Pravin Meshram
Current Organizations / Institutes
The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article
Research Subjects
Pravin Meshram has a total of 4 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Abdus Sami
Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
1 shared publication - Gloria C. Ferreira
Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
1 shared publication - Rays H. Y. Jiang
University of South Florida
1 shared publication - Swamy Rakesh Adapa
Department of Global, Environmental, and Genomic Health Sciences, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
Uncovering Porphyrin Accumulation in the Tumor Microenvironment
Heme, an iron-containing tetrapyrrole, is essential in almost all organisms. Heme biosynthesis needs to be precisely regulated particularly given the potential cytotoxicity of protoporphyrin IX, the intermediate preceding heme formation. Here, we report on the porphyrin intermediate accumulation within the tumor microenvironment (TME), which we propose to result from dysregulation of heme biosynthesis concomitant with an enhanced cancer survival dependence on mid-step genes, a process we recently termed “Porphyrin Overdrive”. Specifically, porphyrins build up in both lung cancer cells and stromal cells in the TME. Within the TME’s stromal cells, evidence supports cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) actively producing porphyrins through an imbalanced pathway. Conversely, normal tissues exhibit no porphyrin accumulation, and CAFs deprived of tumor cease porphyrin overproduction, indicating that both cancer and tumor-stromal porphyrin overproduction is confined to the cancer-specific tissue niche. The clinical relevance of our findings is implied by establishing a correlation between imbalanced porphyrin production and overall poorer survival in more aggressive cancers. These findings illuminate the anomalous porphyrin dynamics specifically within the tumor microenvironment, suggesting a potential target for therapeutic intervention.
Open AccessUncovering Porphyrin Accumulation in the Tumor Microenvironment
Heme, an iron-containing tetrapyrrole, is essential in almost all organisms. Heme biosynthesis needs to be precisely regulated particularly given the potential cytotoxicity of protoporphyrin IX, the intermediate preceding heme formation. Here, we report on the porphyrin intermediate accumulation within the tumor microenvironment (TME), which we propose to result from dysregulation of heme biosynthesis concomitant with an enhanced cancer survival dependence on mid-step genes, a process we recently termed “Porphyrin Overdrive”. Specifically, porphyrins build up in both lung cancer cells and stromal cells in the TME. Within the TME’s stromal cells, evidence supports cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) actively producing porphyrins through an imbalanced pathway. Conversely, normal tissues exhibit no porphyrin accumulation, and CAFs deprived of tumor cease porphyrin overproduction, indicating that both cancer and tumor-stromal porphyrin overproduction is confined to the cancer-specific tissue niche. The clinical relevance of our findings is implied by establishing a correlation between imbalanced porphyrin production and overall poorer survival in more aggressive cancers. These findings illuminate the anomalous porphyrin dynamics specifically within the tumor microenvironment, suggesting a potential target for therapeutic intervention.