KM

Keshar Kunja Mohanty

Also known as: K.K.MOHANTY, KESHAR K.MOHANTY

Research areas: Medicine · Infectious Diseases · Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology · Leprosy Research and Treatment · Research on Leishmaniasis Studies

ORCID iD 0000-0001-7527-4864
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About

Pre-Doctoral Research Experience:
Mycobacterial Genetics,- Understanding Mycobacterial genetics by producing auxotrophic mutants of Mycobacteria and characterization by syntrophism, Immunology of filariasis- Characterization of filarial antigens in bancroftian filariasis, Sero surveillance of HIV/AIDS. Carried out Ph.D. in Immunology of Filariasis at ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre, Bhubaneswar under Utkal University with CSIR-NET Junior and Senior Research Fellowship.
Post- Doctoral Research experience:
Molecular biology of mycobacteriophage (Analysis of cloned Mycobacteriophage DNA by various molecular methods) at Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
Worked as a Research Associate at the Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India in a CSIR project entitled,” Involvement of ADP ribosylation in oral cancer”. Studied the eukaryotic chromatin structure by isolation of nuclei and analysis by gel electrophoresis.
Scientist at ICMR-National JALMA Institute for Leprosy and Other Mycobacterial Diseases, Agra since 1995:
Conceptualization, Formulation, and Implementation of extramural and intramural R &D research projects, Management, Teaching and Training, Guidance to Ph.D.scholars M.D. and post-doctoral students-
Broad Research Area
Unraveling the mechanism of immunopathogenesis in leprosy:
A technique for demonstrating in situ active production of M leprae-specific antibodies and cytokines from BT (leprosy) lesions was established. The presence of different functionally active B-cell stages within lesions of patients with leprosy, including borderline tuberculoid patients was shown to secrete anti-M leprae–specific antibodies and cytokines.
The level of urinary nitric oxide metabolites was re-established as a possible marker associated with ENL reaction of leprosy patients which goes down with subsidence of reaction with clinical improvement following anti-reactional therapy. Soluble mediators of immune significance in sera of leprosy patients were detected.
Immunogenetics in susceptibility or resistance to Leprosy and Tuberculosis: Gene polymorphism studies in various receptors of the innate immune system such as Toll-like receptor, MicroRNA, CCL2 genes, NOS2 and NOD 2 gene. Understanding the role of the CC Chemokine Ligand 2-associated gene in leprosy susceptibility and in leprosy reactions and Validation of a few genetic markers in CCL2 and NOS2 gene is in progress. In addition, the important role of Nerve Growth Factors is being explored to find out some tools for the prevention of nerve damage in leprosy.
HIV/AIDS drug-resistance study- Genetic characterization of the HIV isolates from first-line ART failure HIV/AIDS patients. Also, serum proteome profiles were compared between drug resistance and drug-sensitive HIV/AIDS patients. The gene sequences from 57 HIV isolates from first-line ART failure HIV/AIDS patients and 9 archived DNA sequences from 9 individuals were deposited with gene bank accession numbers in the gene bank of the NCBI site.
Antigenic mimicry between Mycobacteria and host components;
Autoantibodies against keratin, myosin, and basic myelin protein were observed across the leprosy spectrum, specifically during type 1 and Type 2 reactional episodes. Antigenic mimicry between mycobacterial, components and host components was analyzed using proteomic and bioinformatics approaches and using adoptive transfer experiments. Thus, mimicking epitopes were detected.
The evaluation of the diagnostic role of presepsin and its comparison with C-reactive protein (CRP) and Procalcitonin (PCT) and with the clinical and biochemical profile of neonates with sepsis was investigated.
Covid 19 diagnosis and management, participating in the ICMR-initiated multicentric study.
Publications: More than 50 Research papers were published in journals and book chapters. Presented research papers and delivered invited talks, acted as a panelist in National and International Conferences and meetings. Achieved three awards for best presentation at conferences.
Editor and Reviewer- Reviewer for more than 30 International Journals and abstracts for a number of International Leprosy and TB conferences.
Guest Editor of Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology and Editor of Omics Journal of Mycobacterial Diseases
Contributed to various National Disease Control programs such as NACO, DAC for HIV/AIDS and NTEP for TB, and COVID-19 diagnosis facility.
Academics:
Ph.D. Guide for 10 (CSIR-NET, ICMR-NET, ICMR-SRF, Lady Tata Memorial research scholars, and DST-INSPIRE)
ICMR-PDF-Supervisor for 01 fellow
M.D.-10 as Co-supervisor
M Sc/M Tech->100 students as the main guide
B Sc/B Tech->200 students
Managerial Role in administrative and Institute building activities-
Member Secretary, Institute Human Ethics Committee, Chairperson, Institute Animal Ethics Committee (2018-2022), Chairperson of Institute Internal Complaint Committee, Capital Works etc.

Employment

Employment history is unavailable.

Education

Education history is unavailable.

Projects & Funding

  • Toll Like Receptor Two (TLR2) Poly-morphism in patients with Mycobacterial Diseases Department of Science and Technology
  • Role of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD2) in mycobacterial diseases Indian Council of Medical Research
  • Understanding the role of CCL 2 and associated gene poly-morphism in leprosy susceptibility and in leprosy reactions Indian Council of Medical Research
  • Validation of Nitric Oxide Synthase 2 (NOS2/iNOS) gene polymorphism as a molecular marker for diagnosis/prognosis of leprosy reactions (type1 and Type 2)- a prospective cohort study Indian Council of Medical Research
  • To investigate the diagnostic value of Nerve Growth Factors in early case detection and disability predic-tion in contacts of Leprosy affected Persons– An observational prospective study Indian Council of Medical Research
  • Immunoreactivity of differentially expressed proteins of clinical isolates of M tuberculosis Indian Council of Medical Research
  • Immune response to the precautionary third dose of COV-ISHIELD/COVAXIN among the healthy adult population: an ICMR Cohort study, India Indian Council of Medical Research

Publications (42)