PROF. RENTALA MADHUBALA
Professor and Dean
School of Life Sciences
Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi -110067, India.
Room No.    : 323, 326, 331, 429
Off. Phone  : 26704521, 26742630
Residence  : 26493934
E-mail         : madhubala@mail.jnu.ac.in

Education

Ph.D (1979-1982): University of Hyderabad.

Area of Research

Molecular parasitology, chemotherapy, drug resistance, vaccine development, Leishmania donovani

Research Projects

  1. Indo-Swiss Joint Research Propgramme (ISJRP) 2009 Evaluation of drug resistance in Leishmania donovani by Implementing a novel Cell Death assay. 

  2. Department of Biotechnology (DBT) 2009 Visceral leishmaniasis: Identification and validation of biomarkers for antimony susceptibility/ resistance in clinical isolates of Leishmania donovani

  3. Indo-Russian joint proposal (DST-RFBR) Development of novel lead compounds for antimonial resistant Leishmania donovani 2008-2011

  4. Life Science Research Board Grant (LSRB) from DRDO A ubiquitin-conjugated-Leishmanial gene (ORFF) as a DNA vaccine against both antimonial-susceptible and -resistant strains of L. donovani 2008-2011.

  5. Council of scientific and Industrial Research Characterization of Hypusine pathway in L. donovani 2008-2011

  6. Global Infectious Diseases training grant from National Institute of Health, USA.  Director: Ken Stuart, USA. Co-director: Rentala Madhubala and Marilyn Parsons, 2006-2011 

  7. Department of Science and Technology Functional characterization of Leishmania genes  by tetracycline-responsive repressor/operator system, 2005-2008.

  8. Council of scientific and Industrial Research Polyamine biosynthetic enzymes as drug targets in Leishmania donovani, 2005-2008 

  9. University of Excellence grant: Functional genomics of Leishmania. 2002-2007.

  10. Swedish Research Council grant Structure based drug development against malaria and leishmaniasis under Swedish Research Link Programme. 2003-2007.

  11. Institute of One World Health Grant (iOWH, San Fransisco, USA) 2006-2008   Role:  PI    Characterization of the molecular mechanisms of paromomycin transport in Leishmania donovani and determination of the paromomycin sensitivity of visceral leishmaniasis clinical isolates

  12. The Wellcome Trust Award, Molecular and Biochemical mechanisms of Pentamidine  resistance 2002-2005.

  13. UNICEF/UNDP/WORLD BANK/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR): A comparative proteomic analysis of pentamidine resistance in Leishmania donovani. 2005-2006

  14. Canadian Institute of Health Research Grant (CIHR) Mechanism of antimony drug resistance in Leishmania, 2005-2006

Selected Publications 

  1. Mandal S, Maharjan M,  Singh S, Chatterjee, M  Rentala Madhubala. Assessing Aquaglyceroporin Gene Status and Expression Profile in Antimony- Susceptible and Resistant Clinical Isolates of L. donovani from India. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. In press. 2009 

  2. M. A. Khomutov, S. Mandal, J. Weisell, N. Saxena, A. R. Simonian, J. Vepsalainen, Rentala Madhubala and S. N. Kochetkov Novel convenient synthesis of biologically active esters of hydroxylamine. Amino Acids In press. 2009  

  3. Chawla B, Jhingran A, Singh S, Tyagi N, Park MH, Srinivasan N, Roberts SC, Rentala Madhubala. Identification and characterization of a novel deoxyhypusine synthase in Leishmania donovani. J Biol Chem. Oct 30. [Epub ahead of print] 2009

  4. Ankur Sharma and Rentala Madhubala Ubiquitin-Conjugation of ORFF DNA Vaccine Leads to Enhanced Cell-Mediated Immune Response and Induces Protection against Both Antimony-Susceptible and -Resistant Strains of Leishmania donovani Journal of Immunology, In press, 2009

  5. Swati C Chauhan and Rentala Madhubala Glyoxalase I gene deletion mutants of Leishmania donovani exhibit reduced methylglyoxal detoxification. pLOS One, 4(8):e6805, 2009

  6. Jhingran A, Chawla B, Saxena S, Barrett MP, Madhubala R. Paromomycin: uptake and resistance in   Leishmania donovani. Mol Biochem Parasitol. 164(2):111-7. 2009

  7. Swati Mandal , Mahendra Maharjan, SudiptoGanguly,  Mitali Chatterjee, Sarman Singh, Frederick S Buckner & Rentala Madhubala High-throughput screening of amastigotes of Leishmania donovani clinical isolates against drugs using a colorimetric β-lactamase assay. Indian Journal of Experimental Biology, 47, 2009

  8. Jyoti Rath, V. S. Gowri, Swati Chattopadhyay, Prasad K. Padmanabhan, N. Srinivasan and Rentala Madhubala A glutathione-specific aldose reductase of Leishmania donovani and its potential implications for methylglyoxal detoxification pathway. Gene, 429 (1-2), 1-9, 2009 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gene.2008.09.037

