Rakesh Rawal

Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute · Department of Cancer Biology

The lack of non-invasive methods for detection of early metastasis is a crucial reason for the poor prognosis of lung cancer (LC) liver metastasis (LM) patients. In this study, the goal was to identify circulating biomarkers based on a biomarker model for the early diagnosis and monitoring of patients with LCLM. An 8-gene panel identified in our pr...

Background/Objectives: In recent times, epigenetics alterations in Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) have been explored and exploited translationally to guide investigation of new therapeutic approaches. On the other hand, long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs), main regulators of the epigenetic status of the human genome, have been scarcely investigated, notwi...

Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) have been the subject of analysis for over 40 years. These proteins play a crucial role in catalyzing peptidoglycan synthesis within bacteria, providing structural integrity and enabling them to withstand high intracellular pressures. PBPs are involved in peptidoglycan biosynthesis during cell wall elongation and...

Autophagy is a conserved catabolic process in which cells degrade and recycle their cytoplasmic constituents, including damaged or unnecessary proteins and organelles. Autophagy and Lung's cancer have a convoluted and poorly understood relationship. ULK1, known as autophagy initiation kinase, has been found to play a role in the development and pro...

Worldwide, cancer is the leading cause of death. Anti-cancer medications frequently induce side effects and multidrug resistance (MDR), which continues to be a key obstacle to effective cancer therapy. Essential nutrients and functionally bioactive substances can both be found in abundance in plants. The phytochemical components have great promise...

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an escalating global concern, particularly in developing countries like India. A 1-year prospective study was conducted on AMR in human pathogens from Ahmedabad, India. The study aimed to generate an evidence-based database on the AMR profile of pathogens in this region. The study analysed 2204 organisms isolated f...

Graphene and graphene oxide (GO) have garnered significant attention due to their exceptional properties. GO, enriched with various functional groups such as epoxy, hydroxyl, and carboxylic groups, has exhibited remarkable potential in biomedical applications. The combination of GO with metals has proven to be a promising platform for cellular imag...

For centuries, Cyperus rotundus has been a dependable natural cure for various conditions, such as diarrhea, diabetes, inflammation, malaria, and stomach and intestinal issues. However, this plant has become a weed in many tropical and subtropical areas, leading to significant economic damage in the agricultural industry. Plant consumption can lead...

There are more than 70 different species of Nicotiana reported around the world; however, Nicotiana tabacum (common tobacco) and Nicotiana rustica (aztec tobacco) are widely used for snuffing, chewing, smoking, etc., worldwide. Early reports have described that tobacco causes cancer and is associated with many neurological and cardiac disorders. Th...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment strategies encompass a triad of medical interventions: surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Among these, the use of chemotherapy, specifically 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), has become a cornerstone in CRC management. However, it is imperative to explore novel approaches that harness the synergistic potential of chemot...

SdiA is a LuxR-type receptor that controls the virulence of Klebsiella pneumoniae, a Gram-negative bacterium that causes various infections in humans. SdiA senses exogenous acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) and autoinducer-2 (AI-2), two types of quorum sensing signals produced by other bacterial species. However, the molecular details of how SdiA rec...

Background: Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), arises due to increased opioid use during pregnancy. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes play a pivotal role in metabolizing a wide range of substances in the human body, including opioids, other drugs, toxins, and endogenous compounds. The association between CYP gene methylation and opioid effects...

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) is a pivotal protein kinase implicated in a spectrum of debilitating diseases, encompassing cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. While the therapeutic potential of GSK3β inhibition is widely recognized, there remains an unmet need for a rigorous, systematic analysis probing the theoretical inhibitio...

MicroRNAs could be promising biomarkers for various diseases, and small RNA drugs have already been FDA approved for clinical use. This area of research is rapidly expanding and has significant potential for the future. Fennel (Anethum foeniculum) is a highly esteemed spice plant with economic and medicinal benefits, making it an invaluable asset i...

Background Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic debilitating disease with a significant burden of both organic and psychological comorbidities. It has been shown that certain telomere‐related genes (TRGs) affect a wide range of diseases, including HS and its associated comorbidities, but their exact role in HS pathogenesis is still unknown....

Transcription factors have proven to be promising targets for the treatment of cancer. Transcription factors are involved in the production of oxygen. External cervical events are initiated by receptors, such as cytotoxic exposures or cytokine receptors that trigger signalling cascades that activate transcription factors. Transcriptional factors ar...

Breast cancer mortality rate is fifth among all cancer and increasing day by day due to modern lifestyles. Its molecular subtype is classified as per their significant receptor expression, such as estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) & human epidermal growth receptor 2 (Her2). Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subg...

