Ramprasad’s research interests include regulation of microRNAs during the progression of diabetic retinopathy, development of novel cross-linking agents of the cornea to prevent the progression of keratoconus and signalling mechanisms in the corneal epithelium during fungal keratitis infection.

Current research areas:

Functional analysis of circulating microRNAs and their regulatory role in Diabetic retinopathy

The objective of this study is to reveal disease specific miRNAs from serum of Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy, Non-proliferative Diabetic retinopathy and Diabetes mellitus patients and compare it with serum samples of control healthy patients. Towards this objective, we have identified microRNAs 27b, 320a, 181a and 451a as significantly differentiated miRNAs in the progression of different stages of diabetic retinopathy. We have identified the differential expression of thrombospondin-1, the target protein of miRNAs 27b and 320a in serum samples of Diabetic retinopathy patients. These set of miRNAs have the potential to be characterized as predictive biomarkers for diabetic retinopathy progression.

Novel Chemical Crosslinking of the Cornea for Treatment of Keratoconus

The major objective of this project is the development of a novel chemical cross-linker for the treatment of keratoconus. The novel chemical cross-linker aims to overcome the removal of epithelium and the pain associated with the patients while undergoing conventional UV-Riboflavin cross-linking treatment. This is a collaborative project between AMRF, University of Liverpool and the Aurolab. The novel chemical cross-linker has exhibited negligible cytotoxicity to the porcine and human corneas. It has shown optimal penetration into the stroma of the cornea to induce significant increase in the stiffness of the cornea without altering its morphology. The mechanism of action of the novel cross-linker is being analysed in a separate study. The cross-linker formulation has shown great promise for further trials and formulation. The ultimate clinical formulation will be done by Aurolab.

Publications:

1. Chemical cross-linking of corneal tissue to reduce progression of loss of sight in patients with keratoconus. Haneef A, Ramprasad O.G., Rajendran DT, Nunes J,Kuppamuthu D, Radhakrishnan N,Young T-H, Hsieh H-Y, Prajna NV,Willoughby CE, Williams R.Transl Vis Sci Technol.10(5):6, (2021)
2. Continued use of MDA-MB-435, a melanoma cell line, as a model for human breast cancer, even in year 2014. Vidudala V.T.S. Prasad and Ramprasad Obula Giridhara Gopalan npj Breast Cancer 1, 15002 (2015).
3. MFG-E8/lactadherin regulates cyclins D1/D3 expression and enhances the tumorigenic potential of mammary epithelial cells. Coralie Carrascosa, Ramprasad G. Obula,Edoardo  Missiaglia, Hans-Anton Lehr, Mauro Delorenzi, Curzio Rüegg, and Agnese Mariotti Oncogene 31, 1521-1532 (2012) doi:10.1038/onc.2011.356
4. Differential Regulation of the Lateral Mobility of Plasma Membrane Phospholipids by the Extracellular Matrix and Cholesterol. Ramprasad O G, Nandini Rangaraj, Srinivas G, Jean Paul Thiery, Sylvie Dufour and Gopal Pande J of Cellular Physiology. 215:550-561 (2008).
5. Changes in Cholesterol Levels in the Plasma Membrane Modulate Cell Signaling and Regulate Cell Adhesion and Migration on Fibronectin. Ramprasad O G, Srinivas G, Sridhar Rao K, Powrnima Joshi, Jean Paul Thiery, Sylvie Dufour and Gopal Pande. Cell Motility and the Cytoskeleton 64:199–216 (2007).
6. Lipopeptide with a RGDK tetrapeptide sequence can selectively target genes to proangiogenic α5β1 integrin receptor and mouse tumor vasculature. Dipankar Pramanik, Bharat K. Majeti, Goutam Mondal. Priya P. Karmali,Ramakrishna Sistla, Obula G. Ramprasad, Gunda Srinivas, Gopal Pande and Arabinda Chaudhuri J Med. Chem, 51:7298-7302 (2008).
7. p53 target gene SMAR1 is dysregulated in breast cancer: Its role in cancer cell migration and invasion. Kamini Singh, Devraj Mogare, Ramprasad O G, Rajinikanth G, Gopal Pande and Samit Chattopadhyay. PLoS One 2(8): e660 (2007).

• Received Early career research award from SERB, Govt. of India for research on diabetic retinopathy.
• Travel and registration award from EPSRC, UK to attend the ASIA-ARVO conference at Brisbane, Australia, Feb 4-8, 2017.
• Funding from Engineering and Physical Science Research Council, UK for the collaborative project on keratoconus with the University of Liverpool, UK.
• Travel award from the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India and American Society for Cell Biology to attend the 2005 ASCB summer meeting on “Systems Integration in Directed Cell Motility” at Seattle, USA.
• Awarded a travelling fellowship in 2002 by the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research, New Delhi to work in the collaborator’s lab of Dr. Jean Paul Thiery at Institut Curie, Paris.
• Awarded the competitive Junior and Senior Research Fellowships for PhD by University Grants Commission, Govt. of India through Joint CSIR-UGC NET Examination in July 2000.
• Administrative Responsibility: Member Secretary, Institutional Committee for Stem Cell Research, Aravind Medical Research Foundation.