Update Your ProfileAcademic Title:
Associate Professor
Primary Appointment:
Pediatrics
Location:
BRB (13-043)
Phone (Primary):
410-706-1772
Education and Training
- University of Calcutta, India, B.Sc, Zoology, 1987
- Jadavpur University, India, Diploma in Pathology. 1998
- University of Kalyani, M.Sc, Zoology, 1990
- University of Kalyani, Ph.D., Zoology, 1996
- Indian Research Institute of Integrated Medicine, Senior Research Fellow, 2000
- Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, Research Associate, 2006
- Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Biochemistry, University of Puerto Rico, 2006-2011, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland, 2011-2014
- Research Associate, Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, 2015
Biosketch
Dr. Banerjee is a leading cancer biologist. Her lab is instrumental in developing spheroids from commercially available (ATCC) cell lines and patient-derived organoids (PDO) from both colon tumor tissue and adjacent healthy tissues. She focused on the unfolded protein response (upr) mediated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, causing apoptotic cancer cell death. She has tested the impact of the single or combinatorial compound on cancer cells, cancer spheroids, and drug-resistant cell lines.
Moreover, Dr. Banerjee's research identified for the first time an integrated signaling pathway between an oncogene (FoxM1) and a tumor suppressor gene (RASSF1A) in metastatic colon cancer progression, which may facilitate the development of novel therapeutic options for advanced colon cancer therapy. Her collaboration with Pediatric neuroscientist Dr. Jaylyn Waddell facilitated the development of a molecular mechanism of neonatal brain pathology.
Research/Clinical Keywords
Unfolded protein response, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Antioxidant, Reactive Oxygen species, Tumor Suppressor Gene, Oncogene, hypoxia, Signal Transduction, Apoptosis, chemotherapy, colon spheroids, patient-derived organoids.
Highlighted Publications
Sokolov D, Sharda N, Giri B, Hassan MS, Singh D, Tarasiewicz A, Lohr C, von Holzen U, Kristian T, Waddell J, Reiter RJ, Ahmed H, Banerjee A (2022). Melatonin and Andrographolide synergize to inhibit the colospheroid phenotype by targeting Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. J Pineal Res 2022 May 26, doi: 10.1111/jpi.12808. Online ahead of print.
Banerjee V, Sharda N, Huse J, Singh D, Sokolov D, Czinn SJ, Blanchard TG, Banerjee A (2021). Synergistic potential of dual andrographolide and melatonin targeting of metastatic colon cancer cells: Using the Chou-Talalay combination index method. Eur J Pharmacol. Apr 15;897:173919. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.173919. PubMed PMID: 33577837.
Blanchard, T.G., Czinn, S.J., Banerjee, V., Sharda, N., Bafford, AC., Mubariz, F., Morozov, D., Passaniti, A., Ahmed, H., Banerjee, A (2019). Identification of Cross Talk between FoxM1 and RASSF1A as a Therapeutic Target of Colon Cancer. Cancers (Basel). doi: 10.3390/cancers11020199. PMID:30744076.
Blanchard TG., Lapidus R., Banerjee V., Bafford AC., Czinn SJ., Ahmed, H., Banerjee, A (2018). Upregulation of RASSF1A in colon cancer by suppression of angiogenesis signaling and Akt activation. Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry, doi: 10.1159/000492012. Epub 2018 Jul 25. PubMed PMID:30045022.
Banerjee A, Banerjee V, Czinn SJ, Blanchard TG. (2017) Increased reactive oxygen species levels cause ER stress and cytotoxicity in andrographolide treated colon cancer cells. Oncotarget. DOI: 10.18632/onco.
Banerjee A, Basu M, Blanchard TG, Chintalacharuvu SR, Guang W, Lillehoj EP, Czinn SJ. (2016) Early Molecular Events in Murine Gastric Epithelial Cells Mediated by Helicobacter pylori CagA. Helicobacter. 21(5):395-404.
Banerjee A, Lang JU, Hung MC, Sengupta K, Banerjee SK, BaksiK, Banerjee DK (2011). Unfolded Protein Response is Required In Nu/Nu Mice Microvasculature for Treating Breast Tumor with Tunicamycin. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 286(33), 29127-29138.
Additional Publication Citations
Banerjee A, Czinn SJ, Reiter RJ, Blanchard TG (2020). Crosstalk between endoplasmic reticulum stress and anti-viral activities: A novel therapeutic target for COVID-19. Life Sci 2020 Aug 15; 255:117842. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.117842.
Ghosh A, Banerjee A, Amzel LM, Vasta GR, Bianchet MA (2019). Structure of the zebrafish galectin-1-L2 and model of its interaction with the infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) envelope glycoprotein. Glycobiology, Mar 5. pii: cwz015. doi: 10.1093/glycob/cwz015.
Banerjee, A., Basu, M., Blanchard, T.G., Chintalacharuvu, S.R., Guang, W., Lillehoj, E.P., Czinn, S.J (2016). Early molecular events in murine gastric epithelial cells mediated by Helicobacter pylori CagA. Helicobacter, 5:395-404. PubMed PMID:26817586; PMCID:PMC4965344.
Zawahir, S., Li, G., Banerjee, A., Shiu, J., Blanchard, T.G., Okogbule-Wonodi A.C (2015). Inflammatory and immune activation in intestinal myofibroblasts are developmentally regulated. Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research, 35(8):634-640. PubMed PMID: PMCID:PMC4528986.