  9. Mahendra Maharjan, Sushma Singh, Mitali Chatterjee, Rentala Madhubala Role of Aquaglyceroporin (AQP1) gene and drug uptake in antimony-resistant clinical isolates of Leishmania donovani American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygeine, 79(1):69-75, 2008

  10. Sushma Singh, Anupam Jhingran, Ankur Sharma, Alina R. Simonian, Pasi Soininen, Jouko Vepsalainen, Alex R. Khomutov, and Rentala Madhubala Novel agmatine analogue, g-guanidinooxypropylamine (GAPA) efficiently inhibits proliferation of Leishmania donovani by depletion of intracellular polyamine levels. Biochemical and Biophysics Research Communication, 375, 168-172, 2008, doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2008.07.143

  11. Manju Jain and Rentala Madhubala Characterization and localization of ORFF gene from the LD1 locus of Leishmania donovani Gene 416 (1-2), pp. 1-10. DOI link:  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gene.2008.01.0112008

  12. Anupam Jhingran, Prasad K. Padmanabhan, Sushma Singh, Krishanpal Anamika, Abhijeet A. Bakre, Sudha Bhattacharya, Alok Bhattacharya, Narayanaswamy Srinivasan and Rentala Madhubala Characterization of the Entamoeba histolytica ornithine decarboxylase-like enzyme PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2(1), 2008

  13. Swati Chattopadhyaya, Prasad K. Padmanabhan and Rentala Madhubala Glyoxalase pathway of parasitic protozoa: a promising chemotherapeutic target special issue of Current Drug Targets, 9(11):957-65, 2008

  14. Anupam Jhingran, Mitali Chatterjee, Rentala Madhubala Epidemiology and Diagnosis, Chapter 1. In:  Leishmania after the genome, Ed. Peter J. Myler and Nicolas Fasel, Horizon Scientific Press/Caister Academic, April, 2008.

  15. Bindu Sukumaran, Manju Jain, Peter J. Myler, Kenneth. D. Stuart and Rentala Madhubala Creation of Tetracycline Regulatable Knockouts of ORFF Gene from the LD1 Locus of Leishmania donovani American Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 3 (4) 207-215, 2007

  16. Manju Jain, Vandana S. Dole, Peter J. Myler, Kenneth. D. Stuart and Rentala Madhubala Role of Biopterin Transporter (BT1) Gene on Growth and Infectivity of Leishmania American Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 3 (4) 199-206, 2007

  17. Sushma Singh, Angana Mukherjee, Alex R. Khomutov, Lo Persson, Olle Heby, Mitali Chatterjee and Rentala Madhubala Antileishmanial effect of 3-aminooxy-1-aminopropane is due to polyamine depletion. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 51(2):528-34, 2007.

  18. Mukherjee A, Padmanabhan PK, Singh S, Roy G, Girard I, Chatterjee M, Ouellette M, Madhubala R. Role of ABC transporter MRPA, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and ornithine decarboxylase in natural antimony-resistant isolates of Leishmania donovani. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2007 Feb;59(2):204-11. Epub 2007 Jan 9.

  19. Olle Heby, Lo Persson, Madhubala Rentala Review Article Targeting the polyamine biosynthetic enzymes: A promising approach to therapy of African sleeping sickness, Chagas’ disease, and leishmaniasis Amino acids Volume 33, Number 2 / August, 2007.

  20. Prasad K. Padmanabhan, Angana Mukherjee, Rentala Madhubala. Characterization of gene encoding glyoxalase II from Leishmania donovani: A potential anti-parasite drug. Biochemical Journal, 393(Pt 1):227-34., 2006

  21. Angana Mukherjee, Prasad K. Padmanabhan, Mayurbhai H. Sahani, Barrett, M.P. and Rentala Madhubala Roles for mitochondria in pentamidine susceptibility and resistance in Leishmania donovani Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, 145(1):1-10, 2006

  22. Poonam   Tewary, Kumari Veena, Thomas J Pucadyil, Amitabha Chattopadhyay and Rentala Madhubala. The Sterol-Binding Antibiotic Nystatin Inhibits Entry of Non-opsonized Leishmania donovani in to Macrophages. Biochemical and Biophysics Research Communication, 339(2):661-6., 2006

  23. Poonam   Tewary, Shailendra Saxena and Rentala Madhubala. Co-administration of IL-12 DNA with rORFF antigen confers long-term protective immunity against experimental visceral leishmaniaisis. Vaccine, 24(13):2409-16., 2006

  24. Prasad K. Padmanabhan, Angana Mukherjee, Sushma Singh, Swati Chattopadhyaya, Myler, P.J., Narayanaswamy Srinivasan and Rentala Madhubala. Glyoxalase I from Leishmania donovani: A potential target for anti-parasite drug. Biochemical and Biophysics Research Communication, 337(4):1237-48. 2005

  25. Poonam Tewary, Manju Jain, Mayurbhai Sahani, Shailendra Saxena and Rentala Madhubala A Heterologous Prime Boost Vaccine regimen using ORFF DNA and Recombinant ORFF Protein confers Protective Immunity against Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis in Murine Mouse Model Journal of Infectious Diseases, 191(12), 2130-2137, 2005

