Radha Munagala, Ph.D.

Education:

B.Sc. (Genetics, Chemistry & Microbiology),Osmania University, Hyderabad, India, 1997
PGDCA (Computer Science), Pondicherry University, Pondicherry, India, 1999
M.Sc. (Biochemistry), Periyar University, Salem, India, 2000
M.Phil (Biochemistry), Avinashilingam University, Coimbatore, India, 2002
Ph.D. (Biochemistry), Madras University, Chennai, India, 2008

Curriculum Vitae

Current Positions:

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville School of Medicine

Contact Information:

Delia Baxter Research Building, Room 319
University of Louisville
580 S. Preston St
Louisville, KY 40202, USA
Phone 502-852-3684
Fax 502-852-3842

Email: radha.munagala@louisville.edu

Research Description:

Dr. Munagala’s major research focus lies in the area of cancer etiology and chemoprevention. She utilizes several cell culture and xenograft mouse models to test efficacy of plant-derived natural compounds and studies their potential mechanism of action using proteomic and genomic approaches. Another research interest of Dr. Munagala is the field of exosomes where she is examining the role of exosomes in cancer and exploring the avenues to use exosomes from natural source as drug delivery vehicle.

1.  Chemosensitization of humancancers

Resistance to chemotherapeutic (chemo) drugs is a major problem in cancer treatment. Dr. Munagala focuses on the using plant-derived natural agents as adjuvants to chemotherapeutic drugs to chemosensitize human cancers. She has evaluated several natural agents for their therapeutic activity against cervical, breast and lung. Dr. Munagala is currently testing chemo-sensitizing effects of berry anthocyanidins in combination with taxanes against drug resistant BRCA1-associated breast cancers.

2.  Exosomesin metastasis of cancers

Metastasis is the major cause of death in many cancers. Dr. Munagala is studying the role of tumor derived exosomes in angiogenesis and metastasis of breast and lung cancers. Dr. Munagala believes that determining the role of tumor derived exosomes in angiogenesis and metastasis will have great potential to uncover new targets and will lead to development of new prevention and therapeutic strategies.

3. Biomarker potential of tumor-derived exosomal miRNAs

Exosomes contain RNA populations, including miRNA. It is possible that miRNA signature of the parental tumor is reflected in the secreted exosomes and could be of biomarker value. To test the biomarker potential of tumor-derived exosomes she developed recurrent lung tumor animal model and is examining the miRNA profile in circulatory serum exosomes to correlate with recurrent disease. Tumor-specific exosomal miRNA can enable definitive diagnosis, even when tissue biopsies are not available, can identify patients failing to respond to therapy, and can provide an early signal of recurrence.

4.  Exosomes as drug delivery vehicle

To exploit the idea of using exosomes derived from natural sources as potential drug delivery vehicle Dr. Munagala teamed up with Drs. Ramesh Gupta and Farrukh Aqil. They are testing exosomes to embed small molecule drugs for effective delivery and enhanced therapeutic response and are also loading nucleic acids such as siRNA to achieve gene therapy.  A natural, biocompatible and scalable source of exosome could provide a desirable drug delivery carrier, with wide therapeutic applications.Dr. Munagala’s major research focus lies in the area of cancer chemoprevention. She utilizes several cell culture and xenograft mouse models to test efficacy of plant-derived natural compounds and studies their potential mechanism of action using proteomic and genomic approaches. Another research interest of Dr. Munagala is the field of exosomes where she is examining the role of exosomes in cancer and exploring the avenues to use exosomes from natural source as drug delivery vehicle.

