Pratheepa Kumari

• M.Sc., M. Phil, PhD
• Research Associate at Vanderbilt University

Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death in glaucoma and other optic neuropathies results in irreversible vision loss due to the mammalian central nervous system’s limited regenerative capacity. RGC repopulation is a promising therapeutic approach to reverse vision loss from optic neuropathies if the newly introduced neurons can reestablish functional ret...

Biochemical insights into varying breast cancer (BC) phenotypes can provide a fundamental understanding of BC pathogenesis, while identifying novel therapeutic targets. Raman spectroscopy (RS) can gauge these biochemical differences with high specificity. For routine RS, cells are traditionally seeded onto calcium fluoride (CaF2) substrates that ar...

Purpose: We compared intravitreal injection of human adipose stem cell concentrated conditioned media (ASC-CCM) to injection of live ASCs for their long-term safety and effectiveness against the visual deficits of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Methods: We first tested different intravitreal ASC doses for safety. Other C57BL/6 mice then rec...

Visual deficits are a common concern among subjects with head trauma. Stem cell therapies have gained recent attention in treating visual deficits following head trauma. Previously, we have shown that adipose-derived stem cell (ASC) concentrated conditioned medium (ASC-CCM), when delivered via an intravitreal route, yielded a significant improvemen...

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) are well known for immunomodulation; however, the mechanisms involved in their benefits in the ischemic retina are unknown. This study tested the hypothesis that MSC induces upregulation of transcription factor forkhead box protein P3 (Foxp3) in T cells to elicit immune modulation, and thus, protect against reti...

Citation: Agrawal, M.; Rasiah, P.K.; Bajwa, A.; Rajasingh, J.; Gangaraju, R. Mesenchymal Stem Cell Induced Foxp3(+) Tregs Suppress Effector T Cells and Protect against Retinal Ischemic Injury. Cells 2021, 10, 3006.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is frequently described as any head injury ceasing the brain's normal function. Anatomically, developmentally, and physiologically, the eye is deemed as an extension of the brain. Vision in TBI is underrepresented, and the number of active clinical trials in this field are sparse. Frequently, visual problems are overloo...

Epithelial cell polarity, adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and survival are essential for morphogenesis of various organs and tissues including the ocular lens. The molecular mechanisms regulating the lens epithelial phenotype however, are not well understood. Here we investigated the role of scaffolding protein ankyrin-G (AnkG) in mouse le...

Abstract Purpose : To determine the potential involvement of Periaxin (Prx), a PDZ domain containing protein, in regulation of N-cadherin/Catenin-based cell adhesive interactions in lens fibers. Methods : Immunoprecipitation in conjunction with mass spectrometry and immunoblot analysis of lens homogenates was performed to assess the interaction of...

Purpose : To better understand the role of scaffolding proteins in membrane organization of cell adhesive, cytoskeletal and signaling protein complexes in lens fibers, detergent-resistant low density membrane rafts were isolated from porcine lens fibers and characterized. Methods : Detergent-resistant membrane rafts were isolated from freshly enuc...

Abstract Purpose : To explore the role of lens calmodulin and Phosphatidylinositol 4, 5-bisphosphate (PIP2) binding, and Protein Kinase C substrates known to regulate membrane organization, cell adhesive interactions and cortical cytoskeletal organization, including Brain acid soluble protein (BASP-1), Myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate...

Abstract Cataract is a progressive loss of eye lens transparency which is adversely reflected in the loss of vision. Constant exposure to oxidative stress, environmental elements, metabolic disorders, and genetic variations contributes to the patho-mechanism of cataract. However, oxidative stress, mutations, truncations, deamidations, and glycation...

The lens transparency depends on higher concentration of lens proteins and their interactions. α-Crystallin is one of the predominant lens proteins, responsible for proper structural and functional architecture of the lens microenvironment, and any alteration of which results in cataract formation. The R12C, R21L, R49C and R54C are the most signifi...

Abstract Purpose: This study was designed to examine the constrictive potential of C-Phycocyanin (C-PC) in regulating changes imposed on gene expression in the selenite-induced cataract model. Methods: Wistar rat pups were divided into three groups of eight each. On P10, Group I received an intraperitoneal injection of normal saline. Groups II an...

Age related cataract is the leading cause of blindness associated with accumulation of oxidative stress in the eye lens. The present investigation reveals the rational of the beneficial effects of the natural compound C-phycocyanin (C-PC) is beneficial when administered to rat pups to protect against the secondary effects of sodium selenite induced...

The present investigation is aimed to evaluate the anticataractogenic potential of C-phycocyanin (C-PC), extracted and purified from Spirulina platensis. Enucleated rat lenses were maintained in vitro in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM). Group I contained DMEM, Group II and Group III contained 100 μM of sodium selenite, Group III was subdivi...

Anticataractogenic Potential of C-Phycocyanin - An Insight to Preclude Cataract

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exposure produces profound damage to the developing as well as adult central nervous system. Locomotor activities which are closely linked to dopaminergic neurotransmission are often impaired in PCBs toxicity. Targeting PCBs-induced oxidative stress using natural antioxidants is an attractive approach. Quercetin, a...

The present study is aimed to evaluate the putative neuroprotective effect of quercetin on PCB induced impairment of dopaminergic receptor mRNA expression in cerebral cortex of adult male Wistar rats. Group I (control) received only vehicle (corn oil; 0.1 ml/kg bwt) intraperitoneally (i.p); Group II Aroclor 1254 at a dose of 2 mg/kg bwt/day (i.p);...