The primary focus of my research is to investigate the molecular and immunopathological mechanisms underlying the development and progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and drug induced liver injury. The final goal of my research is to identify novel biomarkers and developing pharmacological therapies for liver diseases.
In my recent work published in the Journal of Hepatology, we have demonstrated the role of the heterodimeric integrin receptor (α4β7) and its ligand, mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1), in recruiting immune cells to the liver in NAFLD. Our studies revealed a significant role of CD4 T cells in promoting hepatic and intestinal inflammation in NAFLD and we showed that blocking α4β7+ CD4 T cell recruitment to the intestine and liver attenuates hepatic inflammation and fibrosis and improves metabolic syndrome indicating therapeutic potential of targeting this pathway.
- Gupta, B, RP Rai*, PB Pal, S Chaudhary, A Chiaro, S Seaman, AD Singhi, SP Monga, SS Iyer, R Raeman. Selective targeting of α4β7/MAdCAM-1 axis suppresses fibrosis progression in chronic liver disease. 2023 *Co-first author BioRxiv preprint: doi:https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.02.20.528201
- Chaudhary, S, RP Rai*, PB Pal, D Tedesco, AD Singhi, SP Monga, A Grakoui, SS Iyer, R Raeman. Western diet dampens T regulatory cell function to fuel hepatic inflammation in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. 2023. *Co-first author BioRxiv preprint: doi: 10.1101/2023.03.23.533977
- Hu, S, JO Russell, S Liu, C Cao, J McGaughey, R Rai, K Kosar, J Tao, E Hurley, M Poddar, S Singh, A Bell, D Shin, R Raeman, AD Singhi, K Nejak-Bowen, S Ko, SP Monga. β-Catenin-NFkB-CFTR interactions in cholangiocytes regulate inflammation and fibrosis during ductular reaction. eLife, 2021.
- Rai, RP, L Yunshan, SS Iyer, S Liu, B Gupta, C Desai, P Kumar, T Smith, AD Singhi, A Nusrat, CA Parkos, SP Monga, MJ Czaja, FA Anania, R Raeman. Blocking integrin α4β7-mediated CD4 T cell recruitment to the intestine and liver protects mice from western diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Journal of Hepatology, 2020, 73(5).
- Gupta, B, L Yunshan, RP Rai, DM Chopyk, C Desai, P Kumar, AB Farris, A Nusrat, CA Parkos, FA Anania, R Raeman. Western diet-induced increase in colonic bile acids compromises epithelial barrier in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. The FASEB Journal, 2020, 00:1-14.
- Mohibur Rahman, Chiranjay Mukhopadhyay, Ravi Prakash Rai, Sanjay Singh, Shefali Gupta, Avinash Singh, Ashutosh Pathak, Kashi Nath Prasad. Novel Variant NDM-11 and Other NDM-1 variants in Multidrug Resistant Escherichia coli from South India. J Glob Antimicrob Resist. 2018 Apr 12;14:154-157
- Khatoon J, Prasad KN, Rai RP, Ghoshal UC, Krishnani N. Association of heterogeneity of Helicobacter pylori cag pathogenicity island with peptic ulcer diseases and gastric cancer. British Journal of Biomedical Science. 2017; 74: 1- 6.
- Singh A, Prasad KN, Rahman M, Rai RP, Singh SK, Srivastava JK. High frequency of SCCmec type V and agr type I among heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (hVISA) in north India. Journal of Global Antimicrobial Resistance. 2017; 8: 110-114.
- Shukla SK, Khatoon J, Prasad KN, Rai RP, Singh AK, Kumar S, Ghoshal UC, Krishnani N. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) modulates Epstein-Barr virus reactivation in absence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with gastric cancer. Cytokine. 2016; 77: 176-179.
- Singh SK, Singh AK, Prasad KN, Singh A, Singh A, Rai RP, Tripathi M, Gupta RK, Husain N. Expression of adhesion molecules, chemokines and matrix metallo- proteinases (MMPs) in viable and degenerating stage of Taenia solium metacestode in swine neurocysticercosis. Veterinary Parasitology. 2015; 214: 59-66.
- Singh AK, Singh SK, Singh A, Gupta KK, Khatoon J, Prasad A, Rai RP, Gupta RK, Tripathi M, Husain N, Prasad KN. Immune response to Taenia solium cysticerci after anti-parasitic therapy. International Journal for Parasitology. 2015; 45: 749-759.
- Singh A, Prasad KN, Misra R, Rahman M, Singh SK, Rai RP, Tripathi A, Srivastava JK. Increasing Trend of Heterogeneous Vancomycin Intermediate Staphylococcus aureus in a Tertiary Care Center of Northern India. Microbial Drug Resistance. 2015; 21: 545-550.
- Avinash Singh, Kashi N. Prasad, Ravi P. Rai, Satyendra K.Singh, Mohibur Rahman Aparna Tripathi, Janmejai K. Srivastava. Glycopeptide and daptomycin susceptibility trends among clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a tertiary care center in North India. Journal of Infection and Public Health. 2015; 8: 341-345.