mukherjee R., Ghosh S., Naskar R., Saha P., Murmu N., Das G., Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Volume 332, 5 October 2024, 118389.

2024 Targeting Cancer Stem Cells by Natural Compounds in Combination with Conventional Chemotherapy: An Ideal Strategy for Combating Cancer Recurrence, Ghosh R., Biswas S., Samanta P., Sarkar R., Pakhira S., Mondal M, Bhowmik A, Hajra S, Saha P., Journal of Current Oncological Trends 1 (1), 14-21.

2024 Exosome-sheathed porous silica nanoparticle-mediated co-delivery of 3, 3′ diindolylmethane and doxorubicin attenuates cancer stem cell-driven EMT in triple negative breast cancer: Sarkar R., Biswas S., Ghosh R., Samanta P., Pakhira S., Mondal M., Dutta Gupta Y., Bhandary S., Saha P., Bhowmik A, Hajra S., Journal of Nanobiotechnology 22 (1), 1-25.

2024 Current Understanding on Impact of Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Mutation on Colorectal Cancer: A Review, Pakhira P., Samanta P., Ghosh R., Mondal M., Biswas S., Sarkar R., Bhowmik A, Saha P., Subhadip Hajra, Journal of Current Oncological Trends 1 (1), 8-13.

2024  Ribosome biogenesis and ribosomal proteins in cancer stem cells: a new therapeutic prospect

          Samanta P., Ghosh R., Pakhira S., Mondal M, Biswas S., Sarkar R., Bhowmik A., Saha P., Hajra S, Molecular Biology Reports. 51 (1), 1-17.

2023  Herapeutic Effectiveness of Anticancer Agents Targeting Different Signaling Molecules Involved in Asymmetric Division of Cancer Stem Cell:Samanta P, Bhowmik A, Biswas S, Sarkar R, Ghosh R, Pakhira S, Mondal M, Sen S, Saha P, Hajra S.Stem Cell Rev Rep.https://doi.org/10.1007/s12015-023-10523-3.

2022   Targeting HIF-1α by Natural and Synthetic Compounds: A Promising Approach for Anti- Cancer Therapeutics Development, R Ghosh, P Samanta, R Sarkar, S Biswas, P Saha, S       Hajra, A Bhowmik. Molecules 27 (16), 5192

2022 Evaluation of chemopreventive potential of xanthone from Swertia chirata against DMBA/croton oil-induced chemical carcinogenesis in Swiss mice,Barua A., Choudhury P., Panda C., Saha P., Current Science, February 2022122(4):429-438, DOI: 10.18520/cs/v122/i4/429-438

2022 Novel Xanthone from Swertia Chirata Exerts Chemotherapeutic Potential Against Colon Carcinoma. Atish Barua, Pritha Choudhury, Niraj Nag, Anirban Nath,  Sabyasachi Kundagrami, Amit Pal, Chinmay Kumar Panda and  Prosenjit Saha, Current Science, Jan 2022, VOL. 122, NO. 1, 10 DOI: 10.18520/cs/v122/i1/47-55.

2022 Deregulation of the CD44-NANOG-MDR1 associated chemoresistance pathways of breast cancer stem cells potentiate the anti-cancer effect of Kaempferol in synergism with Verapamil. Nandi S.K., Roychowdhury T.,  Chattopadhyay S.,  Basu S. ,  Chatterjee K.,  Choudhury P.,  Banerjee N.,  Saha P,  Mukhopadhyay S., Mukhopadhyay A.,  Bhattacharya R., Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2022 Jan 18;115887.  doi: 10.1016/j.taap.2022.115887.

2021       Downregulation of Hyaluronic acid-CD44 signaling pathway in cervical cancer cell by natural polyphenols Plumbagin, Pongapin and Karanjin., Roy R, Mandal S, Chakrabarti J, Saha P, Panda CK. Mol Cell Biochem. 2021 Jun 3. doi: 10.1007/s11010-021-04195-1. Online ahead of print. PMID: 34081254

2021 In silico validation of potent phytochemical orientin as inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 spike and host cell receptor GRP78 binding. Bhowmik A, Biswas S, Hajra S, Saha P.Heliyon. 2021 Jan; 7(1): e05923. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon. 2021.e05923. Epub 2021 Jan 11. PMID: 33458435

2021 Eugenol emerges as an elixir by targeting β-catenin, the central Cancer Stem Cell regulator in lung carcinogenesis: an in vivo and in vitrorationale, Choudhury P.,   Atish Barua A.,    Roy A.,    Pattanayak R.,   Bhattacharyya M.  and   Saha P., FoodFunct. 2021 Feb 15;12(3):1063-1078. doi: 10.1039/d0fo02105a.PMID: 33443517

