Maternal-fetal interactions play a major role during pregnancy. The optimal growth of the developing fetus and healthy birth depends on the nourishment it obtains during the gestational period. Placenta is the temporary feto-maternal organ that serves as a connective link between mother and fetus during pregnancy and is the hub of maternal-fetal dynamic interactions. This complex organ is made up of heterogeneous cell types which have diverse morphologies and dynamic functions at different time points during pregnancy. My aim is to study the variations in these cell type diversity and materno-fetal interactions at different periods of gestation at delivery using single cell transcriptomic approaches. Ultimately, I would like to identify single cell gene expression signatures which are associated with adverse outcomes. Such information can be used to triage women at risk of these birth outcomes so that appropriate clinical interventions can be used. Read less
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I am Priyanshi Sisodia, integrated MSc-PhD student of NIBMG. Despite advancements in therapies, the major challenge in treating patients with oral cancer is loco-regional metastasis and recurrence. Tumor-stroma crosstalk is one of the non-cell autonomous factors that drives plasticity in cancer cells eventually leads to recurrence of more aggressive tumor. Among the diverse components of regulato rs, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged critical for gene regulation and cellular plasticity. My study focuses on understanding how tumor microenvironment induced lncRNAs contribute to oral cancer progression. Read less
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In recent years, astrocytic dysfunction has garnered considerable attention in neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research. Connexin 43 (Cx43) is the major astroglial gap junction (GJ) protein. Cx43 hexamers constitute hemichannels and head-on docking of hemichannels of two apposed cells forms gap junctions (GJs). While GJs are of paramount importance for maintenance of panglial netw ork communication in central nervous system, providing trophic support to neurons and forming conduits for synaptic informational processing, increased Cx43 hemichannel activity leads to excitotoxicity. Interestingly, Aβ, the bonafide player of AD triggers Cx43 internalization in astrocytes with concomitant loss of gap junctional activity and increase in hemichannel activity. At this juncture, our study is directed towards understanding the Aβ-mediated astrocytic dysfunction process through gaining profound insights into the mechanistic underpinnings of Aβ mediated dysregulation of Cx43 gap junctional functions and how it contributes to AD neuropathology. Read less
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I am Rimpa Nandi, obtained my MSc from Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal. Our lab is focused on studying oral cancer biology. Oral cancer ranks high among aggressive cancers. In India it is most frequent among male and fourth most common in female because of habit of chewing tobacco. One of the key players behind this aggressiveness is tumor-stroma crosstalk and cytokine receptor sign aling is important in this context. Therefore, I am investigating the possible targets against cytokine receptor signaling induced due to diversity in tumor stromal cells in oral tumor microenvironment. Read less
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In last few years pancreatic cancer rises as a one of the major health problem, 7th in mortality in the world with a poor survival rate and has poor prognosis rate among other cancers. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma accounts more than 90% of all pancreatic cancer. Late detection is the major obstacle for treatment. Biomarker can bring solution in treatment against pancreatic cancer. It has be en already established that some genes have role in cancer progression by using multiple pathways. some genes are identified which are affecting the cell cycle regulation, cell adhesion and organization of cytoskeleton, metastasis rate etc. I am investigating the role of one of the genes which has a role in cancer progression and I am also interested to identifying its interacting partners that helps in pancreatic cancer progression. Read less
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Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death in women, worldwide. lncRNAs are generally more than 200 nucleotides in length. Recent studies have reported that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are abnormally expressed. They are involved in various cellular and pathophysiological processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, apoptosis. Phenotypes obtained due to abrog ated expression of lncRNA as they reportedly regulate gene transcription and post transcriptional processes. We have identified lncRNAs with unknown function in our lab. My goal is to prioritize these lncRNA for functional studies by using different bioinformatics-based screening processes. To achieve this, we screened that lncRNAs on the basis of cancer relevant attributes like effect of that lncRNA on survival analysis, gene expression on normal & tumor tissues, genomic related information and prediction of RNA/protein interacting partners etc. by different web-based tools. After shortlisting lncRNAs we will try to evaluate their biological function in cancer. Read less
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Tuberculosis is a potentially serious infectious disease and still a major health problem worldwide. Pathogenesis of this disease is driven by a complex interaction between the host immune system and immune escaping strategies of the pathogen. Cytokines and chemokines produced by host immune cells play vital role in elimination of infection. Bio fluid level of one such chemokine, CXCL10 , is found to be elevated in active TB patients. The effect of elevated CXCL10 on immune cells is not well studied. My aim of research is to explore the role of CXCL10 in alteration of downstream signaling pathways involved in host defense mechanism in context of TB using high throughput genomic tools. I am also interested to understand the influence of the chemokine in the immunological processes with advent of M.tb infection. These approaches will help us in better understanding of potential regulatory role of CXCL10 for tuberculosis disease progression.
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Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide and the leading cause of cancer deaths in females. Extracellular vesicles or EVs are lipid-bilayer bound particles secreted by cells in the extracellular space. It is suggested that EVs can facilitate tumor progression by carrying and delivering variety of cargo like RNAs and Proteins and EVs released from tumor cells are much more abu ndant and useful than other circulatory biomarkers like Circulating tumor cells and cell-free DNAs. They can act as mediators of intracellular communication and also can promote metastasis by contributing to the formation of pre-metastatic niche. My research goal is to study the proteome of these tiny little particles from tumor tissue and serum of the breast cancer patients and compare them by proteomic profiling. Read less
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Among the recently discovered Type–III interferon family, IFN-λ4 (IFNL4) is thenewest member. I am interested in characterizing the naturally occurring variants of IFNL4 gene for their effect on IFN-λ4’s function and their significance in different human diseases. IFNL4 gene transcription is known to generate several different splice variants. I am also interested to understand if any of the genetic variants within the body of IFNL4 are important in generation of these splice variants.
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Congenital muscular dystrophies (CMD) and congenital myopathies (CM) are a group of rare genetically and clinically heterogeneous degenerative primary muscle disorders with onset at birth or during infancy. Due to vast heterogeneity, clinical examination and protein-based analyses often fail to identify the genetic causes of these diseases making it challenging for the clinician to make an
accurate diagnosis. My research therefore focuses on investigating the genomic signatures causal to CMD and CM in Indian patients. I analyse whole exome sequence data using variant calling and stringent variant filtration process to identify pathogenic mutations and achieve a genetic diagnosis.
I'm also interested in functionally characterizing the candidate variants in an in vivo zebrafish model and do a mechanistic evaluation in primary muscle cells using the efficient CRISPR-Cas genome editing tools.
