Researcher Profile:
Damodaran Chendil, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Clinical and Reproductive Sciences
Principal Interest
- The identification of novel phytochemicals that are chemopreventive and/or chemotherapeutic with respect to prostate and breast cancer
Damodaran Chendil earned his doctorate in Cancer Biology from the University of Madras. His current research is funded by the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Kentucky Lung Cancer Research Program, and American Cancer Society.
With respect to prostate cancer, Dr. Chendil’s laboratory is involved in identifying compounds that have anti-prostate cancer activity such as psoralidin, which is found in an herbal plant that is extensively used in traditional medicines (for treating gynecological bleeding, vitiligo and psoriasis, and providing hepatoprotective effects, osteoblast proliferation stimulating activity, and anti-bacterial activity). As a consequence of his initial findings, Dr. Chendil has was awarded NIH funding to investigate the underlying anticancer mechanisms responsible for the effect of psoralidin in prostate cancer.
In addition to psoralidin, Dr. Chendil has reported that Withaferin-A (WA), a major component of the dietary compound Withania sominifera, up-regulates prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) expression, induces apoptosis in androgen refractory prostate cancer cells, and causes regression of PC-3 xenografts in mouse models. His findings suggest that WA is capable of inhibiting the survival of both androgen-responsive and androgen-refractory prostate cancer cells.
Dr. Chendil’s breast cancer research has identified two compounds that inhibit breast cancer cell survival in vitro and in vivo. One such compound derives from an alternative medicine called Semecarpus Lehyam. On-going studies are being conducted to explore the efficacy of this drug in targeting the EGFR/Neu signaling pathway in estrogen-negative breast cancer cells, which are more resistant to conventional therapies.
As an extension of his breast and prostate cancer research efforts, Dr. Chendil is involved in synthesizing and testing the derivatives of the bioactive parent compounds detailed above; some compounds appear to be more effective than their parent compounds. Dr. Chendil’s pursuit of drugs for cancer therapy from natural products significantly contributes to the identification of new drugs that might possibly cure cancer or prevent its occurrence.
Current Projects
- Androgen Receptor Dependent Regulation of Apoptosis by Withaferin-A in Prostate Cancer"; American Cancer Society
- Identification of herbal compound for the treatment of Breast cancer. Komen Breast foundation
- Novel Gilvocarcin-Type Natural Products against Lung Cancer by Combinatorial Biosynthesis Kentucky Lung Cancer Research Foundation (KLCRF)
- Novel Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer (Project will commence May 2007)
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College of
Health Sciences
Equal Opportunity University