Plumbagin (vitamin K3 analogue) was found to be more effective in ovarian cancers that are encompassing a mutation in the BRCA1 gene. Thus plumbagin was more effective than other quinone molecules in the family and the action was more effective than other standard drugs. The mode of action rendered for plumbagin in ovarian cancers was through the intervention at the classical Estrogen receptor (ER) signaling and the expression of a novel splice variant ER 46 KDa isoform that even had an important role in leading the plumbagin treated tumor to apoptosis. The lacuna which was remaining was that whether the plumabgin will be effective in breast cancers which are triple negative breast tumors (TNB’s) with BRCA1 mutated genotype? This subset of tumors has a minimal influence of ER signaling. Hence the researchers around the world are working for determining a therapeutic strategy for these tumors. In light of our findings we are working over the action and molecular signature given by this vitamin K3 analogue in these BRCA1 negative TNB’s. The molecular activity of plumbagin against these types of tumors in cell line model was determined. To translate this knowledge we are employing the knock out rodent models of human tumors and xenografts produced in SCID background. This invivo evidence will be an addendum for future clinical trials of this molecule

The hypothesis that cancers arise from normal adult stem cells which have undergone numerous tumorigenic insults has been a topic of debate for the past decade. The ‘cancer stem cell’ (CSC) hypothesis has been accumulating evidences in its favor since then. Recently the spotlight has fallen on BRCA1-defective cancer stem cells as a potential target for anticancer therapy. BRCA1 plays a cardinal role in maintaining genetic stability within a cell and has also been speculated to be involved in the differentiation of mammary cells. The characteristics of cancer stem cells (CSCs) from BRCA1-defective breast cancers have not been analyzed well.
The aim of the study is to isolate and characterize stem cells from BRCA-defective breast cancers in order to open up new avenues for targeted therapy of BRCA related cancers.

Genetic and cell biology studies reveals that the tumor growth is not only determined by the malignant cells but also their immediate tumor stroma. Recently the importance of stromal microenvironment of cancers in their origin, development and invasive nature was implicated in many studies. Influence of tumor microenvironment on BRCA1 defective cancer progression has not been analyzed yet. Therefore my study targets on tumor microenvironment especially Cancer Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) on cancer cells.

Prostate cancer has become the third most common cancer in men accounting for almost 10% of all male cancers. Prostate gland is controlled by steroid hormones and thus BRCA1/2 proteins could be of functional importance since BRCA1 is reported to influence Estrogen receptor/Androgen receptor expression. The main objective of the study is to analyze the effect of plumbagin and related quinones in comparison to standard drugs given to prostate cancer patients in BRCA 1-/+ prostate cancer cell lines.