JAYANDHARAN G RAO
Lecturer / Adjunct Scientist
Centre for Stem Cell Research
Christian Medical College
Phone: Office; +91 416 2284118
Lab: +91 416 2284117
Fax: +91 416 2284103
Email: jay@cmcvellore.ac.in
CAREER INTERESTS :
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) mediated gene therapy, Molecular haemostasis.
RESEARCH SUPPORT: DBT, India. Bayer Inc, USA.
The collective experience with Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector mediated human gene therapy trials so far, have clearly pointed to the need for substantial improvement in the efficiency of AAV mediated transgene expression as well as the need to attenuate the capsid-or transgene specific innate or adaptive immune responses against these vectors to achieve successful long-term gene transfer.
My research is thus focused on dissecting out the basic biology of AAV life-cycle by understanding the interactions between AAV and various host cellular proteins, use this knowledge to design strategies to either augment the efficiency of gene transfer or intervene with (immune response) processes which are detrimental to AAV’s survival, yet maintain the safety of these interventionist strategies to the host cellular environment and finally authenticate their use in therapeutic models such as pre-clinical animal models of haemophilia.
AWARDS :
SwarnaJayanti Fellowship award, Department of Science & Technology, Goverment of India, 2011.
Innovative Young Biotechnologist award, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, 2011.
Eberhard Mammen Young Investigator award, Thieme Publishers, 2011.
Bayer Early Career Investigator award- 2010.
Department of Biotechnology, Government of India -Overseas associate fellowship 2006.
Education: Post-doctoral Fellow- 2007-2009, Dr Arun Srivastava's Laboratory, Powell Gene Therapy Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
PhD [Biomedical sciences/ Molecular Biology]-2008, T.N Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai, India.
M.Sc [Microbiology]- 1999, Madras University, Chennai, India.
Jayandharan GR, Aslanidi G, Martino AT, Jahn SC, Perrin GQ, Herzog RW, Srivastava A. Activation of the NF-kB pathway by AAV vectors and its implications in immune response and gene therapy Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 2011; 108: 3743-8.
Li M, Jayandharan GR, Li B, Chen L, Ma W, Srivastava A, Zhong L. High-Efficiency Transduction of Fibroblasts and Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Tyrosine-Mutant AAV2 Vectors for Their Potential Use in Cellular Therapy. Hum Gene Therapy, 2010; 21: 1527-43.
Jayandharan GR, Zhong L, Sack BK, Rivers AE, Li M, Li B, Herzog RW, and Srivastava A. Optimized AAV-protein phosphatase 5 helper-viruses for efficient transduction by single-stranded AAV vectors: Therapeutic expression of Factor IX at reduced vector doses. Hum Gene Ther, 2010; 21 :271-83.
Markusic DM, Herzog RW, Aslanidi GV, Hoffman BE, Li B, Li M, Jayandharan GR, Ling C, Zolotukhin I, Ma W, Zolotukhin S, Srivastava A, Zhong L.High-efficiency transduction and correction of murine haemophilia B using AAV2 vectors devoid of multiple surface-exposed tyrosines. Mol. Therapy, 2010; 18:2048-56.
Lin IJ, Zhou Z, Crusselle-Davis VJ, Moghimi B, Gandhi K, Anantharaman A, Pantic D, Huang S, Jayandharan G, Zhong L, Srivastava A, Bungert J. Calpeptin increases the activity of USF and induces high-level globin gene expression in erythroid cells. J Biol Chem. 2009; 284:20130-5.
Zhong L, Li B, Jayandharan GR, Mah CS, Govindasamy L, Agbandje-McKenna M, Cooper M, Herzog RW, Zolotukhin I, Warrington KH Jr, Weigel-Van Aken KA, Hobbs JA, Zolotukhin S,Muzyczka N, Srivastava A.. Tyrosine phosphorylation of AAV2 vectors and its consequences on viral intracellular trafficking and transgene expression. Virology 2008; 381: 194-202.
Jayandharan GR, Zhong L, Li B, Kachniarz B, Srivastava A. Strategies for improving the transduction efficiency of single-stranded adenoassociated virus vectors in vitro and in vivo. Gene Ther 2008; 15: 1287-93.
Jayandharan GR, Srivastava A. Phenotypic heterogeneity in severe haemophilia. Semin Thromb Haemost 2008; 34:128-41.
Jayandharan G, Shaji RV, Chandy M, Srivastava A. Identification of factor IX gene defects using a multiplex PCR and CSGE strategy – A first report. J Thromb Haemost 2003; 1: 2051-4.