2020 Chemotherapeutic potential of novel xanthone sourced from Swertia chirata against skin carcinogenesis. Barua A., Choudhury P., Panda C.K., Saha P., Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Research, 13(12):84-88, DOI: 10.22159/ajpcr. 2020. v13i12.38942

2020 Anti-Metastatic Potential of a Novel Xanthone Sourced by Swertia chirata Against In Vivo and In Vitro Breast Adenocarcinoma Frameworks. Barua A, Choudhury P, Mandal S, Panda CK, Saha P. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2020 Oct 1;21(10):2865-2875. doi: 10.31557/ APJCP. 2020.21.10.2865. PMID: 33112542

2020 Therapeutic potential of xanthones from Swertia chirata in breast cancer cells. Barua A., Choudhury P., Mandal S., Panda C.K., Saha P.,Indian J Med Res. 2020 Sep;152(3):285-295. doi: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1153_18.PMID: 33107489.

2020  Eugenol restricts Cancer Stem Cell population by degradation of β-catenin via N-terminal    Ser37 phosphorylation-an in vivo and in vitro experimental evaluation. Choudhury P., Barua A., Roy A., Pattanayak R., Bhattacharyya M., Saha P.,Chem Biol Interact. 2020 Jan 25; 316:108938. doi: 10.1016/j.cbi.2020.108938. Epub 2020 Jan 8.

2019 Pongapin and Karanjin, furanoflavanoids of Pongamia pinnata, induce G2/M arrest and apoptosis in cervical cancer cells by differential reactive oxygen species modulation, DNA damage, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cell signaling. Roy R., Pal D., Sur S., Mandal S., Saha P., Panda C.K.,Phytother Res. 2019 Mar 5, PMID:30834631

2019  Chemotherapeutic potential of novel non-toxic nucleoside analogues on EAC ascitic tumour cells. Barua A, Choudhury P, Maity JK, Mandal SB, Mandal S, Saha P. Free Radic Res. 2019 Jan 9:1-11. PMID:30624093

2018 Indole-3-Carbinol (I3C) enhances the sensitivity of murine breast adenocarcinoma cells to doxorubicin (DOX) through inhibition of NF-κβ, blocking angiogenesis and regulation of mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.Hajra S., Patra A.R., Basu A., Saha P., Bhattacharya S.,Chem Biol Interact. 2018 May 15. PMID:29775573

2017 Tobacco‑induced Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention by Some Natural Products. Debolina Pal, Subhayan Sur, Prosenjit Saha, Chinmay Kumar Panda. Journal of Radiation and Cancer Research, 8:35-43, 2017

2016   Tea polyphenols EGCG and TF restrict tongue and liver carcinogenesis simultaneously induced by N-nitrosodiethylamine in mice. Sur S., Pal D., Roy R., Barua A., Roy A., Saha P., Panda C.K.,Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2016 Jun

2015   Molecular mechanism of regulation of villus cell Na-K-ATPase in the chronically inflamed mammalian small intestine. Saha P, Manoharan P, Arthur S, Sundaram S, Kekuda R, Sundaram U. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2015 Feb;1848(2):702-11. PMID: 25462166.

2012   Regulation of sodium-glutamine cotransport in villus and crypt cells by glucocorticoids during chronic enteritis. Arthur S, Saha P, Sundaram S, Kekuda R, Sundaram U. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2012 Apr. PMID:22508450

2012 Na-glutamine co-transporters B(0)AT1 in villus and Sn2 in crypts are differentially altered in chronically inflamed rabbit intestine. Saha P, Arthur S, Kekuda R, Sundaram U. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2012; 1818(3):434-42PMID:22100603

2011   Reciprocal regulation of the primary sodium absorptive pathways in rat intestinal   epithelial cells. Coon S, Kekuda R, Saha P, Sundaram U. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2011 Mar;300(3): C496505. PMID 21148403

2010   Highlighting the anti-carcinogenic potential of an ayurvedic medicinal plant, Swertia Chirata. Saha P., Das S.,Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2010;11(6):1445-9. Review. PMID: 21338178.

