Paramita M. Ghosh, Ph.D.

Professor
Room 1132
Oak Park Research Building
2700 Stockton Blvd
Sacramento, CA 95817
Ph: 916-734-7805
paghosh@health.ucdavis.edu

Research Interests

My chief topic of research over the past twenty years has been the elucidation of signal transduction pathways leading to the progression of prostate cancer. My current research is based on the initial observation from our laboratory that in poorly differentiated prostate cancers, Akt, a downstream target of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, is highly phosphorylated. Based on these observations, I have investigated the role of Akt in the progression of prostate cancer to a castration resistant state. Currently, I am engaged in studying signal transduction pathways both upstream and downstream of Akt. Upstream of Akt, I am studying the effect of receptor tyrosine kinases and their effects on both the PI3K and the MAPK cell signaling pathways, while downstream of Akt, I am studying the crosstalk with the androgen receptor pathway, and the effects of aging on the development of prostate cancer. At present, our targets of investigation include the erbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases, the androgen receptor, the cytoskeletal scaffolding molecule Filamin A which is known to be an androgen receptor coregulator and components of the signal transduction pathways downstream of Ras (including the mitogen activated protein kinases) and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), including p70 S6 kinase, 4E-BP1 and e1F4G. We have identified the E3 ubiquitin ligase Nrdp1 as a significant target of Filamin A in the androgen receptor pathway. Simultaneously, we have investigated the role of Galectin 1 in the regulation of this pathway and it’s effects in prostate cancer progression. We use not only human tissue but also animal models of prostate cancer, including both mice and dogs.

Recently, we have started investigating the biology of bladder cancer as well. Given our experience in signal transduction, we have studied the ErbB pathway in this disease as well. In both tumor type, we have used metabolomics as well as transcriptomics to understand disease progression and then validated our findings in tissues by immunohistochemistry. These techniques allow us to make comprehensible assumptions regarding disease progression and to select appropriate inhibitors to target the disease at multiple stages of progression.

Graduate Group Affiliations

Specialties / Focus

Cancer Biology
Cancer Drug Characterization
Signal Transduction

See: My Bibliography - NCBI (nih.gov)

Highlights:

Hairston DWS, Sridharan-Weaver S, Gandhi A, Batra N, Durbin-Johnson BP, Dall'Era MA, Ghosh PM. "The Oncometabolite 2-Hydroxyglutarate Is Upregulated in Post-Prostatectomy PSA Recurrence of Prostate Cancer: A Metabolomic Analysis". Molecules. 2025 Aug 8;30(16):3316. doi: 10.3390/molecules30163316. PMID: 40871470; PMCID: PMC12388815.

Jathal MK, Mudryj M, Dall'Era MA, Ghosh PM. "Amiloride sensitizes prostate cancer cells to the reversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor lapatinib by modulating Erbb3 subcellular localization". Cell Mol Life Sci. 2024 Dec 27;82(1):24. doi: 10.1007/s00018-024-05540-5. PMID: 39725713; PMCID: PMC11671466.

Vasilatis DM, Batra N, Lucchesi CA, Abria CJ, Packeiser EM, Murua Escobar H, Ghosh PM. "Alterations in Tumor Aggression Following Androgen Receptor Signaling Restoration in Canine Prostate Cancer Cell Lines". Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Aug 7;25(16):8628. doi: 10.3390/ijms25168628. PMID: 39201315; PMCID: PMC11354774.

Steele TM, Tsamouri MM, Siddiqui S, Lucchesi CA, Vasilatis D, Mooso BA, Durbin-Johnson BP, Ma AH, Hejazi N, Parikh M, Mudryj M, Pan CX, Ghosh PM. "Cisplatin-induced increase in heregulin 1 and its attenuation by the monoclonal ErbB3 antibody seribantumab in bladder cancer". Sci Rep. 2023 Jun 14;13(1):9617. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-36774-1. PMID: 37316561; PMCID: PMC10267166.

