Research Interests
Research Summary
Studies have been to understand the molecular mechanisms leading to mononuclear phagocyte deactivation in the context of host-pathogen interaction. Mononuclear phagocytes play an important role in host defense against invading pathogens and tumor cells. Ironically, mononuclear phagocytes are also target cells for a diverse range of microorganisms including leishmania. Protozoan organisms of the genus Leishmania are obligate intracellular parasites of mononuclear phagocytes in which to survive and replicate. A principal function of mononuclear phagocyte is to destroy intracellular pathogens. Hence, the manner in which leishmania and other intracellular pathogens are able to survive and replicate within this hostile intracellular milieu is an important question in cell biology and immunology. My research examines infection of macrophages with Leishmania donovani, an agent of human visceral leishmaniasis. L. donovani is responsible for severe mortality and morbidity in many parts of world. It is expected that study of this system will lead to the identification of novel mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of leishmaniasis and that this information will have relevance to other intracellular pathogens.
Research Highlights
Personal
Education
B Sc Punjab University, India Biochemistry,
M Sc Haryana Agric. University, Hisar, India Biochemistry,
Ph.D University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Biochemistry,
Affiliations
Recent Publications
- Cherkasov, A., Nandan, D and NE Reiner (2006). Large scale survey of targetable indels in bacterial and protozoan proteins. Proteins. 62(2): 371-80.
- Leon, C, Nandan, D., M Lopez Moeenrezakhanlou, A and NE Reiner (2006) Annexin V associates with the interferon-gamma receptor and regulates IFN-gamma signaling. J Immunol. 176(10):5934-42.
- Lopez, M, Thao, T., Tran., E., Silverman, J.E and D. Nandan (2007). Leishmania aldolase as a selective activator of macrophage Src homology 2 domain containing tyrosine phosphatase SHP-1. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 364: 601-607.
- Lopez, M., Cherkasov, A and *D. Nandan (2007). Molecular architecture of EF-1a from Leishmania donovani reveals a novel site involved in protein translation suitable for drug targeting. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 356: 886-892.
- Moeenrezakhanlou, A., Nandan, D. and Reiner, N.E. (2007). 1, 25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol activates binding of CREB to a CRE site in the CD14 promoter and drives promoter activity in a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent Manner. J. Leukocyte Biol. 81: 1311-21.
- Nandan, D., Lopez, M., Ban F., Huang M., Li, Y., Reiner NE and Cherkasov, A (2007). Indel-based targeting of essential proteins in human pathogens that have close host orthologue(s): Discovery of selective inhibitors for Leishmania donovani elongation factor- 1alpha. Proteins. 67(1):53-64.
- Wei, Ma., Mishra, S., Gee. K., Mishra, J.P., Nandan, D., Reiner, N.E., Angel, J, and Kumar, A (2007). Cyclosporin A and FK506 inhibit IL-12p40 production through the calmodulin/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase-activated PI3K in LPS-stimulated human monocytic Cells. J. Biol Chem. 282: 13351-62.
- Moeenrezakhanlou, A., Nandan, D. and Reiner, N.E. (2008). Identification of a calcitriol regulated SP-1 Site in the promoter of human CD14 using a combined western blotting electrophoresis Mobility Shift Assay (WEMSA). Biol Proced online. 17:29-35.
- Silverman, JM; Chan, SK; Robinson,DP; Dwyer, DM; Nandan,D; Foster, LJ and Reiner, N.E (2008). Proteomic analysis of the secretome of Leishmania donovani. Genome Biol. Epub Feb18.