BAJAJ
RESEARCH GROUP
Dr. Ruchira Chakraborty
Post-Doctoral fellow
Ph.D. Biochemistry, Kalyani University, 2016
Currently I am working on designing cellular membrane-based nanovesicles as a potent theragnostic cargo. My project proposes a smart and exclusive solution to combat Atherosclerosis by introducing novel platelet and monocyte-derived hybrid nanovesicles (HNVs) loaded with gold nanosphere-Isorhamnetin (GNS-I) nanocomposite. These ‘bio-nanocarriers’ with a long circulation half-life can easily escape the problems of the aberrant immune activation and clearance and will limit the off-target toxicity of drugs and will improve the selectivity of HNVs towards the early and moderate or late stage of the atherosclerotic plaques.
For theranostics, these HNVs will be loaded with gold nanosphere-Isorhamnetin (GNS-I) nanocomposite. Isorhamnetin, a derivative of quercetin, acts as an activator of P13K/AKT pathway and attenuates apoptosis of foam cells at AS site, alongside their intrinsic anti-oxidant property can reduce the ox-LDL load and all together will stimulate the reduction of AS plaquenburden. In addition, then presence of GNS will enable CT imaging for in vivo tracking of the vesicles and detection of the lesion.
Animesh Kar
ICMR-SRF
M.Sc. Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 2016
Our research group is dedicated to developing next-generation nanomedicines for cancer immunochemotherapy.
We attempt to decode the intricacies of sphingolipid signalling in the tumor microenvironment using multidisciplinary approaches including lipidomics, transcriptomics, molecular biology, and bioinformatics. Our work involves studying epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms regulating diverse signalling pathways during tumor development, and those targeting the tumor microenvironment in response to cancer chemotherapeutics. We also develop next generation biomaterials for anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and gene therapy applications.
Our main focus is to develop nanomaterial technology from bench to bedside with higher therapeutic potential for human health.
Poonam Yadav
Ph.D-SRF
M.Sc. Biochemistry, Central University of Haryana, 2017
Heterogenous and complex nature of the tumor microenvironment (TME) poses a serious challenge for poor efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs. TME composed of endothelial cells, macrophages, cancer associated fibroblasts and extracellular matrix (ECM) provides a conducive environment with enhanced angiogenesis and inflammation to dangerously
proliferating cells, protects them from immune recognition, and helps in invasion followed by metastasis. Therefore, only death of cancer cells with anticancer drugs is not sufficient to tackle complex and heterogenous tumor tissues. I am working on engineering of chimeric nanomicelles for simultaneous targeting of multiple processes in tumor microenvironment (TME) for cancer treatment.
Kajal Rana
Ph.D-SRF
M.Sc. Zoology, University of Rajasthan, 2018
Unresolved and uncontrolled inflammation leads to development of chronic inflammatory disorders like psoriasis, liver fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and sepsis. Specific delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs to the diseased site is highly challenging as uncontrolled release of these drug can cause undesired accumulation and severe toxicity to other organs. I am working on developing localized and targeted delivery strategies that can maintain sustained release of anti-inflammatory drugs at the diseased site.
Dolly Jain
Ph.D-SRF
M.Sc. Biomedical Sciences, Dr. BR. Ambedkar Center for Biomedical Research, University of Delhi, 2019
I am working on exploring the impact of different therapeutic interventions on chemotherapy-mediated tumor regression. Dietary restriction regimens including caloric restriction and fasting have emerged as promising strategy to sensitize cancer cells towards chemotherapy while protecting the normal cells. I am exploring the impact of dietary restriction on chemotherapy-mediated tumor regression, and its impact on tumor microenvironment. Apart from cancer cell-immune cell interactions, cancer cell neuron interactions are crucial for tumor progression. I am also developing innovative strategies to alter the tumor microenvironment by targeting the cancer cell-neuron interactions..
Varsha Saini
Ph.D-SRF
M.Sc.Biotechnology, Banaras Hindu University, 2018
Most fatal microbial infections are caused by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and fungal cells. My work is focused on studying the interactions of bile acid-derived antimicrobial amphiphiles against susceptible multidrug-resistant, and persistent bacteria. I am also working on developing innovative therapeutic strategies targeting the fungal infections. As bacterial infections are one of reasons of inflammatory disorders, I am exploring the strategies for targeting the life-threating infection-associated inflammation as well.
Somesh Kumar Jha
Ph.D-JRF
M.Sc. Biotechnology (Int.PhD.), Regional Centre for Biotechnology, 2020
Tumor niche consists of diverse immune cell population types, the interplay of which leads to an immune-suppressive microenvironment. The cosplay of these immune cells decides the fate of therapeutic strategies employed to intervene the tumor growth and spread.
