Ramaswamy Kalyanasundaram, DVM, PhD
Department Head, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Assistant Dean for Research, Michael L. and Susan M. Glasser Professor of Rural Health Professions Education and Research
Department of Biomedical Sciences
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1601 Parkview Avenue, Rockford, IL 61107
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About
Vaccine development and functional proteomics
Research in Dr. Ramaswamy’s laboratory focuses mainly on two major areas; (1) development of a vaccine against lymphatic filariasis a tropical parasitic infection that causes a gruesome and disfiguring condition in human. According to WHO currently more than 120 million people living in 83 different countries are infected with this mosquito transmitted disease. Second major research focus is on gene mining and functional proteomics of schistosome and lymphatic filarial parasites.
Several vaccine candidates of the lymphatic filarial organism were identified in our laboratory using a phage-display cDNA expression library screening approach. Each of the candidate antigens was tested for their efficacy to confer protection against a challenge infection with Brugia malayi in experimental animals. After extensive testing, five candidate antigens ALT-2, Hsp12.6, VAL-1, GST and TSP are down selected to develop further as a multivalent vaccine. A DNA prime protein boost vaccine strategy gave the best results. Studies are underway to test the most promising vaccine formulation in non-human primates.
Under the gene mining project, we identified more than 40 new functional genes from schistosomes and filarial organisms. Our focus in this area is mainly to characterize host modulatory molecules that are novel drug targets, novel therapeutic agents and/or potential vaccine candidates.
Selected Publications
Abhilash S, Gajalakshmi D, Ramaswamy K (2010) Multivalent Vaccine for Lymphatic Filariasis. Procedia in Vaccinology, Volume 3, 2010, Pages 12-18, DNA Vaccines 2010
Veerabathran A, Gajalakshmi, D, Gnanasekar, M., Reddy M.V. and Ramaswamy K. (2009) Evaluation of Wuchereria bancrofti GST as a vaccine candidate for lymphatic filariasis. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Jun 9; 3(6):e457.PMID: 19513102.
Gnanasekar, M., Anandharaman, V., Anand, S.B., Nutman, T.B., and Ramaswamy, K. (2008) “A novel small heat shock protein 12.6 (HSP12.6) from Brugia malayi functions as a human IL-10 receptor binding protein”. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology159: 98–103.PMID: 18395809
Gnanasekar, M., Rao, KVN., Mishra, P., He, YX., Nutman, T., Kaliraj, P., and Ramaswamy, K. (2004) A novel phage display based screening to identify potential vaccine candidate antigens of the filarial parasite Brugia malayi. Infection and Immunity. Aug; 72(8):4707-15.PMID: 15271932
Chen, L., He, YX., Rao, KVN, and Ramaswamy, K. (2002) Skin-stage schistosomula of Schistosoma mansoni secrete an apoptosis-inducing factor that can cause apoptosis of T cells. Journal of Biological Chemistry 277, 34329-34335.PMID: 12107158