Nita-Lazar, M*., Banerjee, A*., Feng, C., Vasta, G.R. (*equal contribution) (2015). Galectins regulate the inflammatory response in airway epithelial cells exposed to microbial neuraminidase by modulating the expression of SOCS1 and RIG1. Molecular Immunology, 68(2):194-202. PubMed PMID:26355912; PMCID:PMC4624043.
Shiu, J., Piazuelo, M.B., Ding, H., Czinn, S.J. Drakes, M.L., Banerjee, A., Basappa, N., Kobayashi, K.S., Fricke, W.F., Blanchard, T.G (2015). Gastric LTi cells promote lymphoid follicle formation but are limited by IRAK-M and do not alter microbial growth. Mucosal Immunology, 5:1047-59. PubMed PMID:25603827; PMCID:PMC4510039.
Feng C, Ghosh A, Amin MN, Giomarelli B, Shridhar S, Banerjee A (2013), Fernández-Robledo JA, Bianchet MA, Wang LX, Wilson IBH, and Vasta GR. The galectin CvGal1 from the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) binds to blood group oligosaccharides on the hemocyte surface. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 288:24394-409.
Majumdar, K.N.*, Banerjee, A.*, Ratha, J.*, Mandal, M., Sarkar, R.N., Das Saha K (*equal contribution) (2008). Leishmanial lipid suppresses tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta and nitric oxide production by adherent synovial fluid mononuclear cells in rheumatoid arthritis patients and induces apoptosis through the mitochondrial-mediated pathway. Arthritis Rheumatism, 58(3), 696-706. PubMed PMID:18311833.
Kundu, P., Mukhopadhya, A., Patra, R., Banerjee, A., Berg, D., Swarnakar, S. (2006). Cag pathogenicity island independent upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases -9 and -2 secretion and expression in mice by Helicobacter pylori The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 281(45), 34651-34662. PubMed PMID:16966323.
Swarnakar, S., Ganguly, K., Kundu, P., Banerjee A., Maity, P., Sharma, A.V (2005). Curcumin regulates expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases-9 and -2 during prevention and healing of indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer. The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 280(10), 9409-9415. PubMed PMID:
Research Interests
Dr. Banerjee's lab is working on two major pathological conditions and their molecular mechanism. 1) cancer and 2) neuroprotection against hypoxia-induced ischemia.
Conventional therapies affect only proliferating and differentiated cancer cells from the tumor mass and save cancer stem cells (CSCs). These CSCs drive tumor recurrence, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy, leading to cancer therapy failure. Dr. Banerjee's group has recently invented a combinational therapy that has a potential therapeutic effect on metastatic colon cancer cells and spheroids. Dr. Banerjee's group expects this dual therapy will provide new therapeutic modalities that will reduce morbidity and increase the overall survival of CRC patients.
Recently, collaborative work has emphasized understanding specific protective pathways initiated by cooling in an in vivo model of hypoxia-induced ischemia (HIE). The major goal of this study is to use the well-established Rice-Vannucci rodent model of HIE to understand the molecular mechanisms of hypothermia and improve the efficacy of this intervention.
Awards and Affiliations
- 2008 - Travel Award, ASBMB
- 2008 - Cover page, Arthritis Rheumatism Journal, 2008 Mar;58(3):696-706.
- 2010 - Travel Award, ASBMB
- 2019 - Session Chair, IV International Conference on Cancer Research and Drug Development, USA.
- 2021 - Judge, “Virtual” Annual Tri-County Science and Technology Fair, New York, USA.
- 2021 - Advisory Board Member of the Journal Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. (Invited)
- 2021 - Invited Early Career Speaker, Department of Pediatrics Virtual Research Day & J. Tyson Tildon Award Presentation.
- 2022 - Judge, “Virtual” Annual Tri-County Science and Technology Fair, New York, USA.
- 2022 - Best poster award, Pediatrics Research Day.
Grants and Contracts
- UMB Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR)/Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) (Co-PI; PI Jaylyn Waddell; 5/1/2022- 4/30/2023); Mechanisms and biomarkers of therapeutic hypothermia in neonatal hypoxia-ischemia.
- Richard Schwartz award (PI; 6/1/2021-5/31/2022, Endoplasmic reticulum mediated neuroprotection in neonatal hypoxia-ischemia.
- UMB Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR) voucher Grant (PI; 6/14/2021-6/13/2022); Toxicity and efficacy of novel RIO-kinase inhibitor (KPTH01) on colon cancer.
- Mydecines Innovation Group (Co-I; PI Jaylyn Waddell; 4/1/2021-3/31/23). Facilitating extinction of fear with psilocybin: Model development of biomarkers and mechanisms.
- IBBRFY21 seed Grant (Co-PI; 9/1/2020-7/31/2021) Synthesis, biochemical characterization, and pre-clinical evaluation of novel anti-colorectal cancer agents targeting RIOK1.
Previous Positions
- Research Associate, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 2014-2016
- Post Doctoral Associate, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 2011-2014
- Post Doctoral Associate, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, 2006-2011
- Research Associate, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, India, 2001-2006
- Senior Research Fellow. Indian Research Institute for Integrated Medicine, India, 1999