Vasilatis DM, Lucchesi CA, Ghosh PM. "Molecular Similarities and Differences between Canine Prostate Cancer and Human Prostate Cancer Variants". Biomedicines. 2023 Apr 5;11(4):1100. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines11041100. PMID: 37189720; PMCID: PMC10136260.

Jathal MK, Siddiqui S, Vasilatis DM, Durbin Johnson BP, Drake C, Mooso BA, D'Abronzo LS, Batra N, Mudryj M, Ghosh PM. "Androgen receptor transcriptional activity is required for heregulin-1β-mediated nuclear localization of the HER3/ErbB3 receptor tyrosine kinase". J Biol Chem. 2023 Aug;299(8):104973. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104973. Epub 2023 Jun 26. PMID: 37380074; PMCID: PMC10407237.

Tsamouri MM, Durbin-Johnson BP, Culp WTN, Palm CA, Parikh M, Kent MS, Ghosh PM. "Untargeted Metabolomics Identify a Panel of Urinary Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder, as Compared to Urolithiasis with or without Urinary Tract Infection in Dogs". Metabolites. 2022 Feb 24;12(3):200. doi: 10.3390/metabo12030200. PMID: 35323643; PMCID: PMC8951005.

Jathal MK, Steele TM, Siddiqui S, Mooso BA, D'Abronzo LS, Drake CM, Whang YE, Ghosh PM. “Dacomitinib, but not lapatinib, suppressed progression in castration-resistant prostate cancer models by preventing HER2 increase.” Br J Cancer. 2019 Jul;121(3):237-248.

Shih TC, Liu R, Wu CT, Li X, Xiao W, Deng X, Kiss S, Wang T, Chen XJ, Carney R, Kung HJ, Duan Y, Ghosh PM, Lam KS. “Targeting Galectin-1 Impairs Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Progression and Invasion.” Clin Cancer Res. 2018 Sep 1;24(17):4319-4331.

D'Abronzo LS, Bose S, Crapuchettes ME, Beggs RE, Vinall RL, Tepper CG, Siddiqui S, Mudryj M, Melgoza FU, Durbin-Johnson BP, deVere White RW, Ghosh PM. “The androgen receptor is a negative regulator of eIF4E phosphorylation at S209: implications for the use of mTOR inhibitors in advanced prostate cancer.” Oncogene. 2017 Nov 16;36(46):6359-6373.

Savoy RM, Chen L, Siddiqui S, Melgoza FU, Durbin-Johnson B, Drake C, Jathal MK, Bose S, Steele TM, Mooso BA, D'Abronzo LS, Fry WH, Carraway KL 3rd, Mudryj M, Ghosh PM. “Transcription of Nrdp1 by the androgen receptor is regulated by nuclear filamin A in prostate cancer.” Endocr Relat Cancer. 2015 Jun;22(3):369-86.

Mooso BA, Vinall RL, Tepper CG, Savoy RM, Cheung JP, Singh S, Siddiqui S, Wang Y, Bedolla RG, Martinez A, Mudryj M, Kung HJ, Devere White RW, Ghosh PM. “Enhancing the effectiveness of androgen deprivation in prostate cancer by inducing Filamin A nuclear localization.” Endocr Relat Cancer. 2012 Dec;19(6):759-77.

Chen L, Mooso BA, Jathal MK, Madhav A, Johnson SD, van Spyk E, Mikhailova M, Zierenberg-Ripoll A, Xue L, Vinall RL, deVere White RW, Ghosh PM. “Dual EGFR/HER2 inhibition sensitizes prostate cancer cells to androgen withdrawal by suppressing ErbB3.” Clin Cancer Res. 2011 Oct 1;17(19):6218-28.

