Dengue and Chikungunya

Ongoing Projects

1 Apex Referral Laboratory Program

• PI: Dr Gurav YK. Co-PI: Dr Deepti Parashar, Dr K. Alagarasu
• Funding: NVBDCP

2 Antiviral activity of approved drugs and natural peptides against dengue and chikungunya

• PI: Dr Deepti Parashar. Co-PI: Dr K. Alagarasu
• Funding: Intramural

3 Complete genome sequencing and molecular characterization of circulating dengue viruses circulating in India using a next generation-based sequencing approach.

• PI:Dr K. Alagarasu, Co-PI: Dr Deepti Parashar, Dr Gurav YK
• Funding:Intramural

4 Development and evaluation of an in-house developed multiplex real time RT-PCR assay and commercial kits for simultaneous detection of dengue, chikungunya and zika viruses in clinical samples

• PI:Dr K. Alagarasu, Co-PI: Dr Deepti Parashar, Dr Gurav YK
• Funding:Intramural

5 Repurposing of drugs towards anti-Dengue and Chikungunya viruses using the systems biology approach

• PI:Dr. S.Cherian; CIs: Dr. K Alagarasu, Dr. D.Parashar
• Funding:ICMR Extramural; Duration: 2019-2022

6 Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among health care workers, laboratory personnel and general population in Maharashtra, India

• PI:Dr Yogesh K. Gurav
• Funding:Intramural; Duration: 2021

7 Cost of illness analysis of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, India

• PI:Dr Yogesh K Gurav
• Funding:Intramural; Duration: 2021-2022

8 Cost-analysis of diagnostic tests for COVID-19 at National Reference Laboratory in India

• PI:Dr Yogesh K Gurav
• Funding:Intramural; Duration: 2021-2022

Development of Diagnostics

• Development of a quantitative multiplex RT-PCR for detecting DENand CHIKvirus..
• Developed multiplex one-step real-time RT-PCR for serotyping of DENvirus.
• Developed multiplex one-step real-time RT-PCR for genotyping of DEN virus type I.
• Assessment of qPCR, nested RT-PCR and ELISA techniques in diagnosis of CHIKwhich is ideal for definitive diagnosis of CHIKduring outbreaks.
• Meta-analysis of IgA based diagnostics for DENinfections revealed that IgA has moderate sensitivity and need to be utilized in combination with other diagnostic tests.
• Whole blood as a highly sensitive sample type for detection of DEN virus RNA has been reported.

Molecular Epidemiology:

• Reported the change in the genotype of DENvirus 1 serotype in southern India during 2012-213 outbreaks in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• Data on seroprevalence of dengue and incidence of primary DENinfections in children aged 5-15 years old from rural regions of Pune District.
• Genetic characterization of CHIK virus during the 2015-2016 outbreaks in India: showed the resurgence of the CHIKvirus outbreaks may be attributed to indigenous evolution rather than importations.
• The global evolutionary dynamics of the four serotypes of DENvirus with emphasis to the role played by India was studied. Genotype shifts for DENV-2 (American to Cosmopolitan) and DENV-4 (genotype V to I) and lineage changes for DENV-1 (India III/ Afro-India to India I/ II of Cosmopolitan genotype) and DENV-3 (F to C/D of genotype III) were noted. Thus, new introductions, in situ evolution along with limited recombination have contributed to diversity and the DENevolutionary dynamics in the country..
• Performed a multi centre study on the distribution of DENvirus serotype and genotypes and CHIKgenotypes across country during 2018 – revealed the geographical variation with regard to distribution of dominant DENvirus serotypes and genotypes.

Antiviral:

• Firstin vivo study showed the potential of Comb-siRNAs (E2 and ns1 genes) as an excellent therapeutic agent for CHIKvirus infection.
• First in vivo study clearly indicates that stearylamine is effective by significantly reducing CHIK virus replication in serum and muscles.
• MicroRNA expression profile in mammalian fibroblast cells in response to CHIK infection: Profiling of miRNAs in early stages of infection will provide new therapeutic targets for CHIKvirus.
• In-vitro effect of human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide LL-37 on dengue virus type 2: LL-37 inhibits the DENV-2 infection possibly by binding to E protein and also suggests the possibility of using LL-37 as a prophylactic agent against dengue virus infections..
• Identified the antiviral activity of α-Mangostin against DENand CHIKviruses.
• Stearylamine based solid lipid nanoparticles as delivery system for siRNA against chikungunya inhibited the viral replication in infected Vero cells as well as decreases the viral burden and helps ameliorate acute disease symptoms in CHIKV-infected mice.

Basic Research:

• Identification of host genetic factors associated with severe DEN– combination of HLA and TNF A alleles, SNPs in - TLR3, TIRAP, OAS and Cytokine genes
• Identified the SNPs associated with susceptibility to Japanese encephalitis
• Association of regulatory T cells with mild DEN disease and higher levels of IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, TNF-α and IL-10 levels with moderate DENdisease
• Role of DENvirus core protein interaction with host proteins in viral replication.
• First to report elevated levels of vitamin D in DENcases and demonstrated the immunomodulatory effects of vitamin D in the immune response against DENvirus
• First time correlated the levels of different isotypes of antibody with DENdisease severity in the context of immune status in a predominantly adult population from India.