Research
Current Research Focus:
Study of Dendritic cell- T cell interaction, inflammatory cytokines and antibody response in SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus) and Influenza infection:
Immune response against the infections in the vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals varies with age, gender and other comorbidities. The study done on both the mice model and human samples of nasal swab, rectal swab, serum and PBMC. Maturation, Activation, Differentiation, Proliferation of individual subsets of: Dendritic cells (plasmacytoid and myeloid lineage), B cells, CD4T (including regulatory T cells and Th17 cells), cytotoxic CD8T cells and their crosstalk are being investigated. Inflammatory balance at pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine level and antibody serotypes, neutralization capacities are also being studied.
Diabetes-mediated remodeling of vaccine efficacy against influenza infection:
Aim is to study how the diabetic individuals are responding to the commercially available influenza vaccines or flu-shots as compared to non-diabetic individuals. The study will shed light for more specific vaccine strategies for the diabetic individuals.
Development of universal Nanovaccine against the Respiratory tract infections:
My focus in this project is to develop multiple epitopes decorated nanovaccine for broad range of respiratory infections ranging from multiple strains of influenza, SARS-CoV 2 (coronavirus) and respiratory syncytial virus. This will provide a universal protection against multiple viruses affecting the respiratory tracts and lungs.
Research Findings:
PROJECTS HANDLED:
1. Investigating the Molecular Mechanism of JMJD6 mediated gene regulation in Breast Cancer(2012- 2013), DBT Biocare Funded.
2. Functional characterization of a novel promoter SNP in hyperbillirubinimea.(2012-13), NIBMG funded.
3. Role of Dendritic Cells in Cytokine mediated Treg-Th17 Cross talk in Malaria. (WB DBT Funded: Sanction no. 22(Sanc)/ BT (Estt)/ RD-20/2013, dated- 07.01.2015.)
4. Role of TGF-beta–SMAD signaling nexus in Treg/Th17 differentiation during experimental Cerebral Malaria, (BRNS funded: project no: 37 (1) / 14/ 54/ 2014 - BRNS / 1740)
5. Role of DC subsets in Treg/Th17mediated immune response during experimental cerebral malaria (Department of Science and Technology (DST) funded, Sanction No: SB/SO/HS-106/2013, dated 21/11/2014)
Research Experience and Techniques:
• Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting: Cellular isolation by Fluroscence Associated Cell Sorting (FACS) and culture.,In-depth flow cytometric analysis for cell surface CD markers and internal markers.
• Gene/Protein Expression study: Realtime Quantatitaive Polymerase Chain Reaction (q-PCR), Nuclear Protein isolation,Immunoblotting/ Western Blotting, Enzyme linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Immunohistochemistry (IHC), Gel Electrophoresis
• Molecular Interaction Study: Immunoprecipitation (IP), Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP), RNA-Protein interaction study, Pull down assay,
• Cellular Assays: Proteasomal Degradation assay, Adhession assay, Phagocytosis assay, ROS measurement, cell viability assays.
• Recombinant DNA Technology: Protein Expression in bacteria, Molecular Cloning, RDT techniques, plasmid isolatuon, Transformation, Transfection.
• Cell culture: Primary, Secondary cell culture, Bacterial Culture.
• Animal Model: Mice
THESIS TITLE: The Impact of Autophagy in Infection-Immunology Crosstalk in Cerebral Malarial Infection
In my doctoral research in Prof. Arindam Bhattacharyya’s laboratory, I studied the immune regulation of autophagy, pathogen processing and degradation in cerebral malarial infection, within splenic dendritic cell subsets (plasmacytoid DC & myeloid DC) and splenic macrophage subsets (Red Pulp & Marginal Zone Macrophages). The work also focused on the pro-and anti-inflammatory pathways, cytokine imbalance induced inflammation, glial cell-mediated inflammation, and regulation of T cells subsets (particularly CD8T cells, Treg, Th17).
