.

Very broadly my laboratory is interested to understand Immunobiology of infectious diseases such as Malaria, Filariasis and Sepsis. We use a variety animal models and human diseases to seek insights into pathogenesis of disease processes, analysis of parasite components that induce host responses (inflammation and adaptive immune response), immunoregulatory network that determine pathology and/or outcome of infection process. More specifically, we characterize host response in the context of co-infections in animal models and in human communities. The experimental model allows us to understand effect of two pathogens with opposing immune response in the host.

The other major project in the laboratory is directed towards inflammation mediated by pathogens and endogenous molecules broadly classified as DAMPs and the interplay and cross-talk between the two. We expect these studies to offer insights into how mammalian hosts ‘deal’ with pathogens and non-pathogenic commensal microbes. Our studies on regulation of inflammation and innate immunity have also led us into understanding macrophage biology and approaches to re-programme macrophage activity in inflammatory diseases.

Our investigations on co-infections in human communities have given us opportunities to address genetic basis of infectious diseases and relationship between some of the infectious diseases and autoimmunity. One of the issues that has been addressed in greater detail is Plasmodium and SARS CoV-2 coinfections. It was resolved that past infections with Plasmodium offer in human ACE2 Tg mice offers resistance against mortality without affecting the viral load in lungs when challenged with a virulent strain of SARS CoV-2

The major current interest of the laboratory has been on regulation of Nitric Oxide production by Nitric Oxide synthases by Nitric Oxide Interacting proteins (NOSIP) and discovery of small molecules that function as NOSIP antagonists and block interaction between NOSIP and NOS thus enhancing endogenous levels of Nitric Oxide. The possibility of developing these small molecules as chemotherapeutic drugs for management of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, anti-microbials to combat AMR, inflammation etc., A spin off company of ILS Byonox Pvt Ltd has been floated for commercial development of NOSIP antagonists.

135 + International Research papers, reviews and 9 Patents

Approved patent : https://www.ils.res.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Indian-Patent-.pdf

ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7399-0285

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=nq8jKmQAAAAJ&hl=en

Some of the salient publications:

1. Ravindran B. (2001) Are Inflammation and Immunological hyperactivity needed for Filarial Parasite development? Trends in Parasitology, 17(2): 70-73.
2. Mohanty MC, Satapathy AK, Sahoo PK, and Ravindran B. (2001) Human Bancroftian Filariasis – A role for Antibodies to Parasite Carbohydrates. Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 124: 54-61.
3. B. Ravindran (2001) Filariasis Control: Ethics, Economics and Good Science. The Lancet,358: 246.
4. Mohanty MC and Ravindran B. ( 2002) Deficiency of antibody responses to T-independent antigens in Gerbils, Mariones unguculatus. Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 26: 385-391
5. Mukhophadya S., Mohanty MC, Mangla A., George A., Bal V., Rath S. and Ravindran B.(2002) Macrophage Effector functions controlled by Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase are more crucial than the cytokine balance of T-cell responses for microfilarial clearance.  Journal of Immunology, 168: 2914-2921
6. Ravindran B. (2002). Mass drug administration to treat lymphatic filariasis. The Lancet359 (9321): 1948
7. B. Ravindran, Satapathy AK, Sahoo PK and Mohanty MC (2003) Protective immunity in human lymphatic filariasis: problems and prospects. Medical  Microbiology and Immunology, 192, 41-46.
8. B. Ravindran (2003) Aping Jane Goodall: Insights into human lymphatic filariasis. Trends in Parasitology, 19(3), 105-109.
9. Satapathy AK, Sartono E, Sahoo PK, Dentener MA, Michael E, Yazdanbakhsh M, Ravindran B. Human bancroftian filariasis: immunological markers of morbidity and infection. Microbes Infection. 2006 Aug;8(9-10):2414-23
10.  Sahu BR, Mohanty MC, Sahoo PK, Satapathy AK, Ravindran B. Protective immunity in human filariasis: a role for parasite-specific IgA responses. Journal of  Infectious Diseases. 2008 Aug 1;198(3):434-43
11. Panda AK, Sahoo PK, Kerketta AS, Kar SK, Ravindran B, Satapathy AK.  Human lymphatic filariasis: genetic polymorphism of endothelin-1 and tumor necrosis factor receptor II correlates with development of chronic disease. Journal of  Infectious Diseases. 2011 Jul 15;204(2):315-22
12. Mohapatra AD, Kumar S, Satapathy AK, Ravindran B. Caspase dependent programmed cell death in developing embryos: a potential target for therapeutic intervention against pathogenic nematodes.  PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2011 Sep;5(9):e1306. Epub 2011
13. Panda SK, Kumar S, Tupperwar NC, Vaidya T, George A, Rath S, Bal V, Ravindran B Chitohexaose activates macrophages by alternate pathway through TLR4   and blocks endotoxemia.. PLoS Pathogens. 2012 May;8(5):e1002717. Epub 2012
14. Mohapatra AD, Panda SK, Pradhan AK, Prushty BK, Satapathy AK and B.Ravindran Filarial antigens mediates Apoptosis of human monocytes thro TLR4 Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2014

