Biochemistry

FacultyServices Projects PublicationsResearch Staff Alumni

The department of Biochemistry comprises of two wings : a) the central clinical laboratory (CCL) which carries out round the clock all the clinical biochemistry, clinical pathology, blood gas, hematology and coaglulation analyses of patients in SCTIMST , and b) research laboratories which undertake glycobiological, immunological and molecular biological investigations on mechanisms of diseases including cardiovascular and neurological disorders, diabetes and cancer. The department trains on an average 10 Ph.D students at a time.

Faculty
Facilities

Tissue culture laboratory, ultracentrifuge, electroblotting, ELISA reader, HPLC, digital photomicroscope, fully automated clinical biochemistry autoanalysers ( Siemens/ Dade Behring and Olympus), fully automated coagulation anlayser ( AMAX, Germany), state of the art blood gas analyser ( Radiometer, Denmark and NOVA, USA), fully automated 5 part WBC analyser, serum electrophoresis and automated urine analyzer.

Services

Comprehensive diagnostic facility working 24 hours for clinical biochemistry, clinical pathology, hematology and blood gas investigations for SCTIMST patients. Average number of investigations per day : 2000. Daily internal quality control and monthly external quality control program in association with the world's most widely accepted QC monitoring service provider, viz. BIORAD, U.S.A.

Projects
  1. Isolation, characterization of gliomasphere forming cells from Glioblastoma Multiforme; correlation with prognostic factors. Department of Biotechnology.
  2. Dysfunctional high density lipoproteins and atherogenesis. C.S.I.R.
  3. Disease-dependent changes in the composition of human serum immune complexes. ICMR
  4. Studies on antibodies that form immune complexes with Lp(a) in serum( SCTIMST fellowship project for Ph.D program- Sabarinath.P.S).
  5. Characterization of anti-polysaccharide antibody immune complexes in human serum. CSIR.
  6. Regulation of MMPs by nitric oxide: Involvement of beta catenin as a signal amplifier: an in vitro study in colon cancer cells . ICMR
  7. Molecular basis of inhibition of growth, angiogenesis and metastasis by anthraquinones . CSIR
  8. Regulation of autophagy and its role in drug response. CSIR
  9. Isolation, characterization of gliomasphere forming cells from different grades of glioma; correlation with prognostic factors .( SCTIMST felloship project).
  10. Coronary disease in the young. KSCTE project.
Publications
  1. Dextran-binding human plasma antibody recognizes bacterial and yeast antigens and is inhibited by glucose concentrations reached in diabetic sera. B.K.Chacko and P.S.Appukuttan. 2003. Molecular Immunology. 39, 933-939.
  2. IgA1 is the premier serum glycoprotein recognized by human galectin-1 since T antigen (Galb1®3GalNAc-) is far superior to non-repeating N-acetyl lactosamine as ligand. S.R.Sangeetha and P.S.Appukuttan 2005. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 35, 269-276.
  3. Normal human plasma anti-b-glucoside antibody has markedly elevated IgA content and binds fungal and yeast polysachharides. Geetha.M, Jaisy Mathai, Annamma K.I and P.S.Appukuttan 2007. Immunological Investigations. 36, 73-83.
  4. IgA1 desialylated by microbial neuraminidase forms immune complex with naturally occurring anti-T antibody in human serum. Anuradha, Jayakumari N and Appukuttan.PS .2008.Immunology Letters.115, 90-97.
  5. Multiple Specificity of Human Serum Dextran-Binding Immunoglobulin: (16)- and (13)-linked Glucose and (13)-linked Galactose in Natural Glycoconjugates are Recognized. Anu Paul a; Mandagini Geetha a; Balu K. Chacko a; Pandinjaradath S. Appukuttan. 2009. Immunological investigarions. 38, 153-164.
  6. High Prevalence of Low Serum Paraoxonase-1 in Subjects with Coronary Artery Disease" Jayakumari N. and Thejassbai G J.Clin. Biochem.Nutrition 45/3 (2009) 278- 284.
  7. Lipid Peroxidation in Women with Epilepsy". Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 11 (2008) 44-46. Deepa D.,Jayakumari N. and Sanjeev V Thomas
  8. Galectin-1,an Endogenous Lectin Produced by Arterial Cells, Binds Lipoproteia (a) in situ: Relevance to Atherogenesis".Bijoy Chellan , Jayakumari.N.and Appukuttan PS Experimental and Molecular Pathology 83 (2007) 399-404.
  9. Dietary Coconut Oil and its Relation to Blood Lipids in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease and Controls. Jayakumari.N, Iyer KS, Tharakan,JM Sarma PS and Thejaseebai.G J Plantation Crops 32 (2004) 399-405.
Patents
  1. Indian Patent Specification no.144678-1976. A process for the isolation of pure galactose-binding proteins by P.S.Appukuttan, A.Surolia and B.K.Bachhawat.
  2. Indian Patent No.174130-1992. A process for preparation of anti--Gal from outdated plasma by P.S.Appukuttan and P.L.Jaison
Research
1. Glycoimmunobiology: role of protein-carbohydrate interactions in vascular pathology.

Immune inflammatory reactions rather than dyslipidemia is increasingly recognized to cause cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases in tropics. Lp(a) being an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis and stroke, mechanisms of it s tissue uptake in native, desialylated or immune complex form are investigated. Tissue lectins including galectin-1 are specific for O-glycan chains in which Lp(a) is the richest among serum proteins. Role of IgA immune complexes in vascular pathology is also studied since IgA is the second most O-glycosylated serum protein and is singularly deposited in kidney during diabetes which enhances atherosclerosis risk several fold. Our results have shown that the tissue lectin galectin-1 prefers Lp(a) among lipoproteins and IgA among immunoglobulins more so in their desialylated forms that arise as a result of infections.

2. Coronary artery disease risk factors in the young: Monocyte-phenotypes and thrombotic factors

Monocute-Macrophage is key cell type in the development of atherosclerotic lesions and hence abnormalities in monocyte function may be one of the factors responsible for increased atherogenesis. Current studies are focused on characterization of phenotypes of peripheral blood monocytes and mechanism responsible for phenotypic changes. Further studies are also aimed at defining novel thrombotic and inflammatory biomarkers of cardiovascular risk and their potential utility in diagnostic indications of risk in the young subjects.

3. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) heterogeneity and function:

HDL, a typical cardioprotective particle, can become dysfunctional in the vessel wall . Recent studies have implicated dysfunctional HDL in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases though the underlying pathways remain poorly understood. Qualitative changes observed in HDL particles, such as reduced activity of paraoxonase-1, an antioxidant enzyme associated with HDL and modifications of apoprotein-A1 might partly be responsible for the formation of dysfunctional HDL with pro-atherogenic properties. The current studies on HDL include its structural and functional characterization, standardization of reliable techniques to measure dysfunctional HDL, the mechanisms for rendering HDL dysfunctional and identification of therapeutic approaches aiming at controlling HDL modification.

4. Cancer cell biology.

Mechanism of nitric oxide induced martix metalloproteinases in cancer cells; mode of action of plant derived/ synthetic molecules in tumor cells; regulation of drug induced autophagy; isolation, characterization of gliomasphere forming cells from Glioblastoma Multiforme; cardiac cell biology in diabetes.

Staff
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