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Cancer Biology

Biography

Dr. P. Elumalai earned his M.Sc and PhD in Biomedical Science-Endocrinology from the University of Madras. He served as a Research Professor and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea. He has 15 years of research experience in cancer and Molecular Biology. He has published more than 70 research articles in reputed international journals with more than 2450 citations and h-index of 26 and i10 index of 38 with a Cumulative impact Factor of 230. He has published 3 book chapters. He has been awarded several fellowships like PBC outstanding Postdoctoral fellowship in Israel, CSIR-SRF and UGC-Project Fellow in India. Recently, he secured a Start-Up Research grant of Rs. 10 lakhs from the University Grants Commission (UGC) in India. This funding aims to expand our research from gene editing to investigating synergies with established immunotherapeutic strategies. The integration of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated PD-L1 modulation with immune checkpoint inhibitors or adoptive T cell therapies shows potential in overcoming resistance mechanisms, amplifying treatment efficacy, and extending the applicability of immunotherapy to a wider range of patients.

He possesses a robust background in molecular biology and cancer genomics, focusing on the intricate regulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signaling molecules in cancer metastasis. In his post-doctoral research, he delved into the precision medicine approach through a Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) model, successfully developing over ten primary cancer cell lines from both human cancer tissue and PDX tumor tissue. His research group has made significant contributions by investigating the role of EMT-related genes in lung and ovarian cancer progression, employing cutting-edge techniques such as Single Cell RNA Sequencing and 3D culture systems. Presently, he is deeply engaged in pioneering research utilizing CRISPR/Cas-9 technology and 3D cell culture models, along with screening anti-cancer drugs. Additionally, he is exploring innovative mesenchymal stem cells-based therapeutic strategies for tissue regeneration.

Education

  • Post-Doctoral Fellowship, The Catholic University of Korea, South Korea

  • Ph.D. Biomedical Science-Endocrinology, University of Madras

  • M.Sc. Biomedical Sciences, University of Madras

  • B.Sc. Zoology, University of Madras

Key research areas

  • Cancer genomics: Genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to study the signalling pathways and molecular mechanisms in the tumour microenvironment.

  • The tumor microenvironment: Refers to the cellular and non-cellular components surrounding a tumor, playing a crucial role in cancer development and progression. Understanding this complex interplay is essential for devising effective therapeutic strategies targeting not only cancer cells but also their supportive microenvironment.

  • Anti-cancer drug discovery: Development of anti-cancer drug from the Indian traditional medicinal plant based compounds.

  • Stem Cell Research: Development of regenerative therapeutic strategies in Development of regenerative therapeutic strategies in dental medicine using gingival, periodontal ligament and dental pulp derived mesenchymal stem cells. 

Recent Publications

  1. Soosai, D., Ramalingam, R., Perumal, E. et al. Anticancer effects of rutin from Fagopyrum tataricum (tartary buckwheat) against osteosarcoma cell line. Mol Biol Rep 51, 312 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-024-09218-w. (JIF: 2.7).

  2. Kuppusamy KM, Selvaraj S, Singaravelu P, John CM, Racheal K, Varghese K, Kaliyamoorthy D, Perumal E, Gunasekaran K. Anti-microbial and anti-cancer efficacy of acetone extract of Rosa chinensis against resistant strain and lung cancer cell line. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. 2023 Nov 10;23(1):406. (JIF: 3.9).

  3. Nathan, Jhansi, Rabiathul Shameera, Nalini Devarajan, and Elumalai Perumal. "Role of berberine on angiogenesis and blood flow hemodynamics using zebrafish model." Journal of Applied Toxicology (2023). https://doi.org/10.1002/jat.4529. (JIF: 2.4).

  4. Pavani Koka, Yamini Chandramohan, Elumalai Perumal, Avinash Kavarthapu, Anuradha Dhanasekaran, Anusha Chandran, Krishnamoorthy Gunasekaran, "Fabrication of ECM Mimicking Bioactive Scaffold: A Regenerative Approach for MSC Mediated Applications", Stem Cells International, vol. 2023, Article ID 6282987, 15 pages, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6282987. (JIF: 5.89).

  5. Elumalai P, Ezhilarasan D. Emerging applications of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology in reversing drug resistance in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Oral Oncol. 2022 Sep 2;134:106100. (JIF: 5.89).

  6. Elumalai P, Muninathan N, Megalatha ST, Suresh A, Kumar KS, Jhansi N, Kalaivani K, Krishnamoorthy G. An Insight into Anticancer Effect of Propolis and Its Constituents: A Review of Molecular Mechanisms. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022 Jun 17;2022:5901191. (JIF: 2.8).

  7. Elumalai P, Ezhilarasan D, Raghunandhakumar S. Molecular Targets of Nimbolide for Anti-Cancer Therapy: An Updated Review. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol. 2022;41(2):69-88. (JIF: 3.1).

  8. Elumalai P, Ezhilarasan D, Lakshmi T. Targeting head and neck cancer epigenetics with CRISPR-dCas9: An emerging therapeutic approach. Oral Oncol. 2022 Mar 5;127:105801. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2022.105801. (JIF: 5.89).

  9. Subramanian K, Balaraman D, Panangal M, Nageswara Rao T, Perumal Elumalai, R A, Kumarappan A, Sampath Renuga P, Arumugam S, Thirunavukkarasu R, Aruni W, Yousef AlOmar S. Bioconversion of chitin waste through Stenotrophomonas maltophilia for production of chitin derivatives as a Seabass enrichment diet. Sci Rep. 2022 Mar 21;12(1):4792 (JIF: 5.134).

  10. Devaraj E, Perumal E, Subramaniyan R, Mustapha N. Liver fibrosis: Extracellular vesicles mediated intercellular communication in perisinusoidal space. Hepatology. 2021 Nov 13. doi: 10.1002/hep.32239. (JIF: 17.5)