Debanjan Dhar

Title(s)Assistant Adjunct Professor, Medicine
SchoolVc-health Sciences-schools
Address9500 Gilman Drive #
La Jolla CA 92093
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    Collapse Biography 
    Collapse Education and Training
    University of Calcutta, IndiaM.Sc07/2002Microbiology
    Saint Louis University School of Medicine , St. Louis, MissouriPh.D.09/2009Molecular Microbiology and Immunology; Cancer Gene Therapy
    University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CaliforniaPostdoctoral Fellowship09/2013Cancer Cell Signaling, Cancer Progenitor cells, Liver Cancer Initiation, NASH
    Collapse Awards and Honors
    University of Calcutta2000Ranked 1st in the Bachelor’s degree exams.
    Govt. of India2000National Merit Scholarship
    CSIR-UGC, Govt. of India 2002Junior Research Fellowship (Respectfully declined)
    University of Calcutta2003Lt. Col. B.N Bose Foreign Travel Scholarship
    St. Louis University School of Medicine2007Graduate School "Distinction"
    St. Louis University School of Medicine2009Graduate Student of the Year
    American Liver Foundation (ALF)2012Charles Trey, MD Memorial Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
    National Childhood Cancer Foundation (CureSearch)2013Young Investigator Award
    American Liver Foundation (ALF)2015Liver Scholar Award
    American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)2018Early Career Investigator Award in Basic Science
    University of California San Diego (UCSD)2021The National Center of Leadership in Academic Medicine (NCLAM)

    Collapse Overview 
    Collapse Overview
    Dr. Debanjan Dhar earned Bachelor of Science degree with ‘Honours’ and Master of Science degree from the University of Calcutta, India, where he ranked top in the university. In 2003 he joined the Core Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine where his thesis research focused on Adenovirus mediated cancer gene therapy and the effects of the host immune system on the outcome of host-virus interactions. In 2009 he graduated with distinction and subsequently joined Dr. Michael Karin's group as a postdoctoral fellow at UCSD. His work focused on understanding the basic mechanisms of liver cancer initiation and maintenance with an objective of devising new strategies for cancer therapy. He and his colleagues developed strategies to identify liver cancer progenitor cells long before tumors are visible and identify the deregulated signaling pathways that help the cancer progenitors to progress into fully developed tumors. Additionally, Dr. Dhar elucidated the mechanisms that lead fully differentiated and rarely dividing liver epithelial cells to adopt the phenotype of active proliferating tumor-initiating progenitors.

    Dr. Dhar is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology. Dr. Dhar's research focuses on studying liver related diseases such as Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and Liver Fibrosis. HCC is the most common type of liver cancer and the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Furthermore, HCC is the fastest growing cancer in the United States. According to a recent CDC report, death rates from liver cancer increased 43% for American adults from 2000 to 2016 (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db314.htm). Both NASH and HCC have very limited treatment options.

    Research Interests:

    1) Elucidate the signal transduction pathways responsible for liver cancer (HCC) initiation and progression with the ultimate goal of developing novel therapies.

    2) Develop a suitable pre-clinical model for Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of disease pathogenesis and develop novel therapeutic targets and non-invasive biomarkers.

    Collapse Research 
    Collapse Research Activities and Funding
    Dissecting the Intracellular and Extracellular Role of TREM2 in the Pathogenesis of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis.
    NIH/NIDDK 1R01DK137061Aug 15, 2023 - Jun 30, 2027
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Ubiquitin D as a potential therapeutic target for NASH, HCC and chronic kidney diseases
    NIH/NIDDK 1R01DK133930Aug 1, 2023 - May 31, 2028
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Role of neonatal lung macrophages in mediating resilience to hyperoxia induced lung injury via TREM2 signaling
    NIH/NHLBI 1R01HL170183Jun 1, 2023 - Feb 29, 2028
    Role: Co-Investigator
    The Role of TREM2/TyroBP+ Macrophages in NASH Development
    NIH/NIDDK and San Diego Digestive Diseases Research Center (SDDRC) Innovation Award DK120515Feb 1, 2020 - Jan 31, 2021
    Synergism of Mitochondrial Damage and NLRP3 Activation in Obesity and Alcohol-Facilitated HCC Development
    NIH/NIAAA and Southern California Research Center for ALPD and Cirrhosis Pilot Project 5P50AA011999Dec 1, 2019 - Nov 30, 2020
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Elucidating the role of CD44 in DNA damage response, tumor initiation and progression
    NIH/NCATS 1KL2TR001444Aug 1, 2019 - Jul 31, 2022
    Role: Principal Investigator
    Investigate the Changes in Epigenomic Landscape of Hepatic Stellate Cells During NASH Progression.
    Center for Epigenomics, UCSD Transformative Collaborative Pilot ProjectAug 1, 2019 - Jul 31, 2020
    Development and evaluation of Relevant Preclinical Models of NASH
    Janssen Pharmaceuticals Corporate AwardMar 1, 2019 - Jun 30, 2022
    Role: Co-Investigator
    The Mechanistic Role of CD44 in the Initiation and Progression of Fibrosis and HCC
    American Liver Foundation (ALF) Liver Scholar AwardJul 1, 2015 - Jun 30, 2018
    Mechanistic Characterization of Tumor Initiating Cells that Give Rise to HCC
    CureSearch Foundation for Childhood Cancer Young Investigator AwardJul 1, 2013 - Jun 30, 2015

