Dr. Gowri Priya’s focus of research is on understanding the basic biology of adult ocular stem cells, their role in maintenance of tissue homeostasis throughout life, changes that occur in diseased condition and development of stem cell based therapies. She is working on limbal stem cells for more than a decade. She developed a simple method for the identification and quantification of human limbal epithelial stem cells, and for the ex vivo expansion of autologous limbal epithelial/buccal epithelial stem cells with GMP compliance for transplantation in patients with limbal stem cell deficiency for corneal surface reconstruction. Her team established in vivo confocal microscopy, a live imaging technique, as a method to identify the limbal stromal niche that is essential for the maintenance of epithelial stem cells in healthy individuals. Further, loss of this stromal niche in addition to the loss of limbal epithelial stem cells was demonstrated for the first time in patients with limbal stem cell deficiency signifying the need to transplant the stromal mesenchymal stem cells along with the epithelial stem cells. Her current focus is to understand the molecular regulation of these limbal epithelial stem cells – specifically the role of miRNAs in the maintenance of stemness.

Recently her group has initiated studies to understand the basic biology of other stem cells of human eye – the trabecular meshwork (TM), corneal endothelium, lens epithelium and retinal pigment epithelium.

Peer Reviewed Journals

1. Sundaresan Y, Ramasamy KS, Veerappan M, Chidambaranathan GP. Functional characterization of adult human trabecular meshwork stem cells. Experimental Cell Research. 2021(EPub) doi: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2021.112709.
2. Thundikandy R, Priya Chidambaranathan G, Radhakrishnan N, Sr R. In Vivo Confocal Microscopic Evaluation of the Limbus and Cornea in Vogt KoyanagiHaradas Syndrome. Ocular Immunology and Inflammation. 2021;1:1-8.
3. Haribalaganesh, R., Gowri Priya, C., Sharmila, R., Krishnadas S, Muthukkaruppan V, Willoughby CE &Senthilkumari S  Assessment of differential intraocular pressure response to dexamethasone treatment in perfusion cultured Indian cadaveric eyes. Scientific Reports. 2021;11:605.
4. Balaji S, Santhi R, Kim U, Muthukkaruppan V, Priya CG, Vanniarajan A. Cancer Stem Cells with Overexpression of Neuronal Markers Enhance Chemoresistance and Invasion in Retinoblastoma. Current Cancer Drug Targets.  2020;20 (9):710-719.
5. Rathinam SR, Chidambaranathan GP. Corneal melt in leptospirosis. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology. 2020;68(9): 1970.
6. Kalaimani L, Devarajan B, Subramanian U, Ayyasamy V, Namperumalsamy VP, Veerappan M, Chidambaranathan GP. MicroRNA profiling of highly enriches human corneal epithelial stem cells by small RNA sequencing. Scientific Reports.2020;10(1):7148.
7. Yogapriya, S; Muthukkaruppan, V; Krishnadas, S; Gowri Priya, C. Identification, Quantification and Age-Related Changes of Human Trabecular Meshwork Stem Cells. Eye Vis. 2019;6:31.
8. Yogapriya, S; Ganesh Govardhan, G; Kisan Anilkumar, P; Prajna, N Venkatesh; Gowri Priya, C. Comparison of Structural Integrity and Functional Status of Corneal Endothelium Stored in Cornisol and Optisol-GS. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2019; 67:1579-1584.
9. Ashwin balaji, S; Senthilkumari, S; Gowri Priya, C; Krishnadas, R; Gabelt, B A T; Kaufman, P L; Muthuk karuppan, V. SB772077B, A New Rho Kinase Inhibitor Enhances Aqueous Humour Outflow Facility in Human Eyes. Sci Rep. 2018;8:15472.
10. Rathinam, Sivakumar R; Vijayakumar, B; Gowri Priya, C; Visalakshi, J. Leptospiral Uveitis: usefulness of clinical signs as diagnostic predictors. Ocul Immunol Inflamm. 2018;26:569-576.
11. Senthilkumari, S; Sharmila, Rajendran; Gowri Priya, C; Vanniarajan, A. Epalrestat, an Aldose Reductase Inhibitor Prevents Glucose-Induced Toxicity in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells In Vitro. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2017;33:34-41.
12. Vidyarani, M; Sangeetha, R; Gowri Priya, C; Lalitha, Prajna. Autophagy Induced by Type III Secretion System Toxins Enhances Clearance of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa from Human Corneal Epithelial Cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2018;503:1510-1515.
13. Jhansi Rani, K; Prajna, N Venkatesh; Muthukkaruppan, V R; Gowri Priya, C. A Novel Method for a High Enrichment of Human Corneal Epithelial Stem Cells for Genomic Analysis. Microsc Res Tech. 2016;79:1165-1172.
14. Gowri Priya, C; Saumi Mathews; Arunkumar, P K; Jeena Mascarenhas; Prajna, N Venkatesh; Muthukkaruppan, V R. In Vivo Confocal Microscopic Analysis of Limbal Stroma in Patients wtih Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency. Cornea. 2015;34:1478-86.
15. Gowri Priya, C; Tilak Prasad; Prajna, N Venkatesh; Muthukkaruppan, V R. Identification of Human Corneal Epithelial Stem Cells on the Basis of High ABCG2 Expression Combined with a Large N/C Ratio. Microsc Res Tech. 2013;76:242-8.
16. Saumi Mathews; Chidambaram, J D; Lanjewar, S; Jeena Mascarenhas; Prajna, N Venkatesh; Muthukkaruppan, V R; Gowri Priya, C. In Vivo Confocal Microscopic Analysis of Normal Human Anterior Limbal Stroma. Cornea. 2015;34:464-470.
17. Arun Kannan; Gowri Priya, C; Lalitha, Prajna; Rathinam, Sivakumar R. Efficiency of Two Commercial Kits in Serodiagnosis of Leptospiral Uveitis. Indian J Med Microbiol. 2012;30:418-422.
18. Subha Sivakolundu; Rathinam, Sivakumar R; Gowri Priya, C; Manjula Sritharan. Serological Diagnosis of Leptospiral Uveitis by HbpA-IgG ELISA. J Med Microbiol. 2012;61:1681-7.
19. Vaishnavi, B; Gowri Priya, C and Rathinam, Sivakumar R. Spectrum of Leptospira Species Identified in Patients with Leptospiral Uveitis in an Ophthalmological Institute in South India. Indian J Med Microbiol. 2011;29:444-445.
20. Gowri Priya, C; Arpitha, Parthasarathy; Vaishali, S; Prajna, N Venkatesh; Usha, Kim R; Sheetal, K; Muthukkaruppan, V R. Adult Human Buccal Epithelial Stem Cells: identification, ex-vivo expansion, and transplantation for corneal surface reconstruction. Eye. 2011;25:1641-1649.
21. Gowri Priya , C; Rathinam, Sivakumar R and Muthukkaruppan, V R. Evidences for Endotoxin as a Causative Factor for Leptospiral Uveitis in Human. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008;49:5419-24.
22. Ashutosh Verma; Rathinam, Sivakumar R; Gowri Priya, C; Muthukkaruppan, V R; Stevenson, Brian; Timoney, John F T. LruA and LruB Antibodies in Sera of Humans with Leptospiral Uveitis. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2008;15:1019-23.
23. Gowri Priya, C; Hoogendijk, K T; Berg, M V D; Rathinam, Sivakumar R; Ahmed, A; Muthukkaruppan, V R; Hartskeeri, R A. Field Rats form a major infection Source of Leptospirosis in and around Madurai. India. J Postgrad Med. 2007;53:236-240.
24. Gowri Priya, C; Bhavani, K; Rathinam, Sivakumar R; Muthukkaruppan, V R. Identification and Evaluation of LPS Antigen for Serodiagnosis of Uveitis Associated with Leptospirosis. J Med Microbiol. 2003;52:667-73.