  26. Sridevi Balaraman, Vandana Km. Singh, Poonam Tewary and Rentala Madhubala Leishmania Lipophosphoglycan Activates the Transcription Factor Activating Protein 1 in J774A.1 Macrophages through the Extracellular Signal-Related Kinase (ERK) and p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, 139, 117-127, 2005

  27. Vandana Km. Singh Sridevi Balaraman, Poonam Tewary and Rentala Madhubala Leishmania donovani Activates Nuclear Transcription Factor-kB in Macrophages Through Reactive Oxygen intermediates Biochemical and Biophysics Research Communication, 322, 1086-1095, 2004

  28. Sridevi Balaraman, Poonam Tewary, Vandana Km. Singh, and Rentala Madhubala Leishmania donovani Induces Interferon Regulatory Factor (IRF) in Murine Macrophages: A Host Defense Response Biochemical and Biophysics Research Communication, 317(2): 639-47, 2004

  29. Poonam Tewary, Jayesh Pandyan, Bindu Sukumaran and Rentala Madhubala Vaccination with Leishmania soluble antigen and immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides inducs specific immunity and protection against Leishmania donovani infection. FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology, 42 (2): 241-248, 2004.

  30. Thomas J. Pucadyil, Poonam Tewary, Rentala Madhubala, and Amitabha      Chattopadhyay Cholesterol is required for Leishmania donovani infection: Implications in leishmaniasis. Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, 133, 145-152, 2004.

  31. Poonam Tewary, Bindu Sukumaran, Shailendra Saxena and Rentala Madhubala Immunostimulatory Oligodeoxynucleotides are potent enhancers of specific immunity in mice immunized with recombinant ORFF leishmanial antigen Vaccine 22/23-24, 3053-3060, 2004

  32. Bindu Sukumaran and Rentala Madhubala Leishmaniasis: Current status of vaccine development Current Molecular Medicine 4, 667-679, 2004

  33. Bindu Sukumaran, Poonam Tewary, Shailendra Saxena and Rentala Madhubala Vaccination with DNA encoding ORFF antigen confers protective immunity in mice infected with Leishmania donovani Vaccine 21, 1292-1299, 2003

Awards & Honour

  1. Elected fellow of The Indian Academy of Sciences, 2nd Jan, 2009

  2. Awarded National Merit Scholarship for standing third in Delhi University in B.Sc.  (Hons.) final examination.

  3. Awarded Wood/Whelan Fellowship from the International Union of Biochemistry (IUB) to work in Human Oncology Centre at Madison, Wisconsin, 1991.

  4. Awarded young scientist award from International Union of Biochemistry (IUB) to attend the 15th International Congress of Biochemistry held in Jerusalem from 6th Aug-9th Aug. 1991.

  5. Awarded young Scientist travel award from Japanese Biochemical Society and International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) to attend the congress on Biochemistry of Diseases held in Nagoya, Japan from 1st June-6th June, 1992.

  6. Awarded Biotechnology Career Fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation to work in Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, U.S.A. from 1993-1995 for three months every year for three years.

  7. Career Research Initiative award from Wellcome Trust to work on “Molecular and Biochemical mechanisms of Pentamidine resistance”. 2002-2005

  8. Elected member of Guha Research conferences, 2001

  9. Awarded Hari Om Trust, J. C. Bose award in the field of Life Sciences from the University Grants commission, 2004.

  10. Awarded Global Health Travel Award from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to attend the Keystone symposium in Tahoe city, California, USA, 28th Jan-1st Feb 2007

  11. US PATENT No. 7186702, issued on the 6th March 2007: Method for treating leishmaniasis using methylcyclodextrin.  Inventors: Amitabha Chattopadhyay, Hyderabad and Rentala Madhubala, New Delhi, India.

  12. Awarded International Professorship -2007 by American Society of Microbiology (ASM).

  13. Elected Fellow of The National Academy of Sciences, India, 2007

  14. Affiliate member Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, USA.

Membership

  1. Editorial Board member of International Journal of BioSciences and Technology http://www.ijbst.org-a.googlepages.com/journaleditorialboard

  2. International Journal of Medical Sciences and Technology http://www.ijmst.org-a.googlepages.com/journaleditorialboard,

  3. International Journal of Life Sciences and Technology http://www.ijlst.org-a.googlepages.com/journaleditorialboard

  4. Member editorial board of Journal of Parasitic Diseases, Indian Journal

  5. Member editorial board of Asian Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, International Journal

  6. Regional editor of American Journal of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, quarterly publications, http://www.scipub.us/

  7. Editorial adviser Biochemical Journal http://www.biochemj.org/

  8. Editorial Board International Journal of Biomedical Science (IJBS, ISSN 1550- 9702) http://www.ijbs.org

  9. Life Member Indian Society of Immunology

  10. Life Member Indian society of Parasitology

  11. Member of the executive committee of Indian Society of Parasitology, 1995.

  12. Member American Society of Microbiology,2006-present

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