    Collapse ORNG Applications 
    Collapse Faculty Mentoring

    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse Publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Researchers can login to make corrections and additions, or contact us for help. to make corrections and additions.
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    Altmetrics Details PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. PNPLA3 downregulation exacerbates the fibrotic response in human hepatic stellate cells. PLoS One. 2021; 16(12):e0260721. Rady B, Nishio T, Dhar D, Liu X, Erion M, Kisseleva T, Brenner DA, Pocai A. PMID: 34879108; PMCID: PMC8654208.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 3     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    2. Heterogeneity of HSCs in a Mouse Model of NASH. Hepatology. 2021 08; 74(2):667-685. Rosenthal SB, Liu X, Ganguly S, Dhar D, Pasillas MP, Ricciardelli E, Li RZ, Troutman TD, Kisseleva T, Glass CK, Brenner DA. PMID: 33550587; PMCID: PMC8346581.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 35     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    3. Nondegradable Collagen Increases Liver Fibrosis but Not Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Mice. Am J Pathol. 2021 09; 191(9):1564-1579. Baglieri J, Zhang C, Liang S, Liu X, Nishio T, Rosenthal SB, Dhar D, Su H, Cong M, Jia J, Hosseini M, Karin M, Kisseleva T, Brenner DA. PMID: 34119473; PMCID: PMC8406794.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 5     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    4. Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis and HCC in a Hyperphagic Mouse Accelerated by Western Diet. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2021; 12(3):891-920. Ganguly S, Muench GA, Shang L, Rosenthal SB, Rahman G, Wang R, Wang Y, Kwon HC, Diomino AM, Kisseleva T, Soorosh P, Hosseini M, Knight R, Schnabl B, Brenner DA, Dhar D. PMID: 34062281; PMCID: PMC8342972.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 12     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    5. The impact of genetic risk on liver fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as assessed by magnetic resonance elastography. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2021 07; 54(1):68-77. Ajmera V, Liu A, Bettencourt R, Dhar D, Richards L, Loomba R. PMID: 33975381; PMCID: PMC8985656.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 12     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    6. Emerging Metabolic and Transcriptomic Signature of PNPLA3-Associated NASH. Hepatology. 2021 04; 73(4):1248-1250. Dhar D, Loomba R. PMID: 33544416; PMCID: PMC9683537.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    7. Metabolic interaction between amino acid deprivation and cisplatin synergistically reduces phosphoribosyl-pyrophosphate and augments cisplatin cytotoxicity. Sci Rep. 2020 11 16; 10(1):19907. Wahwah N, Dhar D, Chen H, Zhuang S, Chan A, Casteel DE, Kalyanaraman H, Pilz RB, Boss GR. PMID: 33199755; PMCID: PMC7670436.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    8. Western Diet Promotes Renal Injury, Inflammation, and Fibrosis in a Murine Model of Alström Syndrome. Nephron. 2020; 144(8):400-412. Kim YC, Ganguly S, Nespoux J, Freeman B, Zhang H, Brenner D, Dhar D, Vallon V. PMID: 32629454; PMCID: PMC8011852.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    9. Mechanisms of liver fibrosis and its role in liver cancer. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2020 01; 245(2):96-108. Dhar D, Baglieri J, Kisseleva T, Brenner DA. PMID: 31924111; PMCID: PMC7016420.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 90     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    10. Activated hepatic stellate cells and portal fibroblasts contribute to cholestatic liver fibrosis in MDR2 knockout mice. J Hepatol. 2019 09; 71(3):573-585. Nishio T, Hu R, Koyama Y, Liang S, Rosenthal SB, Yamamoto G, Karin D, Baglieri J, Ma HY, Xu J, Liu X, Dhar D, Iwaisako K, Taura K, Brenner DA, Kisseleva T. PMID: 31071368.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 46     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    11. NADPH Oxidase 1 in Liver Macrophages Promotes Inflammation and Tumor Development in Mice. Gastroenterology. 2019 03; 156(4):1156-1172.e6. Liang S, Ma HY, Zhong Z, Dhar D, Liu X, Xu J, Koyama Y, Nishio T, Karin D, Karin G, Mccubbin R, Zhang C, Hu R, Yang G, Chen L, Ganguly S, Lan T, Karin M, Kisseleva T, Brenner DA. PMID: 30445007; PMCID: PMC6409207.