Chen L, Siddiqui S, Bose S, Mooso B, Asuncion A, Bedolla RG, Vinall R, Tepper CG, Gandour-Edwards R, Shi X, Lu XH, Siddiqui J, Chinnaiyan AM, Mehra R, Devere White RW, Carraway KL 3rd, Ghosh PM. “Nrdp1-mediated regulation of ErbB3 expression by the androgen receptor in androgen-dependent but not castrate-resistant prostate cancer cells.” Cancer Res. 2010 Jul 15;70(14):5994-6003.

Bedolla RG, Wang Y, Asuncion A, Chamie K, Siddiqui S, Mudryj MM, Prihoda TJ, Siddiqui J, Chinnaiyan AM, Mehra R, de Vere White RW, Ghosh PM. “Nuclear versus cytoplasmic localization of filamin A in prostate cancer: immunohistochemical correlation with metastases.” Clin Cancer Res. 2009 Feb 1;15(3):788-96.

Wang Y, Mikhailova M, Bose S, Pan CX, deVere White RW, Ghosh PM. “Regulation of androgen receptor transcriptional activity by rapamycin in prostate cancer cell proliferation and survival.” Oncogene. 2008 Nov 27;27(56):7106-17.

Wang Y, Kreisberg JI, Bedolla RG, Mikhailova M, deVere White RW, Ghosh PM. “A 90 kDa fragment of filamin A promotes Casodex-induced growth inhibition in Casodex-resistant androgen receptor positive C4-2 prostate cancer cells.” Oncogene. 2007 Sep 6;26(41):6061-70.

Bedolla R, Prihoda TJ, Kreisberg JI, Malik SN, Krishnegowda NK, Troyer DA, Ghosh PM. “Determining risk of biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer by immunohistochemical detection of PTEN expression and Akt activation.” Clin Cancer Res. 2007 Jul 1;13(13):3860-7.

Kreisberg JI, Malik SN, Prihoda TJ, Bedolla RG, Troyer DA, Kreisberg S, Ghosh PM. “Phosphorylation of Akt (Ser473) is an excellent predictor of poor clinical outcome in prostate cancer.” Cancer Res. 2004 Aug 1;64(15):5232-6.

Graduate Courses

Fall Quarter, PMI 298, Research Rotations in Integrative Pathobiology (Integrative Pathology Graduate Group)
Fall Quarter, PMI 290, Qualifying Examination Preparation (Integrative Pathology Graduate Group)
Winter Quarter, APC 298, Fellowship Writing for Biomedical Scientists
Winter Quarter, BCB 256: Cell and Molecular Biology of Cancer
Winter Quarter, PTX 202: Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology - Cellular and Molecular Basis of Drug Action, Pharmacology and Toxicology Graduate Group
Spring Quarter, PTX 290: Preparation for Qualifying Exam; Strategies and Advice for Passing Your QE, Pharmacology and Toxicology Graduate Group
BCB 298 Signal Transduction Pathways (Spring)

Professional Courses for Medical Students

None

2024 Society of American Asian Scientists in Cancer Research (SAASCR) Outstanding Achievement Award, AACR Annual Meeting, April 2024.
2016 “Exceptional Women in Endocrine Cancer” profile, Endocrine Related Cancers, 2016.
2010 Travel Award, 6th International Symposium on Hormonal Oncogenesis, Tokyo, Japan.
2007 California Coalition to Cure Prostate Cancer Award, Prostate Cancer Foundation, Santa Monica, CA
2006 Best Poster Award. International Symposium on Hormonal Carcinogenesis, Montpellier, France
2006 UC Davis Academic Federation Travel Award
2000 WICR Young Investigator Scholar Award. American Association for Cancer Research
1997-1999 T-32 Postdoctoral Training Award. Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX.
1989 S.N. Bose Medal for best academic achievement. Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Calcutta 700032, India.
1989 Gold Medal for Excellence, Master of Science. Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Calcutta 700032, India
1983-1989 National Science Scholarship. University Grants Commission, Government of India