My work is focused on the use of various immunogenic cell death (ICD) inducing drugs in combination with immune adjuvants to unleash the anti-tumorigenic potential of immune system that could effectively impede the tumor growth and increase survivability.
Furthermore, we have developed a bile acid-based hydrogel system as a drug delivery vehicle that is being used to locally deliver the combination of ICD inducing drugs and immune adjuvants across different tumor models.
Apart from this, I have been working on a chemical induced mice model of hepatocellular carcinoma. Herein we are exploring the therapeutic potential of phospholipid derived bile acid conjugates of different chemotherapeutic drugs.
Nishant Pandey
Ph.D-JRF
MSc. Biotechnology, Jamia Hamdard, 2020
Hey!! Tumor tissues can be categorized into cold and hot depending on the infiltration of the immune cells. Sphingolipid pathway is one of the key pathways that is altered in cancer cells, and provide an interesting therapeutic target. I am interested in exploring the impact of pharmacological inhibition of sphingolipid-metabolic pathway on tumor microenvironment. I am also interested in engineering next generation biomaterials that can be used to target the sphingolipid metabolic pathway and alter the tumor microenvironment.
Bharti Aggarwal
Ph.D-JRF
M.Sc. Biotechnology (Int.PhD.), Regional Centre for Biotechnology, 2021
Gangliosides are membrane residing, signal transducing glycosphingolipids, and play a crucial regulatory role in tumor formation and progression. Abnormal Ganglioside expression is found to be associated with different malignancies. I am interested to understand the impact of chemotherapy on ganglioside palterations, and how pharmacological modulations in sphingolipid and ganglioside metabolic pathways can be explored for effective treatment strategies.
Visiting Fellows
Kajal Rajput
Project-SRF
I am working on understanding the mTOR-mediated sphingolipid and ganglioside metabolism in breast cancer progression pathway, and pharmacological alterations in sphingolipid and ganglioside metabolism can be used to inhibit the cancer progression. I am also working on identifying the unique sphingolipid signatures in different subtypes of breast cancer patients tissues.
Nafees Ansari
ICMR-SRF
M.Sc.Microbiology, Central University Of Rajasthan
I am interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in breast cancer. I am trying to understand how sphingolipid and its downstream gangliosides regulate breast cancer phenotype through various cell signaling pathways.
Trishna Pani
ICMR-SRF
M.Sc. Biotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology, 2014
I am interested in deciphering the transcriptional and post-transcriptional alterations in sphingolipid genes during tumor progression. As sphingolipids play a vital role in modulating tumor microenvironment, I am focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms in sphingolipid and ganglioside metabolic pathways that are responsible for tumor heterogeneity among different breast cancer subtypes, and their role in tumor progression.
Devashish Mehta
ICMR-SRF
M.Pharma. (Medicinal Chemistry), Central University of Punjab, Bathinda.
My work is focussed on the design and synthesis of bile acid-based biomaterials. Bile acids have an excellent chemistry to act as scaffolds for attachment of bioactive molecules. Moreover, their amphiphilic nature aids their entry via the biological membranes. I am developing bile acid-based membrane targeting antimicrobials, and bile acid-derived anticancer molecules.
Ali Khan
Project-JRF
M.Sc. Physics, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology Patiala, Punjab.
My work deals with identifying and validating the alterations in sphingolipid and gangliosides as therapeutic and diagnostic targets for chronic disease conditions including cancer like breast cancer, liver diseases like NASH, NAFLD, cirrhosis, and liver cancer, and colon diseases like inflammatory dowel disease and colon cancer. I will be using mass spectrometric based approaches to identify and validate the changes in sphingolipid metabolism in patients to use them as potential prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers.
Integrated-P.hD Student
Chhavi Dua
M.Sc. Student
Hello, as a part of my M.Sc. dissertation project I am working on identifying the therapeutic efficacy of steroid based small molecules in decreasing cancer progression in different tumour models and using them as effective drug delivery vehicles for administration of chemotherapeutic drugs. I have also worked on developing chimeric nanoparticles for enhanced drug delivery.
Trainees
Mohit Singh
M.Sc. Student
From: Amity University, Manesar, Haryana
Currently working on: Bile acid based adjuvants for enhanced delivery of antibiotics.
Sayed Safwan
M.Sc. Student
From: NIT Rourkela, Rourkela, Odisha.
Currently working on: Bile acid based adjuvants for enhanced delivery of antibiotics.