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 50     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    12. ER Stress Drives Lipogenesis and Steatohepatitis via Caspase-2 Activation of S1P. Cell. 2018 09 20; 175(1):133-145.e15. Kim JY, Garcia-Carbonell R, Yamachika S, Zhao P, Dhar D, Loomba R, Kaufman RJ, Saltiel AR, Karin M. PMID: 30220454; PMCID: PMC6159928.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 124     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    13. Liver Cancer Initiation Requires p53 Inhibition by CD44-Enhanced Growth Factor Signaling. Cancer Cell. 2018 06 11; 33(6):1061-1077.e6. Dhar D, Antonucci L, Nakagawa H, Kim JY, Glitzner E, Caruso S, Shalapour S, Yang L, Valasek MA, Lee S, Minnich K, Seki E, Tuckermann J, Sibilia M, Zucman-Rossi J, Karin M. PMID: 29894692; PMCID: PMC6005359.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 93     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    14. Stress-Activated NRF2-MDM2 Cascade Controls Neoplastic Progression in Pancreas. Cancer Cell. 2017 Dec 11; 32(6):824-839.e8. Todoric J, Antonucci L, Di Caro G, Li N, Wu X, Lytle NK, Dhar D, Banerjee S, Fagman JB, Browne CD, Umemura A, Valasek MA, Kessler H, Tarin D, Goggins M, Reya T, Diaz-Meco M, Moscat J, Karin M. PMID: 29153842; PMCID: PMC5730340.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 66     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    15. Inflammation-induced IgA+ cells dismantle anti-liver cancer immunity. Nature. 2017 11 16; 551(7680):340-345. Shalapour S, Lin XJ, Bastian IN, Brain J, Burt AD, Aksenov AA, Vrbanac AF, Li W, Perkins A, Matsutani T, Zhong Z, Dhar D, Navas-Molina JA, Xu J, Loomba R, Downes M, Yu RT, Evans RM, Dorrestein PC, Knight R, Benner C, Anstee QM, Karin M. PMID: 29144460; PMCID: PMC5884449.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 240     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    16. DNA methylation markers for diagnosis and prognosis of common cancers. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 07 11; 114(28):7414-7419. Hao X, Luo H, Krawczyk M, Wei W, Wang W, Wang J, Flagg K, Hou J, Zhang H, Yi S, Jafari M, Lin D, Chung C, Caughey BA, Li G, Dhar D, Shi W, Zheng L, Hou R, Zhu J, Zhao L, Fu X, Zhang E, Zhang C, Zhu JK, Karin M, Xu RH, Zhang K. PMID: 28652331; PMCID: PMC5514741.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 207     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    17. Liver carcinogenesis: from naughty chemicals to soothing fat and the surprising role of NRF2. Carcinogenesis. 2016 06; 37(6):541-6. Karin M, Dhar D. PMID: 27207669; PMCID: PMC4876993.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 28     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    18. Immunosuppressive plasma cells impede T-cell-dependent immunogenic chemotherapy. Nature. 2015 May 07; 521(7550):94-8. Shalapour S, Font-Burgada J, Di Caro G, Zhong Z, Sanchez-Lopez E, Dhar D, Willimsky G, Ammirante M, Strasner A, Hansel DE, Jamieson C, Kane CJ, Klatte T, Birner P, Kenner L, Karin M. PMID: 25924065; PMCID: PMC4501632.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 270     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    19. ER stress cooperates with hypernutrition to trigger TNF-dependent spontaneous HCC development. Cancer Cell. 2014 Sep 08; 26(3):331-343. Nakagawa H, Umemura A, Taniguchi K, Font-Burgada J, Dhar D, Ogata H, Zhong Z, Valasek MA, Seki E, Hidalgo J, Koike K, Kaufman RJ, Karin M. PMID: 25132496; PMCID: PMC4165611.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 269     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    20. Cycles of transient high-dose cyclophosphamide administration and intratumoral oncolytic adenovirus vector injection for long-term tumor suppression in Syrian hamsters. Cancer Gene Ther. 2014 Apr; 21(4):171-8. Dhar D, Toth K, Wold WS. PMID: 24722357; PMCID: PMC4013531.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 10     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    21. NCOA5, IL-6, type 2 diabetes, and HCC: The deadly quartet. Cell Metab. 2014 Jan 07; 19(1):6-7. Dhar D, Seki E, Karin M. PMID: 24411937; PMCID: PMC3947913.