Throughout history, vector-borne diseases have consistently posed significant challenges to human health. Among the strategies for vector control, chemical insecticides have seen widespread use since their inception. Nevertheless, their effectiveness is continually undermined by the steady growth of insecticide resistance within these vector popula...

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory skin condition with elusive pathogenesis that affects therapeutic intervention directly. Objective: To characterize epigenetic variations in cytokines genes contributing to HS. Methods: Epigenome-wide DNA methylation profiling with the Illumina Epic array was perfor...

Background Gliobastoma are the malignant grade 4 astrocytic tumours, which accounts for the major cause of recurrence or death amongst all the brain tumours. The biology to pathophysiology of the tumour being complex, the search for specific differential markers always remains the need of an hour for disease treatment and monitoring. Liquid biopsy...

Holarrhena pubescens is an effective medicinal plant from the Apocynaceae family, widely distributed over the Indian subcontinent and extensively used by Ayurveda and ethno-medicine systems without apparent side effects. We postulated that miRNAs, endogenous non-coding small RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level, may,...

Background: Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent malignant tumor with an elevated frequency of mortality. Around 80% of global HCC cases are caused by chronic infection with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV). Since the molecular mechanism responsible for virus-induced HCC is unclear, it is crucial to identify key b...

ABSTRACTS Background Though cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), being a main component of tumor microenvironment (TME), are known to modulate immune response through secretion of various growth hormones, exosomes carrying miRNAs and cytokines; their effect on dendritic cells (DCs) are yet to be elucidated. Thus, aim of this study was to assess t...

Plant latex has been found to occur in more than 40 families and among them, Apocynaceae is one. Two plants of this family i.e., Cascabela thevetia (L.) Lippold and Plumeria alba L. had been chosen for the current experimental work. The aqueous and methanolic latex extracts were evaluated for their phytochemical constituents and cytotoxic activitie...

Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth., a well-known traditional herb from the Scrophulariaceae family, has a distinguished reputation amongst indigenous medicinal practitioners. miRNAs are powerful genetic regulators, as evidenced by the fact that a single miRNA can direct entire cellular pathways by interacting with a wide range of target genes. The p...

Objectives: In tumor microenvironment (TME), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are known to expedite cancer progression (metastasis). CAF-secreted cytokines confer a survival advantage to circulating tumor stem cells (CTSCs) (indicators of residual-disease) facilitating immune system evasion. Collectively, CAFs serve as “bio-incubator'' by provi...

Foodborne outbreaks urge public health domain to upgrade diagnosis by means of simpler, quicker, and more affordable pathogen detection methods. A molecular recognition probe against an analyte of interest makes up a biosensor, along with a method for turning the recognition event into a quantifiable signal. Single-stranded DNA or RNA aptamers are...

Cross-species post-transcriptional regulatory potential of plant derived small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) has been well documented by plenteous studies. MicroRNAs are transferred to host cells via oral ingestion wherein they play a decisive role in regulation of host genes; thus, miRNAs have evolved as the nascent bioactive molecules imparting p...

Cystic fibrosis gene expression data analysis

Cystic fibrosis Gene Expression Analysis

Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth., a well-known traditional herb from the Scrophulariaceae family, has a distinguished reputation amongst indigenous medicinal practitioners. miRNAs are powerful genetic regulators, as evidenced by the fact that a single miRNA can direct entire cellular pathways by interacting with a wide range of target genes. The p...

It has been indicated that leukemic stem cells (LSCs), a subset of leukaemia cells, are responsible for therapy resistance and relapse in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Therefore, the current study aimed to discover an LSC biomarker in AML patients and identify a natural compound that may target the same. By performing the different gene expression...

Lung cancer is a severe health problem that affects more men than women around the world. The goal of this study was to identify the biomarker hub genes for lung cancer in order to ascertain the biological pathway and protein- protein interaction networks. The microarray datasets GSE80796, GSE68571, GSE118370 and GSE43458 were retrieved from the GE...

Mucormycosis, also known as Zygomycosis, is a disease caused by invasive fungi, predominantly Rhizopus species belonging to the Order of Mucorales. Seeing from the chemistry perspective, heterocyclic compounds with an "azole" moiety are widely employed as antifungal agent for minimising the effect of mucormycosis as a prescribed treatment. These az...

Metastatic lung cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage and is widely known to metastasize to the liver in the Asian population, but the underlying mechanism still remains unclear. Tumour derived exosomes (TDEs) play an important role in metastasis and its contributions to the development of the pre-metastatic niche formation is of utmost importa...

