Salil K. Das, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Cancer Biology, Department of Biomedical Sciences

(615) 327-6988
WBS, Room 2134
1005 Dr. D.B. Todd Boulevard
Nashville, TN  37208

sdas@mmc.edu

Lab URL

CV or Bio (PDF)

Sc.D. degree from Mass Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA in 1966
D.Sc. degree from Calcutta University in 1974. 
Postdoctoral work at the University of Arizona, University of Arkansas and Duke University.

Dr. Das’ laboratory focuses on two areas of research: breast cancer and airway disease, and the role of environment and diet in the molecular mechanisms of both of these pathologies. 
In studies provoked by the observation that the decreased incidence of breast cancer in Asian women is lost when these women immigrate to the United States, they began examining how dietary soybean protein might relate to breast cancer.  They also are testing whether the dramatically increased peripheral benzodiazepine receptor expression in aggressive breast cancers, and the parallel increase in binding of cholesterol and nuclear transport of cholesterol by these receptors, is involved in cancer proliferation of breast epithelial cells.

Another current area of research focuses on molecular mechanisms of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), lung injury, fibrosis and cancer induced by direct and environmental smoke and mustard gas, a chemical warfare agent.  These studies include (a) Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) - mediated signal transduction pathways associated with inflammation, angiogenesis, wound healing, and apoptosis, (b) expression of regulatory enzymes in phospholipid metabolism, (c) expression of  mediators of vitamin A action, and (d) expression of beta-adrenergic and peripheral benzodiazepine receptors (PBRs).

Mukhopadhyay S, Ballard BR, Mukherjee S, Kabir SM, Das SK.  Beneficial effects of soy protein in the initiation and progression against dimethylbenz [a] anthracene-induced breast tumors in female rats. Mol Cell Biochem. 2006 290:169-76.

Saunders CR, Das SK, Ramesh A, Shockley DC, Mukherjee S.  Benzo(a)pyrene -Induced acute neurotoxicity in the F-344 rat: role of oxidative stress. J Appl Toxicol. 2006;26:427-38.

Mukhopadhyay S, Rajaratnam V, Mukherjee S, Smith M, Das SK.  Modulation of the expression of superoxide dismutase gene in lung injury by 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, a mustard analog. J Biochem Mol Toxicol. 2006;20:142-9.

Mukhopadhyay S, Mukherjee S, Das SK.  Increased expression of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) in dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced mammary tumors in rats. Glycoconj J. 2006 ;23:199-207.

Sinha Roy S, Mukherjee S, Kabir S, Rajaratnam V, Smith M, Das SK.  Inhibition of cholinephosphotransferase activity in lung injury induced by 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, a mustard analog. J Biochem Mol Toxicol. 2005;19:289-97.

Das SK, Chatterjee D, Mukherjee S, Grimes A, Shen Y, Smith M, Ghosh S.  Decrease in brain POMC mRNA expression and onset of obesity in guinea pigs exposed to 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, a mustard analogue. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2006;339:55-8.

McClintock SD, Hoesel LM, Das SK, Till GO, Neff T, Kunkel RG, Smith MG, Ward PA.  Attenuation of half sulfur mustard gas-induced acute lung injury in rats. J Appl Toxicol. 2006 26:126-31.