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 16     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    22. Loss of liver E-cadherin induces sclerosing cholangitis and promotes carcinogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Jan 21; 111(3):1090-5. Nakagawa H, Hikiba Y, Hirata Y, Font-Burgada J, Sakamoto K, Hayakawa Y, Taniguchi K, Umemura A, Kinoshita H, Sakitani K, Nishikawa Y, Hirano K, Ikenoue T, Ijichi H, Dhar D, Shibata W, Akanuma M, Koike K, Karin M, Maeda S. PMID: 24395807; PMCID: PMC3903249.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 61     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    23. Identification of liver cancer progenitors whose malignant progression depends on autocrine IL-6 signaling. Cell. 2013 Oct 10; 155(2):384-96. He G, Dhar D, Nakagawa H, Font-Burgada J, Ogata H, Jiang Y, Shalapour S, Seki E, Yost SE, Jepsen K, Frazer KA, Harismendy O, Hatziapostolou M, Iliopoulos D, Suetsugu A, Hoffman RM, Tateishi R, Koike K, Karin M. PMID: 24120137; PMCID: PMC4015514.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 227     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    24. Syrian hamster tumor model to study oncolytic Ad5-based vectors. Methods Mol Biol. 2012; 797:53-63. Dhar D, Toth K, Wold WS. PMID: 21948468.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 11     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    25. IKKα activation of NOTCH links tumorigenesis via FOXA2 suppression. Mol Cell. 2012 Jan 27; 45(2):171-84. Liu M, Lee DF, Chen CT, Yen CJ, Li LY, Lee HJ, Chang CJ, Chang WC, Hsu JM, Kuo HP, Xia W, Wei Y, Chiu PC, Chou CK, Du Y, Dhar D, Karin M, Chen CH, Hung MC. PMID: 22196886; PMCID: PMC3268914.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 49     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    26. Oncolytic (replication-competent) adenoviruses as anticancer agents. Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2010 Mar; 10(3):353-68. Toth K, Dhar D, Wold WS. PMID: 20132057.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 29     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    27. Pre-existing immunity and passive immunity to adenovirus 5 prevents toxicity caused by an oncolytic adenovirus vector in the Syrian hamster model. Mol Ther. 2009 Oct; 17(10):1724-32. Dhar D, Spencer JF, Toth K, Wold WS. PMID: 19602998; PMCID: PMC2835003.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 24     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    28. An acute toxicology study with INGN 007, an oncolytic adenovirus vector, in mice and permissive Syrian hamsters; comparisons with wild-type Ad5 and a replication-defective adenovirus vector. Cancer Gene Ther. 2009 Aug; 16(8):644-54. Lichtenstein DL, Spencer JF, Doronin K, Patra D, Meyer JM, Shashkova EV, Kuppuswamy M, Dhar D, Thomas MA, Tollefson AE, Zumstein LA, Wold WS, Toth K. PMID: 19197324; PMCID: PMC3433943.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 27     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    29. INGN 007, an oncolytic adenovirus vector, replicates in Syrian hamsters but not mice: comparison of biodistribution studies. Cancer Gene Ther. 2009 Aug; 16(8):625-37. Ying B, Toth K, Spencer JF, Meyer J, Tollefson AE, Patra D, Dhar D, Shashkova EV, Kuppuswamy M, Doronin K, Thomas MA, Zumstein LA, Wold WS, Lichtenstein DL. PMID: 19197322; PMCID: PMC3433952.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 30     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    30. Effect of preexisting immunity on oncolytic adenovirus vector INGN 007 antitumor efficacy in immunocompetent and immunosuppressed Syrian hamsters. J Virol. 2009 Mar; 83(5):2130-9. Dhar D, Spencer JF, Toth K, Wold WS. PMID: 19073718; PMCID: PMC2643738.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 37     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    31. Hexadecyloxypropyl-cidofovir, CMX001, prevents adenovirus-induced mortality in a permissive, immunosuppressed animal model. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 May 20; 105(20):7293-7. Toth K, Spencer JF, Dhar D, Sagartz JE, Buller RM, Painter GR, Wold WS. PMID: 18490659; PMCID: PMC2438243.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 61     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    32. Syrian hamster as a permissive immunocompetent animal model for the study of oncolytic adenovirus vectors. Cancer Res. 2006 Feb 01; 66(3):1270-6. Thomas MA, Spencer JF, La Regina MC, Dhar D, Tollefson AE, Toth K, Wold WS. PMID: 16452178.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 75     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
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