215. Javed N Agrewala

Dr J N Agrewala, a senior scientist with the Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), was today conferred the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, 2005, by Dr Manmohan Singh for his contributions in the field of medical sciences. The award carries a citation, a certificate and Rs 2 lakh.

Dr Javed N. Agrewala obtained his Ph.D in biomedical organic chemistry from the S N Medical College, Agra, in 1986. He has worked as a visiting scientists at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, and is a fellow of National Academy of Sciences, India.
Dr Agrewala joined IMTECH in 1989 and has since been working on the cross-talk between white blood cells in the human body.

Source : indianmuslims.info

Write-up of research and development interests/focus, past and present goals:

Host-pathogen relationships are characterized by the complex interplay between host defense mechanisms and attempts to circumvent these defenses by microorganisms. Macrophages and T cells play key roles in host defense in the recognition and elimination of microorganisms. Our studies and from other groups have generated an evidence that costimulatory molecules play a potential role in immmuno-suppression in leprosy patients, also a mycobacterial disease (Agrewala et al. 1998). Recently, we have also provided a novel insight into the mechanism whereby signaling through costimulatory molecules could deliver regulatory signals. We demonstrated that the delivery of costimulatory signals by antigen presenting cells (APC) not only activates T cells but may also influence the APC itself (Agrewala et al. 1994, 1998, Suvas et al. 2002). We observed that signaling of B cells through B7-2 costimulatory molecule enhanced its proliferation and production of antibodies and augmented the level of anti-apoptotic molecules and decreased the levels of pro-apoptotic molecule. In contrast, triggering through B7-1 could efficiently block the proliferation and production of antibodies by B cells and could retard their growth and favored the up-regulation of pro-apoptotic molecules.

Our current research interest is in microbial pathogenesis in diseases like tuberculosis where a coordinated cross-talk between macrophages and T cells is essential for protection and wish to explore the following problems: (i) eventhough immunity is highly efficacious in preventing disease but is extraordinarily inefficient in terminating infection; (ii) why only 5-10% of the infected individuals develop active tuberculosis and the remaining 90% impart effective immunity against the M. tuberculosis; (iii) why macrophages play a “dual role” by providing protection to host as well as survival of the bacteria; (iv) what factors make the relationship between M. tuberculosis and host immunity labile, converting infection into clinical disease; (v) what are the regulatory signals delivered by the infected macrophages to effector T cells and in return what signals are transmitted by effector T cells to macrophages. This study would provide insights not only into mechanisms of pathogenesis but may also suggest targets for therapeutic intervention.

 

Significant recognition: Awards, fellowships, international funding of distinction, technologies transferred/licensed etc.:

• Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award.
• Elected Fellow-Indian National Science Academy.
• National Bioscience Award for Career Development.
• New Idea Research Talent Award.
• Elected Fellow-National Academy of Sciences India.
• Regular Member-American Association of Immunologists.
• Visiting Scientist: MRC-TB Unit, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London.
• Visiting Scientist: Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, New York.
• Biotechnology Overseas Associateship, DBT, India.
• Member Editorial Board/Associate Editor/Reviewer: BMC Immunology, Recent Patents on Anti-Infective Drug Discovery, Amino Acids, J Neuroimmunol,  Clin Exp Immunol., Inflammation Res. J Infect Dis, PLoS One, J Bac, J Proteome Res, Immunology, Vaccine, Cancer Lett, Int Immunopharmacol, Hematologia, Exp Parasitol, Adv Applied Res, Current Science, J Bioscience, etc.

Technology:

• Cearulomycin A as an immunosuppressive agent. Technology licensed to Nostrum Pharmaceuticals, USA. Team: JN Agrewala, RS Jolly, RM Vohra.

Source : imtech.res.in