Biography
Dr. Arun Kumar Ganesan obtained his Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Tiruvalluvar University and his Master's degree in Biomedical Genetics from the University of Madras, India. His research journey continued as he pursued his Ph.D. in Biomedical Genetics at the same institution, focusing on studying the roles of oncogenic and epithelial-mesenchymal transition/stemness promoting microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
As a postdoctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute/NIH in Bethesda, Dr. Ganesan explored the role of oncogenic lncRNAs in mislocalizing centromere-specific protein A (CENP-A) to ectopic sites in cancers. His primary focus was understanding how lncRNAs are involved in epigenetic control and chromosome integrity, explicitly emphasizing the chromosome 8q24/cMYC locus, a common breakpoint in several cancers. In his research, Dr. Ganesan discovered that oncogenic lncRNAs could alter the epigenetic memory of this fragile chromosome locus, leading to its increased susceptibility to break in cancer cells.
Currently, as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology at the University of New Mexico, and a full member of UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Ganesan's lab focuses on studying the interactions between lncRNAs and chromatin, chromosome instability, and epigenetic regulations.
Personal Statement
Cancer is a complex and challenging disease that continues to present difficulties in its treatment. One of the primary challenges in cancer treatment is the heterogeneity of the disease. This heterogeneity makes it challenging to develop a universal treatment approach that can effectively target all cancer types. Another challenge lies in the ability of cancer cells to evade treatment and develop resistance mechanisms.
Extensive research is needed to uncover the underlying mechanisms that drive treatment resistance, facilitating the development of novel therapeutic strategies to overcome it. Therefore, the long-term goal of my research lab is to translate basic science discoveries into the clinical setup leading to improved targeted cancer therapy and personalized medicine.
"Nothing is quite as fulfilling as researching to discover a cure and alleviate human suffering."
Areas of Specialty
LncRNA, Epigenetics, Chromatin Biology, Cancer Biology.
Achievements & Awards
2021 NIH Director's Award (2021).
CCR-FYI Colloquium - Outstanding presenter (2021).
NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence (2020).
Key Publications
Manuscript
Ganesan, Arun Kumar, Submitted Oncogenic lncRNA transgene transcription modulates epigenetic memory at a naïve chromosomal locus. Reviewed for the Nucleus
Journal Article
Ganesan, Arun Kumar, 2025 Epigenetic Modifier Drug Valproic Acid Enhances Cancer Metaphase Chromosome Elasticity and Electron Transport: An Atomic Force Microscopy Approach JACS Au https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacsau.4c00991
Manuscript
Ganesan, Arun Kumar, Submitted Linker Histone H1.5 Contributes to Centromere Integrity in Human Cells Reviewed for the Nucleic Acid Research
Journal Article
Ganesan, Arun Kumar, Baek, Songjoon, Sturgill, David, Bui, Minh, Dalal, Yamini, 2022 Oncogenic lncRNAs alter epigenetic memory at a fragile chromosomal site in human cancer cells Science Advances, vol. 8, Issue 9
Journal Article
Ganesan, Arun Kumar, Anand, Shankar, Raksha, Partha, Dhamodharan, Shankar, Prasanna Srinivasa Rao, Harikrishnan, Subbiah, Shanmugam, Murugan, Avaniyapuram, Kannan Munirajan, Arasambattu, Kannan LncRNA OIP5-AS1 is overexpressed in undifferentiated oral tumors and integrated analysis identifies as a downstream effector of stemness-associated transcription factors Scientific Reports, vol. 8, Issue 1
Gender
Male
Languages
- English
- Tamil
Courses Taught
BIOM507
Research and Scholarship
In recent years, researchers have overturned the traditional view of eukaryotic genomes as straightforward and organized templates for gene transcription. Instead, we now understand that these genomes transcribe diverse RNA molecules, from messenger RNAs for protein synthesis to a vast class of non-coding transcripts. Our lab is dedicated to investigating the significance of lncRNAs in governing gene expression and maintaining genome stability. Our research focuses on unraveling the intricate mechanisms underlying lncRNA-mediated regulation, with the ultimate goal of shedding light on the role of these enigmatic molecules in shaping the complexity of eukaryotic biology.
Long non-coding RNAs in genetic and epigenetic regulations:
Long non-coding RNAs are important for controlling how genes are turned on and off, especially by activating promoters and enhancers from a distance. LncRNAs that utilize triplex-forming sites to mediate chromatin organization are particularly intriguing to epigenetics researchers. These lncRNAs can directly interact with transcription factors and the writers, readers, and erasers of histones to localize regulatory protein complexes to target regions for gene regulation. However, this regulation mechanism remains poorly understood in the complex cancer genome with its gene and locus duplication events.
In our lab, we utilize cutting-edge techniques like high-resolution imaging, genomics, sequencing, and computational methods to study lncRNA-epigenetic regulation in both normal and cancer cells. By better understanding these interactions, we can identify lncRNA-mediated oncogenic interactions and develop targeted interventions.
Chromosome instability:
Chromosome instability is a hallmark of cancer, but the mechanisms underlying its source remain poorly understood. Recent research has found that the mislocalization of histone variants is one of the main causes of chromosome instability. This changes the epigenetic and biophysical properties of chromosomes. Centromere protein-A (CENP-A), a kind of histone, is only present on centromeric DNA and serves as an epigenetic marker for the centromere. CENP-A is overexpressed and mislocalized to chromosome arms and fragile sites in several types of cancer. However, less is known about the mechanisms involved in the process. Factors such as CENP-A expression level, R-loops, secondary DNA structures, epigenetic modifiers, DNA/RNA binding proteins, and lncRNAs may play multifaceted roles. Therefore, we are taking a multi-omics and multi-disciplinary approach to understanding this intriguing phenomenon.
We also look at how environmental toxins, such as heavy metals, alter epigenetic memory by misplacing histone variants like CENP-A and changing histone modifications, DNA methylation, and gene expression patterns. Our research indicated that RNA modification helps increase R-loop levels throughout the genome, which induced chromosome instability (CIN) when colon cells are exposed to Cr(VI) toxicity. This epigenetic modification could alter the chromatin/chromosome conformation, leading to physical changes in macromolecular levels and resulting in chromosome instability. Our lab utilizes cutting-edge multidisciplinary tools and fluorescent high-resolution microscopy to better understand these processes.
Complete List of Publications:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/arun%20kumar.ganesan.2/bibliography/public/