Non-Peer Reviewed Journals

1. Gowri Priya, C; Rathinam, Sivakumar R; Dharmalingam, K; Namperumalsamy, P. Anterior Chamber Granuloma in Adult Male – A Case Report. TNOA. 1999;40:49-54.
2. Gowri Priya, C; Lalitha, Prajna and Prajna, N Venkatesh. Polymerase Chain Reaction in Ophthalmology. TNOA. 1999;40:27-34.

Awards

2019 – ICMR International Travel Grant to attend ARVO Meeting at Canada

2013 – First  prize  for  poster  presentation  on“A  novel  approach  for  live  imaging  of human limbal niche cells”, Asia ARVO annual meeting,  New Delhi

2013 – DBT International Travel Grant to attend US ARVO, Seattle

2009 – International Leptospirosis Society Travel Grant Award to attend sixth annual meeting of International Leptospirosis Society, Cochin

2007 – Norvatis Travel Fellowship Grant International   Travel   Grant to attend Asia ARVO Meeting at Singapore

2002 – Best Poster Award –“Confirmation of the aetiology    of    uveitis    associated    with Leptospirosis in Humans” at the Third Annual Conference of Indian Leptospirosis Society at JIPMER, Pondicherry

Recognition:

• Recognised Ph.D Guide at Madurai Kamaraj University, Alagappa University and SASTRA University (No. of students completed – 4; registered – 4)
• Program Assessment Committee Member of the Department of Biotechnology, Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology, Virudhunagar (2017 Onwards)