All India Institute of Medical Sciences

Dr. Kunzang Chosdol, MD, PhD

Additional Professor, Department of Biochemistry

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110029

Ph: 91-11-26588500, 91-11-26588700; Ext 3314

Dr Kunzang Chosdol joined as Assistant Professor in the Department in 2003. She did her MBBS and Internship from MLB Medical College, Jhansi, UP (1995). She did her MD (Biochemistry), from the Department of Biochemistry, AIIMS in 1999 followed by three years Senior Residency. She did her PhD (Biochemistry) in 2006 from the Department of Biochemistry, AIIMS.

Her major field of research is aimed at understanding signal transduction pathways and transcriptional circuitries that contribute to the progression of the human glioma and to identify new molecule(s) as a therapeutic target. She studied genomic instabilities in glial tumors, by DNA fingerprinting techniques like microsatellite instability, SNPs etc., and the role of genomic instability in tumor phenotype. In the process, LOH at the locus of a novel gene “FAT1” (a human homologue of Drosophila tumor suppressor gene) has been identified in gliomas. Presently her research is focused on studying the role of FAT1 in glial-tumorigenesis. She is also investigating the effect of Hypoxia on Notch signaling and the expression of EMT & Stem cell markers in gliomas. Other research interests include (a) analysis of the genetic polymorphisms in population and their linkage with disease states and in collaboration with Prof S Sinha, involved in developing high affinity peptidomimetic molecules for use in immunotherapeutics against HBV infection.

Life member of the professional bodies: Indian Association for Cancer Research (IACR), Association of Clinical Biochemists of India (ACBI), Indian Society of Cell Biology (ISCB) and The Indian Society of Neuro-oncology (ISNO).

STUDENTS

MSc:

· Ms Chitrangda Srivastava; “To study and correlate the expression of Notch signaling molecules, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) markers and HIF-1α in Glioblastoma Multiforme”

MD:

· Dr. Sachin (2011-14)

PhD:

1. Ms Durgashree Dutta; “Generation of potentially neutralizing Recombinant Antibodies against Hepatitis B Surface Antigen”

2. Ms Bhawana Dikshit; “Characterization of FAT (Tumor Suppressor) pathway in Human Glial Tumors”

3. Ms Khushboo Irshad; “Notch and hypoxia: Signaling interactions in glioma”

4. Mr Anurag Sankhyan; “Generation and characterization of recombinant immune antibody libraries for Hepatitis B virus”

5. Ms Evanka Madan; “FAT1 and inflammation related pathways in glioma”

RESEARCH & IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS

a. Research interests –

(1) To elucidate the role of FAT1 (a human homologue of Drosophila tumor suppressor gene) and its downstream molecules in gliomas.

(2) To analyze the link between cancer and inflammation by studying the interaction between FAT1 and Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2).

(3) Hypoxia and Notch signaling, their interactions and implications for an adverse neoplastic phenotype in gliomas.

(4) Study of Genetic polymorphism in human glial tumors by microsatellite and SNP markers analysis and genetic polymorphism in population and their linkage with disease states.

b. Important Publications –

· Kakkar A, Suri V, Jha P, Srivastava A, Sharma V, Pathak P, Sharma MC, Sharma MS, Kale SS, Chosdol K, Phalak M, Sarkar C. (2011) Loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 10q in glioblastomas, and its association with other genetic alterations and survival in Indian patients. Neurol India. Mar-Apr;59(2):254-61.

· Jha P, Sarkar C, Pathak P, Sharma MC, Kale SS, Gupta D, Chosdol K, Suri V. (2011) Detection of allelic status of 1p and 19q by microsatellite-based PCR versus FISH: limitations and advantages in application to patient management. Diagn Mol Pathol. Mar;20(1):40-7.

· Jha P, Jha P, Pathak P, Chosdol K, Suri V, Sharma MC, Kumar G, Singh M, Mahapatra AK, Sarkar C. (2011) TP53 polymorphisms in gliomas from Indian patients: Study of codon 72 genotype, rs1642785, rs1800370 and 16 base pair insertion in intron-3. Exp Mol Pathol. Apr;90(2):167-72. Epub 2010 Nov 27.

· Jayaraj P, Sen S, Kashyap S, Sharma A, Pushker N, Bajaj MS, Ghose S, Chosdol K. (2011) Does β-catenin have a role in pathogenesis of sebaceous cell carcinoma of the eyelid? Br J Ophthalmol. 2011 Feb;95(2):284-7.

· Chosdol K, Dikshit B, Sinha S. (2011) FAT1 (FAT tumor suppressor homolog 1 (Drosophila)). Atlas Genet Cytogenet Oncol Haematol. February. http://AtlasGeneticsOncology.org/Genes/FAT1ID40533ch4q35.html

· Jha P, Suri V, Jain A, Sharma MC, Pathak P, Jha P, Srivastava A, Suri A, Gupta D, Chosdol K, Chattopadhyay P, Sarkar C. (2010) O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase gene promoter methylation status in gliomas and its correlation with other molecular alterations: first Indian report with review of challenges for use in customized treatment. Neurosurgery. Dec;67(6):1681-91. Review.

· Chosdol K, Misra A, Puri S, Srivastava T, Sarkar C, Mahapatra AK and Sinha S (2009) Frequent LOH and altered expression of tumor supressor FAT identified by RAPD in astrocytic tumors. BMC Cancer 9:5.

· Ahmad Y, Bhatia MS, Mediratta PK, Sharma KK, Negi H, Chosdol K, Sinha S (2009) Association between the ionotropic glutamate receptor kainate3 (GRIK3) Ser310Ala polymorphism and schizophrenia in the Indian population. World J Biol Psychiatry. Jan 23:1-4.

· Srivastava T, Chosdol K, Chattopadhyay P, Mahapatra AK, Sarkar C, Sinha S (2007) Frequent loss of heterozygosity encompassing the hMLH1 locus in low grade astrocytic tumors. J Neuro-oncol. Feb;81(3):249-55.

· Misra A, Chattopadhayay P, Chosdol K, Sarkar C, Mahapatra AK, Sinha S (2007) Clonal mutations in primary human glial tumors: evidence in support of the mutator hypothesis. BMC Cancer, 7:190.

· Srivastava T, Seth A, Datta K, Chosdol K, Chattopadhyay P, Sinha S (2005) Inter-alu PCR detects high frequency of genetic alterations in glioma cells exposed to sub-lethal cisplatin. Int J Cancer. 117 (4), 683–689.

· Misra A, Chosdol K, Srivastava T, Chattopadhyay P, Mahapatra AK, Sarkar C, Sinha S (2003) Glial tumorigenesis: Molecular alterations and identification of targets. Proc. Indian Natl Sci Acad. B69 No.1, 49-72

· Chosdol K, Ahuja A, Rathore A, Misra A, Mir SH, Chattopadhyay P and Sinha S (2002) Study of p53 codon 72 polymorphism in various ethnic groups of North India. Current Science, 82(10): 1253-5 (Cover Page Article)

· Chosdol K, Chattopadhyay P and Sinha S (2002) Molecular pathways of glial tumorigenesis. Current Science, 82(6): 648-54.

· Misra A, Chosdol K, Sarkar C, Mahapatra AK and Sinha S (2001) Alteration of a sequence with homology to human endogenous retrovirus (HERV-K) in primary human glioma: implications for viral repeat mediated rearrangement. Mutation Research 484: 53-59.