2025
"Research is the distance between an idea and its realization."
- David Sarnoff
Role of UDP-(UGCG) in mTORC2-Mediated Regulation of Sphingolipid Biosynthesis
Dr Dasgupta’s research focuses on to elucidate the role of lipid and glycolipid metabolites in cancer cells and to understand how their metabolic dysregulation influences the tumour micro environment. Further goal is to identify key metabolites, associated signaling pathways, regulatory mechanisms and molecular interactions that drives tumour progression and to determine the therapeutic response.
The project aims to understand how cancer cells interact with lipid metabolites to support tumor progression and overall survival. Understanding the role of mTORC2, as a central signaling complex that integrates nutrient availability and growth signals and how it regulates UGCG and sphingolipid biosynthesis in cancer cells by reprogramming sphingolipid metabolism through UGCG to create a lipid environment that favors tumor growth, immune evasion, and resistance.
Sphingolipids are a class of bioactive lipids that play critical roles in cell signaling, membrane structure, and regulation of cell fate decisions such as proliferation, stress responses, and cell death. Dysregulation of sphingolipid metabolism is increasingly recognized as a hallmark of cancer. UGCG is a key enzyme that converts ceramide—a lipid that can promote cell death—into glucosylceramide, which supports cell survival and tumor progression.Using multi-omics approaches the proposal will help us understand how mTORC2 signaling regulates UGCG expression and activity. This will help us Identify how these metabolic changes influence cancer cell behavior, tumor progression, and response to therapy.The proposal seeks to delve deep into insights between signaling pathways (mTORC2) and lipid metabolism (UGCG-mediated sphingolipid biosynthesis) and this could reveal new metabolic targets, paving the way for therapeutic strategies and lipid-based biomarkers.
This project started in 2023 at Amity University and is continued at Ashoka University since 2025 through funding by the Department of Biotechnology.