Literature Cited:

  1. Munagala R, Aqil F, Jeyabalan J, Vadhanam MV, Gupta RC. (2015) Increased antitumor activity by novel systemic delivery and molecular targets of Tanshinone II A. Cancer Letters 356 (2) 536–546. PMID: 25304375
  2. Jeyabalan, J., Aqil, F., Munagala, R., Annamalai, L., Vadhanam, M.V. and Gupta, R.C. (2014) Chemopreventive and therapeutic activity of dietary blueberry against estrogen-mediated breast cancer. J. Agric. Food Chem. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24245576
  3. Kausar, H. Munagala, R. Bansal, S. Vadhanam, MV, Aqil, F. and Gupta, R.C. (2013) Cucurbitacin B potently suppresses non-small-cell lung cancer growth: identification of intracellular thiols as critical targets, Cancer Letters May; 332(1):35-45. PMID: 23340170
  4. Aqil F, Munagala R, Jeyabalan J and Vadhanam MV. (2013) Drug Delivery Systems to Enhance Bioavailability of Phytochemicals. Cancer Letters June; 334 (1): 133–141. PMID: 23435377
  5. Munagala, R., Aqil, F., Vadhanam, MV, and Gupta, R.C. (2013) MicroRNA 'signature' during estrogen-mediated mammary carcinogenesis and its reversal by ellagic acid intervention, Cancer Letters, 339, 175-184, 2013. PMID: 23791885
  6. Aqil, F., Gupta, A., Munagala, R., Jeyabalan, J., Kausar, H., Sharma, R., Singh I.P., and Gupta, R.C. (2012) Antioxidant and antiproliferative potential of anthocyanins/ ellagitannins-enriched extracts from Eugenia jambolana Lam. (‘jamun’, the Indian Blackberry), Nutr Cancer, Apr; 64(3):428-38. PMID: 22420901
  7. Gupta R, Bansal, S. Aqil, F. Jeyabalan, J., Cao, P., Russel, GK., Munagala, R., Ravoori, S. and Vadhanam, MV. (2012) Controlled-release systemic delivery - a new concept in cancer chemoprevention. Carcinogenesis, Aug; 33(8):1608-15. PMID: 22696595
  8. Aqil, F., Munagala, R., Kausar, H., Jeyabalan, J., Vadhanam, M.V. and Gupta, R.C. (2012) Anti-proliferative and antioxidant activity of punicalagins and its protection against oxidative DNA adducts. Food Res Int, Nov; 49(1): 345-353. PMID: 23493479
  9. Munagala R, Kausar H, Gupta RC. (2011) Withaferin A induces p53-dependent apoptosis by repression of HPV oncogenes and up-regulation of tumor suppressor proteins in human cervical cancer cells, Carcinogenesis, Nov; 32(11):1697-705. PMID: 21859835
  10. Munagala, R., Aqil, F. and Gupta, R.C. (2011) Promising Molecular Targeted Therapies in Breast Cancer. Indian Journal of Pharmacology 43: 236-245 (Featured on the Cover of the Journal). PMID: 21713084
  11. Munagala R, Rai SN, Ganesharajah S, Nagarajan B, Gupta RC. (2010) Clinico-pathological but not socio-demographic factors affect the prognosis in cervical carcinoma. Oncol Rep.  Aug; 24(2):511-20.  PMID: 20596641
  12. Gupta R, Munagala R, Vadhanam MV, Nagarajan B, Ravoori S. (2009) DNA adduct accumulation during the course of human cervical cancer development, and during and after radiotherapy Toxicology Letters, Volume 189, Supplement 1, Page S27.
  13. Munagala R, Dona GM, Rai S, Jenson, A, Bala N, Ghim S and Gupta, RC. (2009) Significance of multiple HPV infection in cervical cancer patients and its impact on treatment response. Int J Oncology 34:263-271. PMID: 19082497.
  14. Nagarajan B, Munagala R. (2008) Modulating Factors in Cervical Carcinogenesis, Asia- pacific oncology and Hematology, Volume-1, Touch Briefings, 58-59.
  15. Munagala R, Nagarajan B. (2008) Alterations in cytokine levels in cervical carcinoma patients through radiation therapy. Current Science, 94 (10): 1292-1296.

PubMed Information