Directory Entry For: Prakash Radhakrishnan

Biography

Dr. Prakash Radhakrishnan, PhD., is a Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Wendell Cherry Endowed Chair in Cancer Translational Research and the Gibbs/BCC Pancreatic Cancer Research Program leader. Dr. Radhakrishnan earned his PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Madras in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. During his doctoral training, he focused on mucin-mediated host-pathogen interactions and developed expertise in mucin glycobiology. Following this, Dr. Radhakrishnan undertook postdoctoral training at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), where he continued his research into the roles of mucins and glycans in cancer progression and metastasis. His groundbreaking work revealed for the first time that truncated O-glycans (specifically Tn and STn epitopes) on the surface of cancer cells promote malignant properties in pancreatic cancer. Dr. Radhakrishnan's laboratory is dedicated to exploring how these truncated O-glycans enhance the aggressive characteristics of pancreatic cancer by utilizing a novel COSMC knockout KPC mouse model system. In addition to this research, other significant projects in his lab investigate how abnormal glycoforms of MUC16 and insulin-like growth factors contribute to disease progression and muscle wasting in pancreatic cancer. Dr. Radhakrishnan's long-term goal is to develop an antibody-based immunotherapeutic agent and other targeted therapies to combat this deadly cancer.

Research Interests

My current research focuses on four main areas: 1. The role of altered glycosylation in the progression and metastasis of pancreatic cancer, as well as its impact on the immunosuppressive tumor immune microenvironment. 2. The use of monoclonal antibodies to target disease-specific forms of mucin (MUC16) and the Tn-antigen in pancreatic cancer. 3. The development of cachexia (muscle wasting syndrome) induced by insulin-like growth factor binding protein-5 (IGFBP-5) in pancreatic cancer. 4. The therapeutic efficacy of bromelain, derived from pineapple, in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Degrees and Certifications

Publications

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