Profile
My laboratory has been studying the genomic and transcriptomic causes of Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Indian populations. To understand the genomic underpinnings of NAFLD, we investigated quantitative variability of Hepatic Fat Content (HFC) using GWAS, and found 9 SNPs in 8 genes associated with HFC. In addition, in a study comparing liver transcriptome of mild and advanced NASH patients, we identified differential expressions of 28 genes, indicating perturbation of 3 major pathways: PI3-AKT, Sonic Hedgehog and Lipid metabolism. Obesity and Insulin resistance were other risk factors. Currently, my research interests are in the following areas: 1. To gain fundamental insights into the role of Metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes in the progression of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) 2. Analyzing sexual dimorphism in metabolic syndrome and related diseases like Type 2 diabetes and Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease 3. Gut-liver-brain axis in health and disease
Current Focus Areas
1. To gain fundamental insights into the role of Metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes in the progression of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)
2. Analyzing sexual dimorphism in metabolic syndrome and related diseases like Type 2 diabetes and Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
3. Diet modulates the microbiome and is known to impact the gut-brain-liver axis, with probiotics beneficially modulating immune, neuronal and metabolic functions. Research that identifies the potential link between microbes in health and diseases will facilitate disease diagnosis and prevention, improving therapeutic approaches
Selected Publications
Chatterjee A, Basu, A., Das, K , Chowdhury A, Basu P (2021) Exome-wide scan identifies novel association of rs4788084 in IL27 promoter with hepatic fat content in Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among Indians. Gene 775, 145431.
Chatterjee A, Basu A, Das K, Singh P, Mondal D, Bhattacharya B,Roychoudhury S, Majumder PP, Chowdhury A, Basu P. (2020). Hepatic transcriptome signature correlated with HOMA-IR explains early Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease pathogenesis, Annals of Hepatology, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aohep.2020.06.009.
Teo K, Abeysekera KWM, Adams L, Aigner E, Anstee QM, Banales JM, Banerjee R, Basu P, et al. (2020) rs641738C>T near MBOAT7 is associated with liver fat, ALT and fibrosis in NAFLD: A meta-analysis. J Hepatol. 2020 Aug 31;S0168-8278(20)33598-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2020.08.027.
• Basu P, Lung T, Lemsaddek W, Giang Sargent T, Williams DC Jr, Basu M, Redmond LC, Lingrel JB, Haar JL, Lloyd JA. (2007) EKLF and KLF2 have compensatory roles in embryonic -globin gene expression and primitive erythropoiesis, Blood. 110:3417-25.
• Basu P, Morris PE, Haar J, Wani MA, Lingrel JB, Gaensler KML, Lloyd JA (2005) KLF2 is essential for primitive erythropoiesis and regulates the human and murine embryonic –like globin gene in vivo, Blood, 106:2566-71.