Pijush Kanti Das , Ph.D.

Senior Scientist NASI
Infectious Diseases and Immunology
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Research Interest

  • Macrophage biology in relation to disease pathogenesis using visceral leishmaniasis as  the model macrophage disease.
  • Comprehensive cyclic nucleotide signaling in the infectivity of a eukaryotic intracellular pathogen like Leishmania.
  • Immunomodulators of natural origin for effective therapy against macrophage-associated diseases.

Credentials

JC Bose National Fellow
PhD, FNA. FASc. FNASc. FAScT

Honours & Awards

  1. Elected as a President of the Asian Association for the Environmental Mutagen Societies (AAEMS) for the year 2014-2015.
  2. Elected as a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi, with effect from 2013.
  3. Elected as Member of the Editorial Board of Mutation Research from the Year 2009 to date.
  4. Elected Fellow of the West Bengal Academy of Sciences in 2005.
  5. Received prestigious D.Sc. Degree from Calcutta University in 1995.
  6. Young Scientist Award from Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi for the year 1984.
  7. Young Scientist Award from the Indian Science Congress Association for the year 1982.

Patents & Publications

  1. Vij, A., Biswas, A., Bhattacharya, A. and Das, P.K. (2014). A soluble phosphodiesterase in Leishmania donovani negatively regulates cAMP signaling by inhibiting protein kinase A through a two way process involving catalytic as well as non-catalytic sites.Int. J. Biochem. Cell.Biol.(In press).
  2. Srivastav, S., Ukil, A. and Das, P.K. (2015). Elucidating the strategies of immune evasion by Leishmania in: Leishmania: Current Biology and Control, Chapter 6, pp 93-106, Eds. S. Adak and R. Datta, Caister Academic Press, Norfolk, UK.
  3. Saha A., Biswas A., Srivastav, S., Mukherjee M., Das P.K. and Ukil A. (2014) Prostaglandin E2 Negatively Regulates the Production of Th1/Th17 Cytokines and Proinflammatory Chemokines in Visceral Leishmaniasis J. Immunol. 193, 2330-2339.
  4. Palit, S., Kar, S., Sharma, G. and Das, P.K. (2014) Hespiritin induces apoptosis in breast carcinoma by triggering accumulation of ROS and activation of ASK1/JNK pathway. J. Cell Physiol. (In press).
  5. Basu Ball, W., Mukherjee, M., Srivastav, S. and Das, P.K. (2014) Leishmania donovani activates uncoupling protein 2 transcription to suppress mitochondrial oxidative burst through differential modulation of SREBP2, Sp1 and USF1 transcription factors. Int. J. Biochem. Cell. Biol.48, 66-76.
  6. Srivastav, S., Basu Ball, W., Gupta, P., Giri, J., Ukil, A., and Das, P.K. (2014) Leishmaniadonovani Prevents Oxidative Burst Mediated Apoptosis of Host Macrophages through Selective Induction of Suppressors of Cytokine Signaling (SOCS) Proteins. J. Biol. Chem. 289, 1092-1105.
  7. Gupta, P., Giri, J., Srivastav, S., Chande, A.G., Mukhopadhyaya, R., Das, P.K. and Ukil, A. (2014) Leishmaniadonovani Targets Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Associated Factor (TRAF) 3 for Impairing TLR4-Mediated Host Response. FASEB, J.28, 1756-1768.
  8. Sharma, G., Kar, S., Basu Ball, W., Ghosh, K. and Das, P.K. (2014) Curative effect of fucoidan on visceral leishmaniasis is mediated by activation of MAP kinases through specific protein kinase C isoforms. Cell. Mol. Immunol. 11, 263-274.
  9. Ghosh, K., Sharma, G., Saha, A., Kar, S., Das, P.K. and Ukil, A. (2013) Successful therapy of visceral leishmaniasis with curdlan involves T-helper 17 cytokines. J. Infect. Dis. 207, 1016-1025.
  10. Srivastav, S., Kar, S., Chande, A.G., Mukhopadhyaya, R. and Das, P.K. (2012) Leishmaniadonovani exploits host deubiquitinating enzyme A20, a negative regulator of TLR signaling, to subvert host immune response. J. Immunol. 189, 924-934.