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease affecting multiple organs caused by mutations in the epithelial chloride channel-cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). A study is being conducted to identify potential genes contributing to CF progression and prognosis. The present study examined upregulated and downregulated genes in...

Lung cancer progression is often driven by metastasis, which has resulted in a considerable increase in lung cancer-related deaths. Cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs), particularly exosomes, serve key roles in cellular signal transmission via microenvironment, however, their biological relevance in cancer development and metastasis still nee...

Genomics has led in an era of prognostic, defensive and personalized medicine wherein it is expected that not too far in the future there would be a prototype shift in the practice of medicine from a generalized symptomatic approach to an individualized approach based on his or her genetic makeup. Ayurveda, an ancient Indian system of medicine reco...

. The liver is one of the most significant organs in the body, executing a fundamental role in the regulation of diverse processes, among which the metabolism, secretion, storage, and detoxification of endogenous and exogenous substances are noticeable. Due to these functions, hepatic diseases have become threat to public health, and they remain as...

Ergosterol is the key sterol component in the cell membrane of fungi including moulds and yeasts. Any decrease in the levels of ergosterol in the cell membrane of fungi render them venerable to cell membrane damage and even its death. Majority of antifungal drug targets the key enzymes involved in ergosterol biosynthesis pathway. The biochemical pa...

Since ancient times, Moringa oleifera has been a common vegetable in many nations. It has a large number of phenolic compounds with a diverse range of biological activity. It has anticancer properties that can be exploited to create novel medications for the treatment of various malignancies. The current study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro...

Mosquitoes are vectors for a variety of infectious illnesses, and chemical synthetic insecticides have made it possible to control them effectively. Mosquito repellents are a typical means of keeping mosquitos at bay. Because of its main effectiveness of skin permeability, N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) is one of the most extensively used mosqui...

Thiram (tetramethylthiuramdisulfide) or thiram sulphide is a dithiocarbamate group of non-systemic group of fungicide which are applied for seed treatment, control of the crop pests, to repel animals, etc. Moreover, thiram has also been responsible to cause moderate skin sensitivity and eye irritation. Higher exposure to thiram might also lead to d...

Understanding how MHC class II (MHC-II) binding peptides with differing lengths exhibit specific interaction at the core and extended sites within the large MHC-II pocket is a very important aspect of immunological research for designing peptides. Certain efforts were made to generate peptide conformations amenable for MHC-II binding and calculate...

Papain-like protease (nsp-3; non-structural protein) of novel corona virus is an ideal target for developing drugs as it plays multiple important functions for viral growth and replication. For instance, role of nsp-3 has been recognized in cleavage of viral polyprotein; furthermore, in infected host it weakens the immune system via downregulating...

Cervical cancer (CC) is the world's fourth most prevalent cancer among women. The mortality rate of cervical cancer increases each year due to a lack of early diagnosis. Our study aims to find potential genes linked to cervical cancer and validate the findings using docking analysis. The microarray datasets (GSE6791, GSE7803, GSE9750, GSE39001, GSE...

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small non-coding RNAs, known as chief regulators for cellular growth and development in plants. Nicotiana rustica (N. rustica), also known as Aztec tobacco is the second most widely used lucrative crop for tobacco production across the globe. Since the miRNAs of Nicotiana rustica have never been reported, we employ...

Breast cancer (BC) is a malignancy that affects a large number of women around the world. The purpose of the current study was to use bioinformatics analysis to uncover gene signatures during BC and their potential mechanisms. The gene expression profiles (GSE29431, GSE10810, and GSE42568) were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, a...

Background and Objective Andrographis paniculata belonging to Acanthaceae family is well-known potential hepatoprotective herb. The role of diet on human health and diseases including Hepatocellular Carcinoma has been demonstrated by innumerable studies which have also testified that plant-derived micro-RNAs, transferred to animals via oral consump...

Several studies have demonstrated potential role of plant-derived miRNAs in cross-kingdom species relationships by transferring into non-plant host cells to regulate certain host cellular functions. How nutrient-rich plants regulate host cellular functions, which in turn alleviate physiological and disease conditions in the host remains to be explo...

Even after having social, cultural and medicinal importance, Piper betle is considered the neglected green gold of India. One of the main reasons for that is, though its cultivation is responsible for providing livelihood to about 20 million people, enough attention is not given to the improvement of end-to-end process of cultivation, starting from...

Among the plants considered for medicinal significance, the plant Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi) belonging to the Scrophulariaceae family is very important for its therapeutic potentials and pharmacologically relevant phytochemicals. B. monnieri has traditionally been utilized as a neurological substance and cognitive enhancer. A lot of efforts are now d...

