Cibin Raghavan

Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology | SCTIMST · Department of Biochemistry

Basement membrane (BM) proteins accumulate chemical modifications with age. One such modification is glycation, which results in the formation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). In a previous study, we reported that AGEs in the human lens capsule (BM) promote the TGFβ2-mediated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of lens epithelial ce...

Data S1. Supporting Experimental Procedures. Fig. S1. Total AGE levels in cataractous and normal lens capsules. Fig. S2. AGE‐BME enhanced the TGFβ2‐mediated expression of EMT markers in HLE cells. Fig. S3. TGFβ2‐mediated Smad2 phosphorylation is increased in HLE cells cultured on AGE‐BME. Fig. S4. Aminoguanidine inhibits the AGE/TGFβ2‐mediated...

Proteins in basement membrane (BM) are long-lived and accumulate chemical modifications during aging; advanced glycation endproduct (AGE) formation is one such modification. The human lens capsule is a BM secreted by lens epithelial cells. In this study, we have investigated the effect of aging and cataracts on the AGE levels in the human lens caps...

Due to low turnover rate basement membrane (BM) proteins accumulate chemical modifications with age. Glycation is one such modification, which leads to the formation of advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs). The eye lens capsule is a BM secreted by lens epithelial cells. We have found age-dependent increases in AGE levels in the human lens capsule...

In human lens proteins, advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) originate from the reaction of glycating agents, e.g., vitamin C and glucose. AGEs have been considered to play a significant role in lens aging and cataract formation. Although several AGEs have been detected in the human lens, the contribution of individual glycating agents to their fo...

Background Cataract is the leading cause of blindness, especially in the developing world. To ease access to treatment, we have proposed that cataract could be treated non-invasively by photobleaching of the chemically modified proteins responsible for cataract formation. The present study was aimed at examining the optical and biochemical effects...

The human lens contains three major protein families: α-, β-, and γ-crystallin. Among the several variants of γ-crystallin in the human lens, γD-crystallin is a major form. γD-Crystallin is primarily present in the nuclear region of the lens and contains a single lysine residue at the second position (K2). In this study, we investigated the acetyla...

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) contribute to lens protein pigmentation and crosslinking during aging and cataract formation. In vitro experiments have shown that ascorbate (ASC) oxidation products can form AGEs in proteins. However, the mechanism of ASC oxidation and AGE formation in the human lens are poorly understood. Kynurenines are try...

α-Crystallin is a member of the small heat-shock protein (sHSP) family and consists of two subunits, αA- and αB-. Both αA- and αB-crystallin act as chaperones and anti-apoptotic proteins. Previous studies have identified the peptide 70KFVIFLDVKHFSPEDLTVK88 in αA-crystallin and the peptide 73DRFSVNLDVKHFSPEELKVK92 in αB-crystallin as mini-chaperones...

Saraca asoca (Family Caesalpiniaceae) has been widely used in traditional Indian medicine especially due to its wound-healing property. The present study investigates the chemopreventive property of flavonoids from Saraca asoca (flowers) on 2-stage skin carcinogenesis in mice models. Skin cancer was induced in Swiss albino mice by single topical ap...

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) using a sensitizing drug is recognized as a promising medical technique for cancer treatment. It is a two step process that requires the administration of a photosensitizer followed by light exposure to treat a disease. Following light exposure the photosensitizer is excited to a higher energy state which generates free r...

This paper deals with two potential modes for the treatment of skin cancer-one a novel approach using a squaraine dye and the other using a natural product- the flavonoid fraction of Saraca asoka. Squaraine dye is a photosensitizing agent, which is preferentially taken up and retained by the tumor cells and when irradiated with high power visible l...

Saraca asoka (Family - Caesalpiniaceae) has been widely used in the Ayurvedic (traditional Indian) system of medicine especially due to its wound healing property. The present study investigated the chemopreventive property of flavonoids from the flowers of Saraca asoka on 7,12 dimethyl benz(a)anthracene (DMBA) induced skin cancer in mice models. A...

Cassia tora Linn (Leguminacea) is a medicinal plant traditionally used as laxative, for the treatment of leprosy and various skin disorders. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of leaf showed the presence of polyphenols (3.7 mg gallic acid equivalent per gram dried leaves). The presence of phenolic compound prompted us to evaluate its antioxidant an...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is based on the light-induced activation of a photosensitizer generating highly reactive oxygen species that induce tissue destruction in malignant tissues. The present study was carried out to assess the photosensitizing potential of bis(3,5-diiodo-2,4,6-trihydroxyphenyl)squaraine in PDT trials in vivo. Male Swiss albino...

The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of flavonoids from Emilia sonchifolia (ES) on the progression of selenite-induced cataract. The antioxidant property of the flavonoids isolated from ES was assessed by measuring its capacity to inhibit superoxide production and serum oxidation in vitro in comparison with quercetin. Based on these...

Emilia sonchifolia Linn. (DC.) is a traditionally used medicinal plant seen in most tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Various parts of the plant are used for the treatment of diseases like asthma, intermittent fevers, breast cancer, ophthalmia, nyctalopia etc. We have isolated the flavonoid fraction from E. sonchifolia (whole plant). Fema...

In this study we have looked into a fairly less studied, common edible plant- Emilia sonchifolia Linn (ES), for possible antioxidant and antitumor activity. We have isolated the flavonoid fraction from the whole plant and the antioxidant property was assessed by measuring its capacity to inhibit Cu²⁺ induced lipoprotein oxidation in huma...