  11. Kar, S., Palit, S., Basu Ball, W. and Das, P.K. (2012) Carnosic acid modulates Akt/IKK/NF-κB signaling by PP2A and induces intrinsic and extrinsic pathway mediated apoptosis in human prostate carcinoma PC-3 cells. Apoptosis, 17, 735-747.
  12. Sharma, G., Kar, S., Palit, S. and Das, P.K. (2012) 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (Concur) induces apoptosis through modulation of Akt/FOXO3a/Bim pathway in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. J. Cell Physiol. 227, 1923-1931.
  13. Bhattacharya, A., Biswas, A. and Das, P.K. (2012) Identification of a protein kinase A regulatory subunit from Leishmania having importance in metacyclogenesis through induction of autophagy. Mol. Microbiol. 83, 548-564.
  14. Ukil, A., Kar, S., Srivastav, S. and Das, P.K. (2011) Curative effect of 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid in experimental visceral leishmaniasis depends on phosphatase-dependent modulation of cellular MAP kinases. PLoS ONE, 6, e29062.
  15. Vassallo, O., Castelli, S., Biswas, A., Sengupta, S., Das, P.K., Annessa, I.D., Oteri, F., Leoni, A., Tagliatesta, P., Majumder, H.K. and Desideri, A. (2011) Conjugated eicosapentanoic acid (cEPA) inhibits L. donovani topoisomerase I and has an antiproliferative activity against L. donovanipromastigotes. The Open Antimicrob.Agents. J.3, 23-29.
  16. Basu Ball, W., Kar, S., Mukherjee, M., Chande, A.G., Mukhopadhyaya, R. and Das, P.K. (2011) Uncoupling protein 2 negatively regulates reactive oxygen species generation and induces phosphatase-mediated anti-inflammatory response in experimental visceral leishmaniasis. J. Immunol. 187, 1322-1332.
  17. Biswas, A., Bhattacharya, A. and Das, P.K. (2011) Role of cAMP signaling in the survival and infectivity of the protozoan parasite, Leishmaniadonovani. Mol. Biol. Int. 2011, Article ID 782971, 9 pages.
  18. Biswas, A., Bhattacharya, A., Kar, S. and Das, P.K. (2011) Expression of IL-10-triggered STAT3-dependent IL-4Ra is required for induction of arginase 1 in visceral leishmaniasis. Eur. J. Immunol.41, 992-1003.
  19. Kar, S., Sharma, G. and Das, P.K. (2011) Fucoidan cures infection against both antimony-susceptible and –resistant strains of Leishmaniadonovani through Th1 response and macrophage-derived oxidants. J. Antimicrob. Chemother.66, 618-625.
  20. Kar, S., Ukil, A. and Das, P.K. (2011) Cystatin cures visceral leishmaniasis by NF-kB-mediated proinflammatory response through co-ordination of TLR/MyD88 signaling with p105-Tp12-ERK pathway. Eur. J. Immunol. 41, 116-127.
  21. Kar, S., Ukil, A., Sharma, G. and Das, P.K. (2010) MAPK-directed phosphatases preferentially regulate pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in experimental visceral leishmaniasis: involvement of distinct protein kinase C isoforms. J. Leukocyte Biol.88, 9-20.     
  22. Biswas, A., Bhattacharya, A. and Das, P.K. (2009) Possible mechanism of neutralizing macrophage oxidative damage by Leishmaniaparasites in perspectives in cytology and genetics. A.K. Giri (ed.), vol XIV, pp. 55-60.
  23. Bhattacharya, A., Biswas, A. and Das, P.K. (2009) Role of a differentially expressed cAMPphosphodiesterase in regulating the induction of resistance against oxidative damage in Leishmaniadonovani. Free Radical Biol. Med. 47, 1494-1506.
  24. Kar, S., Ukil, A. and Das, P.K. (2009)  Signaling events leading to the curative effect of cystatin on experimental visceral leishmaniasis: involvement of ERK1/2, NF-kB and JAK/STAT pathways. Eur. J. Immunol.39,741-751.
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