Since its origin, the emergence of vector-borne infections has taken a toll on incalculable human lives. The use of chemical insecticides is one of the early known methods of vector control and although their use is still a prevalent way to combat insect population sadly the perils of insects related transmission still persists. Most commonly, the...

P-glycoprotein (Pgp), an ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter, is an ATP-dependent efflux pump responsible for cancer multidrug resistance. As part of efforts to identify human Pgp (hPgp) inhibitors, we prepared a series of novel triazole-conjugated dihydropyrimidinones using a synthetic approach that is well suited for obtaining compound librari...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common malignancy of digestive system with significant mortality rate. CRC patients with comparable clinical symptoms or at similar stages of the disease have different outcomes. This underlying clinical result is almost inevitably due to genetic heterogeneity. Therefore, the current study aimed to highlight gene...

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) persists and shook the global population where the endgame to this pandemic is brought on by developing vaccines in record-breaking time. Nevertheless, these vaccines are far from perfect where their efficiency ranges from 65 to 90%; therefore, vaccines are not the one only solution to overcome this situation, an...

The fundamental role of microRNAs (miRNAs) has long been associated with regulation of gene expression during transcription and post transcription of mRNA's 3′UTR by the RNA interference mechanism. Also, the process of how miRNAs tend to induce mRNA degradation has been predominantly studied in many infectious diseases. In this article, we would li...

A library of 1,4-dihydropyridine-based 1,2,3-triazol derivatives has been designed, synthesized , and evaluated their cytotoxic potential on colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cell lines. All compounds were characterized and identified based on their 1 H and 13 C NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) spectroscopic data. Furthermore, molecular docking of...

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) also known as tumor initiating cells, are pluripotent and self-renewing subpopulation of cancer cells. This subpopulation is heterogeneous in nature which includes quiescent population and a proliferative population. Since CSCs were first identified in leukemia, their importance in chemoresistance, radioresistance, metastas...

Background Since ancient times, "betel leaf" (Piper betle) has been revered for its religious, cultural, and medicinal properties. Phytochemicals from the Piper betle are effective in a variety of conditions, including cancer. To date, however, no genomic study or evidence has been found to elucidate the regulatory mechanism that underpins its ther...

Nanoscale science and technology are omnipresent in mankind’s lifestyle, basic needs, and advanced wants. From cell biology to astronomy, nanotechnology has paved the way for new research areas. There has been a growing interest in nanomaterials due to the pivotal role they play in various fields ranging from solar cells, electronics components, co...

Structure‐based pharmacophore models are often developed by selecting a single protein‐ligand complex with good resolution and better binding affinity data which prevents the analysis of other structures having a similar potential to act as better templates. PharmRF is a pharmacophore‐based scoring function for selecting the best crystal structures...

In the past two decades, the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) has been revolutionized as multiple cytotoxic, biological, and targeted drugs are being approved. Unfortunately, tumors treated with single targeted agents or therapeutics usually develop resistance. According to pathway-oriented screens, mCRC cells evade EGFR inhibition...

The latest global outbreak of 2019 respiratory coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is triggered by the inception of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2. If recent events are of any indicators of the epidemics of past, it is undeniable to state a fact that the SARS-CoV2 viral infection is highly transmissible with respect to its previously related SARS-CoV’s. Pa...

Coronaviruses (CoVs) belong to a group of RNA viruses that cause diseases in vertebrates including. Newer and deadlier than SARS CoV-2 are sought to appear in future for which the scientific community must be prepared with the strategies for their control. Spike protein (S-protein) of all the CoVs require angiotensin-converting enzyme2 (ACE2), whil...

The gut microbiome is considered as an organ that contributes to the regulation of host metabolism. Mammals possess an ‘extended genome’ of millions of microbial genomes located in the intestine: the microbiome. To date, there is rapidly booming evidence for host–microbe interaction at virtually all levels of complexity, ranging from direct cell-to...

Moringa oleifera is a medicinally important plant that has various medical and nutritional uses. Plant miRNAs are a class of non-coding endogenous small RNAs that regulate human-specific mRNA but the mechanistic actions are largely unknown. Here, in this study, we aim to explore the mechanistic action and influence of M. oleifera seed miRNAs on vit...

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is the prime molecular chaperone found to be overexpressed in cancer cells and pose as an anti-cancer therapeutic drug target for cancer chemotherapy. Even drugs are available which inhibit Hsp90, the associated side effects along with multi-drug regimen necessitate the identification of natural molecules to block the...