Work Presentations: Click Here
Associated Laboratories:
National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, India
Immunology Laboratory, University of Calcutta, India
Biomedical & Clinical Science Department, Linkoping University, Sweden
Research Publications:
Nano toolbox in immune modulation and nanovaccines, Mohammad Azharuddin, Geyunjian Harry Zhu, Anirban Sengupta, Jorma Hinkula, Nigel K H Slater, and Hirak K Patra, Trends in Biotechnology [Review Article] (Accepted, In press) (IF: 19.54)
Efficacy and Immune Response Elicited by Gold Nanoparticle-Based Nanovaccines against Infectious Diseases, Sengupta, A.; Azharuddin, M.; Al-Otaibi, N.; Hinkula, J. Vaccines 2022, 10, 505. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10040505 [Review Article] (This article belongs to the Special Issue Virus-Like Particle and Nano-Particle Vaccines 2.0) (IF: 4.42)
Intranasal Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 immunization with lipid adjuvants provides systemic and mucosal immune response against SARS-CoV-2 S1 Spike and nucleocapsid protein, Sengupta, A.; Azharuddin, M.; Cardona, M.E.; Devito, C.; von Castelmur, E.; Wehlin, A.; Pietras, Z.; Sunnerhagen, M.; Selegård, R.; Aili, D.; Alamer, A.; Hinkula, J.; Al-Otaibi, Vaccines 2022 Mar, 10(4), 504; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10040504 (IF: 4.42)
Partial impairment of late-stage Autophagic Flux in Murine Splenocytes leads to sqstm1/p62 mediated nrf2-keap1 antioxidant pathway activation and induced Proteasome-mediated degradation in Malaria; Sengupta A, Mukherjee S, Ghosh S, Keswani T,Sarkar S, Majumdar G, Das M, Bhattacharyya A.;Microb Pathog. 2020 Jul 18 147:104289. doi: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104289 (IF: 3.74)
Autophagic Induction modulates Splenic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell mediated immune response in Cerebral Malarial infection model; Sengupta A, Keswani T, Sarkar S, Ghosh S, Mukherjee S,Bhattacharyya A., Microbes Infect. 2019 Jun 8. pii: S1286-4579(19)30060-7. doi: 10.1016/j.micinf.2019.05.004 (IF: 2.7)
Influence of autophagy, apoptosis and their interplay in filaricidal activity of C-cinnamoyl glycosides; Roy P*, Sengupta A*, Joardar N, Bhattacharyya A, Saha NC, Misra AK, Babu SPS. Parasitology. 2019 May 20:1-38. doi: 10.1017/S0031182019000660 *both authors contributed equally. (IF: 3.24)
Impact of autophagic regulation on splenic red pulp macrophages during cerebral malarial infection. Sengupta A, Sarkar S, Keswani T, Mukherjee S, Ghosh S, Bhattacharyya A. Parasitol Int. 2019 Aug;71:18-26. doi: 10.1016/j.parint.2019.03.008. Epub 2019 Mar 11. (IF: 2.23)
Differential modulation of glial cell mediated neuroinflammation in Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection by TGF β and IL 6. Sarkar S, Keswani T, Sengupta A, Mitra S, Bhattacharyya A.,Cytokine. 2017 Aug 10. pii: S1043-4666(17)30226-0. doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2017.07.026 (IF: 3.86)
Role of TGF-ß and IL-6 in Dendritic cells, Treg and Th17 mediated immune response during experimental cerebral malaria. Keswani T, Sarkar S, Sengupta A and Bhattacharyya A. Cytokine. 2016 Dec;88:154-166. doi: 10.1016 /j.cyto. 2016.08.034. Epub 2016 Sep 12. (IF: 3.86)
Dendritic cells subsets mediated immune response during Plasmodium berghei ANKA and Plasmodium yoelii infection , Keswani T, Sengupta A, Sarkar S, Bhattacharyya A. Cytokine. 2015 Jun;73(2):198-206. doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2015.02.023. Epub 2015 Mar 16. (IF: 3.86)
Published Full Text Manuscripts in Peer-Reviewed Journals:








