DR. EKTA KHATTAR
Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Sunandan Divatia School of Science
SVKM’s NMIMS University
Email: ekta.khattar@nmims.edu
Research
Summary
Telomerase is active in 85%
of cancer cells while being undetectable in somatic cells. This makes
telomerase a very specific target for cancer cells. While the major role of
telomerase is telomere elongation and thus stabilize telomere length, there are
several non-telomeric roles reported for telomerase in cancer cells. These are referred
to as non-canonical roles of telomerase. In my post-doctoral work, I have
discovered its role in driving MYC dependent oncogenesis using a genetic mouse
model of telomerase. We observed that telomerase protein component TERT is
stabilizing MYC protein independent of its association with RNA component TERC. Our group also observed and
reported its role in regulating tRNA expression by performing CHIP-Sequencing
studies. Further we have recently reported the role of another telomere
associated protein RAP1 in DNA damage response thus regulating stem cell
renewal, oncogenesis and response to chemotherapy.
Current Research Projects
|
S. No. |
Title |
Funding source (Award
name) |
Duration |
|
1. |
Non-canonical
functions of telomerase in ovarian cancer |
Department of
Biotechnology, Govt. of India (Ramalingaswami fellowship) |
2017-2022 |
|
2. |
Developing novel
therapeutic strategies to target telomerase and telomeres in cancer |
Department of Science
and Technology, Govt. of India (DST SERB ECR) |
2019-2022 |
|
3. |
DNA damage response
at telomeres |
- |
- |
Current
PhD Students:
1. Kavita Gala (PhD
Registration: 2018)
2. Rebecca Dsouza (PhD
Registration: 2018)
3. Nikita Zade (PhD
Registration: 2020)
Research
Staff:
1. Stina Fernandes
2. Prachi Shah
Research
Publications
Research Articles
- Rap1 regulates
hematopoietic stem cell survival and affects oncogenesis and response to
chemotherapy. Ekta Khattar, Kyaw Ze Ya Maung, Chen Li Chew, Arkasubhra
Ghosh, Michelle Meng Huang Mok, Pei Lee, Jun Zhang, Wei Hong Jeff Chor,
Gökhan Cildir, Chelsia Qiuxia Wang, Nur Khairiah Mohd-Ismail, Desmond Wai
Loon Chin, Soo Chin Lee, Henry Yang, Yong-Jae Shin, Do-Hyun Nam, Liming
Chen, Alan Prem Kumar, Lih Wen Deng, Masahito Ikawa, Jayantha Gunaratne,
Motomi Osato, Vinay Tergaonkar; Nature Communications; 2019; IF: 12.121.
- Telomerase reverse
transcriptase promotes cancer cell proliferation by augmenting tRNA
expression. Ekta Khattar, Pavanish Kumar, Chia Yi Liu, Semih Can
Akıncılar, Anandhkumar Raju, Manikandan Lakshmanan, Julien Jean Pierre
Maury, Yu Qiang, Shang Li, Ern Yu Tan, Kam M Hui, Ming Shi, Yuin Han Loh,
Vinay Tergaonkar; The Journal of Clinical Investigation; 2016; IF: 11.864.
- Long-range chromatin
interactions drive mutant TERT promoter activation. Semih Can Akıncılar,
Ekta Khattar, Priscilla Li Shan Boon, Bilal Unal, Melissa Jane Fullwood,
Vinay Tergaonkar; Cancer Discovery, 2016; IF: 29.497.
- Telomerase regulates
MYC-driven oncogenesis independent of its reverse transcriptase activity.
Cheryl M Koh#, Ekta Khattar#, Shi Chi Leow, Chia Yi
Liu, Julius Muller, Wei Xia Ang, Yinghui Li, Guido Franzoso, Shang Li,
Ernesto Guccione, Vinay Tergaonkar; The Journal of Clinical Investigation;
2015; IF: 11.864. #Equal Contribution
- Telomerase directly
regulates NF-κB-dependent transcription. Arkasubhra Ghosh, Gaye Saginc,
Shi Chi Leow, Ekta Khattar, Eun Myong Shin, Ting Dong Yan, Marc Wong,
Zhizhuo Zhang, Guoliang Li, Wing-Kin Sung, Jianbiao Zhou, Wee Joo Chng,
Shang Li, Edison Liu, Vinay Tergaonkar; Nature Communications; 2012; IF:
20.042.
- Akt augments the oncogenic potential of
the HBx protein of hepatitis B virus by phosphorylation. Ekta Khattar,
Atish Mukherji, Vijay Kumar; The FEBS journal; 2012; IF: 4.750.
- Mitogenic regulation of
p27Kip1 gene is mediated by AP-1 transcription factors. Ekta Khattar,
Vijay Kumar; Journal of Biological Chemistry; 2010; IF: 3.960.
Review Articles
- Long non-coding RNAs at
work on telomeres: Functions and implications in cancer therapy. Kavita
Gala, Ekta Khattar*; Cancer Letter; 2021; IF:7.326. (Accepted Manuscript)
- Repurposing of drugs: An
attractive pharmacological strategy for cancer therapeutics. Anuradha
Kirtonia, Kavita Gala, Stina George Fernandes, Gouri Pandya, Amit Kumar
Pandey, Gautam Sethi, Ekta Khattar*, Manoj Garg*; Seminars in Cancer
Biology; 2020; IF:11.
- Role of Telomeres and
Telomeric Proteins in Human Malignancies and Their Therapeutic Potential. Stina George Fernandes,
Rebecca Dsouza, Gouri Pandya, Anuradha Kirtonia, Vinay Tergaonkar, Sook Y
Lee*, Manoj Garg*, Ekta Khattar*; Cancers; 2020; IF:6.126
- Role of Rap1 in DNA
damage response: Implications in stem cell homeostasis and cancer. Ekta
Khattar*, Vinay Tergaonkar; Experimental Hematology; 2020; IF:2.82.
- Transcriptional regulation
of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) by MYC. Ekta Khattar*, Vinay
Tergaonkar; Frontiers in cell and developmental biology; 2017; IF:5.180.
*Corresponding
author
