Anjali Jain

About Anjali Jain

Dr. Jain earned her BS in Zoology at Dehli University and her MS in Biotechnology at Jawaharlal Nehru University. She completed her PhD at the National Institute of Immunology, Jawaharlal Nehru University and did two post-doctoral fellowships at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Prostate cancer progresses from an androgen (male hormones) dependent disease to a hormone independent, lethal stage. This transformation is in part supported by the surrounding microenvironment (stromal cells, neuronal cells, immune cells, blood vessels growth factors and other proteins that neighbor the tumor) because cancer cells can “re-wire” healthy cells to promote cancer cell growth and survival.

Like the tumor, the microenvironment is directly affected by therapeutic agents. Dr. Jain is investigating the mechanisms of EGFR-TKI (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor- Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor: drugs designed to block the cancer cell proliferation signal induced by the protein EGFR) resistance in prostate cancers. In a recent publication she reported that prostate cancer cells generate their own stromal cells (supportive cells that nourish and supplement the tumor) in response to EGFR-TKIs. Her findings suggest that this process may be one method of treatment resistance and indicate the intimate relationship between the tumor and the microenvironment. Dr. Jain also showed that there may be secreted factors (molecules that bathe cells) released from the stromal cells that promote EGFR-TKI resistance.

Dr. Jain’s work is advancing our understanding of therapy resistance and will propel the development of new treatment strategies for prostate cancer that overcome the challenges of resistance.

Dr. David Agus, Director of Research at Cedars-Sinai, is Dr. Jain’s mentor.