Page 167 - CSIR-IGIB Annual Report 2020-21

DBT-Ramalingaswami Fellow | Respiratory disease biology

Inflammation is a double-edged sword, necessary for clearance of invading pathogens, however, if
uncontrolled leads to collateral tissue damage. Acute Lung Injury (ALI) and Acute Respiratory Distress
Syndrome (ARDS), both from sterile and infectious etiologies, are critical conditions associated with high
mortality due to dysregulation of inflammatory response. Moreover, the initial hyper-inflammatory
phase in these diseases is followed by an immunosuppressive stage, which predisposes patients to
secondary infections. Disproportionate cell death leads to the release of mito-DAMPs and Cardiolipin
(CL), a major mito-DAMP has been shown to block lung inflammation resolution by inhibiting IL-10
production.

Krishnendu Chakraborty aims to understand the effect of mitochondrial DAMPs on the severity of ALI by
studying both its early and late phase, as well as investigate how host pathogen interactions shape the
progression of the disease. His approach involves a combination of basic research, animal models and
patient samples in order to translate the findings into effective therapeutics.

Publication
Cardiolipin-mediated PPARγ S112 phosphorylation impairs IL-10 production and inflammation resolution during
bacterial pneumonia. M Garg, S Johri, S Sagar, A Mundhada, A Agrawal, P Ray, K Chakraborty Cell Reports 2021
34 (6), 108736

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