Novel SARS-CoV-2, an etiological factor of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), poses a great challenge to the public health care system. Among other druggable targets of SARS-Cov-2, the main protease (Mpro) is regarded as a prominent enzyme target for drug developments owing to its crucial role in virus replication and transcription. We pursued a...

Ethanol depletes intestinal integrity and promotes gut dysbiosis. Studies have suggested the individual role of probiotics and metformin Met in protecting intestinal barrier function from injuries induced by ethanol. The objective of the current study is to investigate the potential mechanism by which coadministration of probiotic Visbiome® (V) and...

The present investigation was carried out to assess the physico-chemical characteristics of Mangrove region in the Kavi, Dhuvara and Somnath for a period of ten (10) months. Surface water samples were collected from the chosen sampling stations at fortnightly intervals and analyzed to provide baseline information on the physico-chemical characteris...

Ethanol depletes intestinal integrity and promotes gut dysbiosis. Studies have suggested the individual role of probiotics and metformin Met in protecting intestinal barrier function from injuries induced by ethanol. The objective of the current study is to investigate the potential mechanism by which coadministration of probiotic Visbiome® (V) and...

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) began as an outbreak and has taken a toll on human lives. The current pandemic requires scientific attention; hence we designed a systematic computational workflow to identify the cellular microRNAs (miRNAs) from human host possessing the capability to target and silence 3′UTR of SARS-CoV-2 genome. Based o...

Emergence of vector borne diseases has continued to take toll on millions of lives since its inception. The use of insecticides began as vector control strategy in the early 1900’s but the menace of insects is still prevalent. Additionally, the inadequate use of organophosphates and carbamates which target acetylcholine esterase (AChE), are known t...

Cancer is a multifactorial disease with a convoluted genesis and progression. The emergence of multidrug resistance to presently be offered drug and relapse is by far, the most critical concern to tackle this deteriorating disease. Henceforth, there is undeniably an inflated necessity for safe, promising, and less harmful new anticancer drugs. Natu...

Like human, fungi too are known to share lot of structural similarities amongst their CYPs (Cytochrome P450 super family of enzymes) which allows antifungal ‘azole’ compounds to interact with CYPs of human. Clotrimazole, an ‘azole’ antifungal drug, is a known inhibitor of fungal CYP named CYP51B. Curcumin, a phytochemical obtained from Curcuma long...

The enormous impact of SARS-CoV2 continues and scientific community is seeking to discover the tactics to impede the spread of virus. The essential result is attenuated, and genetically engineered vaccines are being driven into the market with the general effectiveness being around 80%. Therefore, vaccination is not the sole answer for combat this...

CD44+ circulating tumor stem cells (CTSCs) have been significantly associated with aggressiveness, resistance and poor prognosis of oral cancer patients. Thus, targeted elimination of these CTSCs could be a new conceptual framework for enhancing the therapeutic outcome of patients. Docking of potential investigational molecules and simulation resul...

Moringa oleifera possesses numerous advantageous effects like anti-microbial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory, leaves contain a high multiplicity of the bioactive compound; however, little is identified about its bioaccessibility. The objective of this study was to assess the bioefficacy, bioaccessible and anticancer activity of Moringa oleifera...

Liver, being one of the most fundamental and vital organ existing in human body and performing significant role in regulation of enormous number of biological processes including metabolism of biomolecules, secretion, storage, detoxification and excretion of xenobiotics from body. Accomplishment of all these processes leads to acute or chronic hepa...

Bone metastases is one of the common metastatic site and leading cause of cancer-related mortality in progressive cancer patients. The purpose of the present study is to establish a liquid biopsy based multi-gene classifier and associated signalling pathways for early diagnosis of bone metastases. We used publically available microarray datasets an...

The disease outbreak of Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus, remains a public health concern. COVID-19 is spreading rapidly with a high mortality rate due to unavailability of effective treatment or vaccine for the disease. The high rate of mutation and recombination in SARS-CoV2 makes it difficult for scientist...

Metastatic breast cancer is a prevalent life-threatening disease. Paclitaxel (PTX) is widely used in metastatic breast cancer therapy, but the side effects limit its chemotherapeutic application. Multidrug strategies have recently been used to maximize potency and decrease the toxicity of a particular drug by reducing its dosage. Therefore, we have...

Tumor suppressor protein p53 is one of the most appealing targets for targeted anticancer therapy, due to its significant role in cancer prevention and abundant mutation in human cancers. A novel series of 4‐phenyl‐5‐(thiophen‐2‐yl)‐4H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3‐thiols having ability to liberate p53 function by interrupting p53‐MDM2 interaction were successf...