2010   Glucocorticoids differentially regulate Na-bile acid cotransport in normal and chronically inflamed rabbit ileal villus cells. Coon S., Kekuda R., Saha P., Sundaram U.,Am J PhysiolGastrointest Liver Physiol. 2010 May;298(5): G675-82. PMID: 20075140

2009   Mechanism of Inhibition of Iron Absorption in the Chronically Inflamed Small IntestineOstrinsky Y. Saha P. Kekuda R. and Sundaram U. Gastroenterology, Vol. 136, Issue 5, Supplement 1, Page A-711

2008 Role of Sp1 and HNF1 transcription factors in SGLT1 regulation    during chronic intestinal inflammation. Kekuda R., Saha P., and Sundaram U.  Am. J. Physiol. 2008 Jun;294(6): G1354-61. PMID: 18339704

2008 Identification and characterization of rabbit small intestinal villus cell brush-border membrane Na-glutamine co-transporter. Talukder J., Kekuda R., Saha P., Arthur S. and Sundaram U.,Am. J. Physiol. 2008 Jul;295(1): G7-G15. PMID: 18436625

2008       Constitutive Nitric Oxide Differentially Regulates Na-H and Na-glucose co-Transport In Intestinal Epithelial Cells.  Coon S, Kekuda R., Saha P., Talukder J. and Sundaram U., Am. J. Physiol. 2008 Jun;294(6): G1369-75.PMID: 18325982

2008   Mechanism of Leukotriene D4 inhibition of Na-alanine co-transport in intestinal epithelial cells. Talukder J., Kekuda R., Saha P.and Sundaram U.,Am. J. Physiol. 2008 Jul;295(1): G1-G6. PMID: 18436626.

2008   Functional characterization, localization and molecular identification of rabbit intestinal N-amino acid transporter.  Talukder J., Kekuda R., Saha P., Prasad P.D., Ganapathy V. and Sundaram U.  Am. J. Physiol. 2008 Jun;294(6): G1301-10. PMID: 18388187.

2006 Differential alterations in metabolic pattern of the spliceosomalUsnRNAs during pre-malignant lung lesions induced by benzo(a)pyrene: modulation by tea polyphenols. Manna S., Banerjee S., Saha P., Das S, Panda C.K., Mol Cell Biochem. 2006 Sep;289(1-2):149-57. PMID: 16718374.

2006   Amarogentin can reduce hyperproliferation by downregulation of Cox-II and upregulation of apoptosis in mouse skin carcinogenesis model, Saha P., Mandal S., Das A., Das S., in Cancer Letters, 2006 Dec 8;244(2):252-9. PMID: 1651706.

2005   Inhibition of growth, induction of apoptosis and alteration of gene expression by tea polyphenols in the highly metastatic human lung cancer cell line NCI-H460 Ganguly C, Saha P, Panda C.K., Das S.,Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2005 Jul-Sep; 6(3):326-31, PMID: 16235994.

2005   Black tea extract can modulate protein expression of H-ras, c-Myc, p53, and Bcl-2 genes during pulmonary hyperplasia, dysplasia, and carcinoma in situ. Saha P., Banerjee S., Ganguly C., Manna S., Panda C.K., Das S.,J Environ PatholToxicol Oncol. 2005;24(3):211-24. PMID: 16050805.

2005   Black tea polyphenols suppress cell proliferation and induce apoptosis during benzo(a)pyrene-induced lung carcinogenesis., Banerjee, S., Manna, S., Saha, P., Panda C.K., Das, S.,European Journal of Cancer Prevention. June 2005, 14(3):215-221.

2004   Evaluation of the anticarcinogenic activity of Swertia chirataBuch.Ham, an Indian medicinal plant, on DMBA-induced mouse skin carcinogenesis model. Saha P., Mandal S., Das A., Das P.C., Das S.,Phytother Res. 2004 May;18(5):373-8. PMID: 15173996.

2004   The models for assessment of chemopreventive agents: single organ models. Das S., Banerjee S., Saha P.,Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2004 Jan-Mar;5(1):15-23. Review. PMID: 15074999.

2003   Regulation of hazardous exposure by protective exposure: modulation of phase II detoxification and lipid peroxidation by Camellia sinensis and Swertia chirata. Saha P., Das S.,TeratogCarcinog Mutagen. 2003; Suppl 1:313-22. PMID: 12616622.

2003   Component of black tea can inhibit chemically induced colon carcinogenesis through modulation of cyclooxygenase-2 activity” Sengupta A., Ghosh S., Sanyal U., Saha P., Das S.,Experimental Oncology, 2003;25: 170-175.

2002   Elimination of Deleterious Effects of Free Radicals in Murine Skin Carcinogenesis by Black Tea   Infusion, Theaflavins & Epigallocatechin Gallate. Saha P., Das S.,Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2002;3(3):225-230. PMID: 12718579.

We invite applications from highly motivated doctoral and postdoctoral candidates with a strong interest in phytochemicals and cancer stem cell (CSC) research. Applicants should have an independent source of funding and a demonstrated commitment to translational cancer research. Candidates whose research interests align with our work on natural compounds, cytoprotection, modulation of CSCs, and combinatorial therapeutic strategies are particularly encouraged to apply.

Interested applicants are requested to send the following documents:

• Curriculum Vitae (including the names and contact details of three referees)
• Statement of Purpose outlining research interests and career goals

Please email your application to: prosenjit_cnci@yahoo.co.in