SLE(Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) is a complex, chronic autoimmune disease with significant mortality and morbidity. It is characterized by a diverse range of autoantibodies against nuclear/ cytoplasmic components.The clinical manifestations of SLE are highly variable with multiple organs and organ systems affected; these include skin joints, heart, kidney, and the nervous. Presence of autoantibodies, to RNA spliceosomalribonucleoproteins and dsDNA are characteristic in this disease. We in our lab identified differential Toll-like receptors (TLRs) expression in different subsets of SLE patients based on autoantibodies present in their sera . In a rabbit model of neuropsychiatric lupus, we have also established a link between different autoantibody repertoires with differential gene expression in SLE. We aim to understand different genetic and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms operative in different SLE subsets. Our goal is to uncover the molecular basis for such tremendous heterogeneity and differential response to the therapies observed in SLE patients. Further, the identification of these biomarkers which can help the clinicians in characterizing the patients into appropriate groups and planning a more targeted treatment strategy.

Due to immuno-compromised status of low birth weight (LBW) newborns and inefficient immune responses they are highly susceptible to various infections resulting into sepsis, and have high morbidity and mortality rates.Netosis is a unique antimicrobial function of the neutrophils in which neutrophil cells are activated in response to pathogenic infection, and release their chromatin outside the cell membrane along with antimicrobial peptides such as neutrophil elastase, Myeloperoxidase, Defensin 1 and 2, Cathepsin G. This histone mixed DNA make a net-like structure termed as NET which is employed in trapping and killing of the pathogens. In our earlier studies we have found poor NETs formation in LBW newborns.

Our aim is to investigate novel genes and protein molecules not known earlier to be involved in netosis which is a marker of innate immunity in newborns and toboost up the NETosis in LBW newborns to protect them from infection.

Cord blood is conventionally known to contain stem cells that are easily accessible at birth and also capable of differentiating into various cell types and therefore considered as relevant source of stem cells especially for the treatment of neonatal diseases.

Our laboratory has been working on understanding the role of immunological responses in outcome of life threatening infections in low birth weight (LBW) newborns (birth weight < 2.5 Kg) for the past few years. The LBW newborns have long been known to have significantly lesser number of immune cells makes them highly susceptible for microbial infections. Since all blood cells are generated through hematopoiesis. This prompted us to focus our investigation on evaluating hemotopoeisis and differentiation occurring at the hematopoietic stem cell level in these newborns. Our stem cell research will eventually make great contributions to the development of safe, efficacious and a novel therapeutic intervention against life threatening microbial infections and resulting mortality.