Page 97 - Annual report 2021-22

Annual Report 2021-22 |

The immune system is in constant evolution with the changing exposures to the microbial world. The
Immunology and Infectious Disease Biology unit focusses on the microbial world and its impact on
health and disease. Pathogen and host biology are understood with the help of clinical disease, model
systems, and genomics. Research in this group ranges from understanding diversity and drug
resistance patterns of pathogenic fungi, structure-function relationship of drug resistance in fungal
and bacterial diseases, developing novel ways to target them, developing host directed therapies 80
against tuberculosis, understanding pathways of the host that pathogens hijack, and leveraging
genomics to tackle infectious disease burden on public health. Some of the highlights from this
spectrum of research activities over the last year are:

A study to identify the prevalence of dermatophytes responsible for fungal infections in the National
Capital Region was carried out. This cross-sectional study not only identified T. interdigitale as the
primary dermatophyte but also identified a very high prevalence of drug resistance compendium of
drug resistance mutations across the spectrum of dermatophytes. Genomics and transcriptomics have
identified potential mechanisms of drug resistance prevalent in these cases.

A chitin-Prussian Blue based nanoparticle coupled with photothermal activation was developed as a
possible therapeutic against dermal infections

IGIB has been at the forefront of genomics of SARS-CoV2 as it evolved during the course of the
pandemic. Public health measures required early assessment of variants of concern and sequence-
based determination of these VoCs was the need of the hour. Developing genomic strategies and
implementing these at places such as the Delhi airport provided the first of its kind microLabs. This
concept of microLabs is being expanded, towards a goal for surveillance of pathogens in addition to
SARS-CoV2.

Tuberculosis is accompanied by a characteristic pathology called granuloma. IGIB researchers focus
on metabolic changes that are a hallmark of this pathology in order to dampen the detrimental
immune response. In a recent study they showed that pharmacological inhibition of host triglyceride
synthesis rescues the hyper-inflammatory response in mouse lungs and results in better control of TB
infection.

In the quest to dampen the detrimental immune response in tuberculosis, IGIB researchers looked
towards FDA approved drugs that can dampen the Type I IFN response to infection. This led to the
discovery that the anti-depressant Sertraline can not only dampen this response, but promote the
efficacy of frontline anti-TB treatment in mice. This study provides a shortened route towards a host
directed therapy against TB.