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Dr Sunali Mehta

Contact Details

Email
sunali.mehta@otago.ac.nz
Position
Senior Research Fellow
Department
Department of Pathology (Dunedin)
Research summary
Cancer research

Research

Current research interests include:

  • Cancer biology
  • Understanding the cell cycle and how its dysregulation leads to development of cancer
  • Understanding the role of p53 (tumour suppressor gene) and YB-1 (an oncogene) in cancer
  • Analyses of large databases to improve biological understanding of cancer
  • Bioinformatic analyses of RNA expression in cancer and other disease from next generation sequencing and microarrays
  • Identifying molecular markers that translate into clinical applications

Publications

Wiles, A. K., Mehta, S., Millier, M., Woolley, A. G., Li, K., Parker, K., Kazantseva, M., Wilson, M., Young, K., Bowie, S., Ray, S., Slatter, T. L., Stamp, L. K., Hessian, P. A., & Braithwaite, A. W. (2023). Activated CD90/Thy-1 fibroblasts co-express the Δ133p53β isoform and are associated with highly inflamed rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Research & Therapy, 25, 62. doi: 10.1186/s13075-023-03040-8

Boix De Jesus, A. N., Taha, A., Wang, D., Mehta, P. M., Mehta, S., Reily-Bell, A., Polwatta Lekamlage, S., Machado Saraiva, A., Tahmeedzaman, T., … Royds, J., Braithwaite, A., Hung, N., & Slatter, T. L. (2023). Increased expression of the Δ133p53ß isoform enhances brain metastasis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24, 1267. doi: 10.3390/ijms24021267

Mehta, S., Wright, D., Black, M. A., Merrie, A., Anjomshoaa, A., Munro, F., Reeve, A., McCall, J., & Print, C. (2022). Impact of clinical data veracity on cancer genomic research. JNCI Cancer Spectrum. doi: 10.1093/jncics/pkac070

Shields, N. J., Peyroux, E. M., Campbell, K., Mehta, S., Woolley, A. G., Counoupas, C., Neumann, S., & Young, S. L. (2022). Calpains released from necrotic tumor cells enhance antigen cross-presentation to activate CD8+ T cells in vitro. Journal of Immunology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100500

Li, K., Ly, K., Mehta, S., & Braithwaite, A. (2022). Importance of crosstalk between the microbiota and the neuroimmune system for tissue homeostasis. Clinical & Translational Immunology, 11, e1394. doi: 10.1002/cti2.1394

Boix De Jesus, A. N., Taha, A., Wang, D., Mehta, P. M., Mehta, S., Reily-Bell, A., Polwatta Lekamlage, S., Machado Saraiva, A., Tahmeedzaman, T., … Royds, J., Braithwaite, A., Hung, N., & Slatter, T. L. (2023). Increased expression of the Δ133p53ß isoform enhances brain metastasis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24, 1267. doi: 10.3390/ijms24021267

Journal - Research Article

Wiles, A. K., Mehta, S., Millier, M., Woolley, A. G., Li, K., Parker, K., Kazantseva, M., Wilson, M., Young, K., Bowie, S., Ray, S., Slatter, T. L., Stamp, L. K., Hessian, P. A., & Braithwaite, A. W. (2023). Activated CD90/Thy-1 fibroblasts co-express the Δ133p53β isoform and are associated with highly inflamed rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Research & Therapy, 25, 62. doi: 10.1186/s13075-023-03040-8

Journal - Research Article

Mehta, S., Wright, D., Black, M. A., Merrie, A., Anjomshoaa, A., Munro, F., Reeve, A., McCall, J., & Print, C. (2022). Impact of clinical data veracity on cancer genomic research. JNCI Cancer Spectrum. doi: 10.1093/jncics/pkac070

Journal - Research Article

Shields, N. J., Peyroux, E. M., Campbell, K., Mehta, S., Woolley, A. G., Counoupas, C., Neumann, S., & Young, S. L. (2022). Calpains released from necrotic tumor cells enhance antigen cross-presentation to activate CD8+ T cells in vitro. Journal of Immunology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100500

Journal - Research Article

Ali, A., Mehta, S., Starck, C., Wong, M., O'Brien, W. J., Haswell, C., … Nasef, N. A. (2021). Effect of SunGold kiwifruit and vitamin C consumption on ameliorating exercise-induced stress response in women. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 65, 2001219. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.202001219

Journal - Research Article

Arsic, N., Slatter, T., Gadea, G., Villain, E., Fournet, A., Kazantseva, M., … Mehta, S., … Braithwaite, A., & Roux, P. (2021). Δ133p53β isoform pro-invasive activity is regulated through an aggregation-dependent mechanism in cancer cells. Nature Communications, 12, 5463. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-25550-2

Journal - Research Article

Hong, C. R., Mehta, S. Y., Liyanage, H. D. S., McManaway, S. P., Lee, H. H., Jaiswal, J. K., … Hicks, K. O. (2021). Spatially-resolved pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modelling of bystander effects of a nitrochloromethylbenzindoline hypoxia-activated prodrug. Cancer Chemotherapy & Pharmacology, 88, 673-687. doi: 10.1007/s00280-021-04320-3

Journal - Research Article

Lasham, A., Knowlton, N., Mehta, S. Y., Braithwaite, A. W., & Print, C. G. (2021). Breast cancer patient prognosis is determined by the interplay between TP53 mutation and alternative transcript expression: Insights from TP53 long amplicon digital PCR assays. Cancers, 13(7), 1531. doi: 10.3390/cancers13071531

Journal - Research Article

McDougall, L., Kueh, J. T. B., Ward, J., Tyndall, J. D. A., Woolley, A. G., Mehta, S., Stayner, C., Larsen, D. S., & Eccles, M. R. (2021). Chemical synthesis of the PAX protein inhibitor EG1 and its ability to slow the growth of human colorectal carcinoma cells. Frontiers in Oncology, 11, 709540. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.709540

Journal - Research Article

Eiholzer, R. A., Mehta, S., Kazantseva, M., Drummond, C. J., McKinney, C., Young, K., … Fleming, N., Morrin, H. R., Reader, K., Royds, J. A., Landmann, M., Petrich, S., … Taha, A., Hung, N. A., Slatter, T. L., & Braithwaite, A. W. (2020). Intronic TP53 polymorphisms are associated with increased Δ133TP53 transcript, immune infiltration and cancer risk. Cancers, 12(9), 2472. doi: 10.3390/cancers12092472

Journal - Research Article

Lasham, A., Fitzgerald, S. J., Knowlton, N., Robb, T., Tsai, P., Black, M. A., … Mehta, S. Y., Harris, G., … Print, C. G. (2020). A predictor of early disease recurrence in patients with breast cancer using a cell-free RNA and protein liquid biopsy. Clinical Breast Cancer, 20(2), 108-116. doi: 10.1016/j.clbc.2019.07.003

Journal - Research Article

Lasham, A., Tsai, P., Fitzgerald, S. J., Mehta, S. Y., Knowlton, N. S., Braithwaite, A. W., & Print, C. G. (2020). Accessing a new dimension in TP53 biology: Multiplex long amplicon digital PCR to specifically detect and quantitate individual TP53 transcripts. Cancers, 12(3), 769. doi: 10.3390/cancers12030769

Journal - Research Article

Mehta, S., Algie, M., Al-Jabry, T., McKinney, C., Kannan, S., Verma, C. S., … Parker, K., Henderson, L., Gould, M. L., Bhatia, P., Harfoot, R., … Kleffmann, T., … Woolley, A. G., … Braithwaite, A. (2020). Critical role for cold shock protein YB-1 in cytokinesis. Cancers, 12, 2473. doi: 10.3390/cancers12092473

Journal - Research Article

Mehta, S., McKinney, C., Algie, M., Verma, C. S., Kannan, S., Harfoot, R., … Gould, M. L., Parker, K., … Cunliffe, H. E., … Kleffmann, T., Braithwaite, A. W., & Woolley, A. G. (2020). Dephosphorylation of YB-1 is required for nuclear localisation during G2 phase of the cell cycle. Cancers, 12(2), 315. doi: 10.3390/cancers12020315

Journal - Research Article

Weeks, R. J., Ludgate, J. L., Le Mée, G., Khanal, R., Mehta, S., Williams, G., Slatter, T. L., Braithwaite, A. W., & Morison, I. M. (2020). Silencing of Testin expression is a frequent event in spontaneous lymphomas from Trp53-mutant mice. Scientific Reports, 10, 16255. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-73229-3

Journal - Research Article

Kazantseva, M., Mehta, S., Eiholzer, R. A., Gimenez, G., Bowie, S., Campbell, H., Reily-Bell, A. L., … Ray, S., Drummond, C. J., Reid, G., … Wiles, A., Morrin, H. R., Reader, K. L., Hung, N. A., Baird, M. A., Slatter, T. L., & Braithwaite, A. W. (2019). The Δ133p53β isoform promotes an immunosuppressive environment leading to aggressive prostate cancer. Cell Death & Disease, 10, 631. doi: 10.1038/s41419-019-1861-1

Journal - Research Article

Campbell, H., Fleming, N., Roth, I., Mehta, S., Wiles, A., Williams, G., … Munro, F., McNoe, L., Black, M., McCall, J., Slatter, T. L., … Braithwaite, A. W. (2018). Δ133p53 isoform promotes tumour invasion and metastasis via interleukin-6 activation of JAK-STAT and RhoA-ROCK signalling. Nature Communications, 9(1), 254. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-02408-0

Journal - Research Article

Kazantseva, M., Eiholzer, R. A., Mehta, S., Taha, A., Bowie, S., Roth, I., Zhou, J., … Royds, J. A., Hung, N. A., Slatter, T. L., & Braithwaite, A. W. (2018). Elevation of the TP53 isoform Δ133p53β in glioblastomas: An alternative to mutant p53 in promoting tumour development. Journal of Pathology, 246(1), 77-88. doi: 10.1002/path.5111

Journal - Research Article

Kazantseva, M., Mehta, S., Eiholzer, R. A., Hung, N., Wiles, A., Slatter, T. L., & Braithwaite, A. W. (2018). A mouse model of the Δ133p53 isoform: Roles in cancer progression and inflammation. Mammalian Genome, 29, 831-842. doi: 10.1007/s00335-018-9758-3

Journal - Research Article

Mehta, S. Y., Morten, B. C., Antony, J., Henderson, L., Lasham, A., Campbell, H., Cunliffe, H., Horsfield, J. A., … Braithwaite, A. W. (2018). Regulation of the interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) pathway by p63 and Δ133p53 isoform in different breast cancer subtypes. Oncotarget, 9(49), 29146-29161. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.25635

Journal - Research Article

Kazantseva, M., Hung, N. A., Mehta, S., Roth, I., Eiholzer, R., Rich, A. M., Seo, B., Baird, M. A., Braithwaite, A. W., & Slatter, T. L. (2017). Tumor protein 53 mutations are enriched in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with irregular CD19 marker expression. Scientific Reports, 7, 1566. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-01800-6

Journal - Research Article

Tercel, M., Lee, H. H., Mehta, S. Y., Tendoung, J.-J. Y., Bai, S. Y., Liyanage, H. D. S., & Pruijn, F. B. (2017). Influence of a basic side chain on the properties of hypoxia-selective nitro analogues of the duocarmycins: Demonstration of substantial anticancer activity in combination with irradiation or chemotherapy. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 60(13), 5834-5856. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00563

Journal - Research Article

Lasham, A., Mehta, S. Y., Fitzgerald, S. J., Woolley, A. G., Hearn, J. I., Hurley, D. G., Ruza, I., Algie, M., … Braithwaite, A. W., & Print, C. G. (2016). A novel EGR-1 dependent mechanism for YB-1 modulation of paclitaxel response in a triple negative breast cancer cell line. International Journal of Cancer, 139(5), 1157-1170. doi: 10.1002/ijc.30137

Journal - Research Article

Mehta, S., Tsai, P., Lasham, A., Campbell, H., Reddel, R., Braithwaite, A., & Print, C. (2016). A study of TP53 RNA splicing illustrates pitfalls of RNA-seq methodology. Cancer Research, 76(24), 7151-7159. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-16-1624

Journal - Research Article

Nasef, N. A., Mehta, S., Powell, P., Marlow, G., Wileman, T., & Ferguson, L. R. (2015). Extracts of feijoa inhibit toll-like receptor 2 signaling and activate autophagy implicating a role in dietary control of IBD. PLoS ONE, 10(6), e0130910. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130910

Journal - Research Article

Nasef, N. A., Mehta, S., & Ferguson, L. R. (2014). Dietary interventions with the bacterial sensing machinery in the intestine: The plant polyphenol case. Frontiers in Genetics, 5, 64. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2014.00064

Journal - Research Article

Nasef, N. A., Mehta, S., Murray, P., Marlow, G., & Ferguson, L. R. (2014). Anti-inflammatory activity of fruit fractions in vitro, mediated through toll-like receptor 4 and 2 in the context of inflammatory bowel disease. Nutrients, 6(11), 5265-5279. doi: 10.3390/nu6115265

Journal - Research Article

Richter, S., Richter, J. P., Mehta, S. Y., Gribble, A. M., Sutherland-Smith, A. J., Stowell, K. M., … Wilson, W. R. (2012). Expression and role in glycolysis of human ADP-dependent glucokinase. Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry, 364(1), 131-145. doi: 10.1007/s11010-011-1212-8

Journal - Research Article

Li, K., Ly, K., Mehta, S., & Braithwaite, A. (2022). Importance of crosstalk between the microbiota and the neuroimmune system for tissue homeostasis. Clinical & Translational Immunology, 11, e1394. doi: 10.1002/cti2.1394

Journal - Research Other

Mehta, S., Campbell, H., Drummond, C. J., Li, K., Murray, K., Slatter, T., … Braithwaite, A. W. (2021). Adaptive homeostasis and the p53 isoform network. EMBO Reports, 22, e53085. doi: 10.15252/embr.202153085

Journal - Research Other

Nezbedova, L., McGhie, T., Christensen, M., Heyes, J., Ahmed Nasef, N., & Mehta, S. (2021). Onco-preventive and chemo-protective effects of apple bioactive compounds. Nutrients, 13(11), 4025. doi: 10.3390/nu13114025

Journal - Research Other

Ahmed Nasef, N., & Mehta, S. (2020). Role of inflammation in pathophysiology of colonic disease: An update. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 21(13), 4748. doi: 10.3390/ijms21134748

Journal - Research Other

Nasef, N. A., Mehta, S., & Ferguson, L. R. (2017). Susceptibility to chronic inflammation: An update. Archives of Toxicology, 9(3), 1131-1141. doi: 10.1007/s00204-016-1914-5

Journal - Research Other

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