15. R Mukherjee, P Kanti Barman, P Kumar Thatoi, R Tripathy, B Kumar Das, …Non-classical monocytes display inflammatory features: validation in sepsis and systemic lupus erythematous Scientific reports 5 (1), 13886
16. AK Panda, SK Panda, AN Sahu, R Tripathy, B Ravindran, BK Das Association of ABO blood group with severe falciparum malaria in adults: case control study and meta-analysis Malaria journal 10, 1-8
17. ARK Patro, S Mohanty, BK Prusty, DK Singh, S Gaikwad, T Saswat, B Ravindran… Cytokine signature associated with disease severity in dengue Viruses 11 (1), 34
18. AK Panda, JR Parida, R Tripathy, SS Pattanaik, B Ravindran, BK Das. Mannose binding lectin: a biomarker of systemic lupus erythematosus disease activityArthritis research & therapy 14, 1-8
19. PK Barman, R Mukherjee, BK Prusty, S Suklabaidya, S Senapati, . Ravindran B .. Chitohexaose protects against acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity in mice
    Cell death & disease 7 (5), e2224-e2224

Immunobiology of metazoan parasites

Group Members
Dr.Geetanjali Agnihotri – DST – Fast track Scientist
Dr. Diwakar Singh – DBT Post-Doctoral Fellow
Mr.Ratnadeep Mukerjee PhD student
Mr.Pijus Burman PhD Student
Dr.Birendra Prushty PhD Student

Collaborators

Dr. Satyajit Rath, NII, New Delhi
Dr. Anna George, NII, New Delhi
Dr. Vineeta Bal, NII, New Delhi
Dr. Shobona Sharma, TIFR, Mumbai
Dr. Sylviane Pied, Institute Pasteur, Lille, France
Prof. Achim Hoerauf, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
Dr. Bidyut Kumar Das, S.C.B. Medical College, Cuttack
Dr. Jatashankar Mohapatra, Neelachal Hospital, Bhubaneswar
Dr. P.K.Thatoi, S.C.B. Medical College, Cuttack

Immunobiology of metazoan parasites
FUNDING AGENCIES
EC: European Commission
IG: Indo German Joint Initiative
ICMR: Indian Council of Medical Research, Government of India

1. European Commission – Title: Developemnt of Morbidity markers in Filariasis.
2. Indo-German joint initiative: Immunological basis of Post-DEC reactions in human Bancroftian Filariasis.
3. Parasite immunity task force,ICMR: Innate immune recognition of filarial parasites by phagocytes.
4. Filariasis Task force,ICMR : Studies on Genetic polymorphism in filariasis.

Danger Demystifiedhttps://ils.res.in/DangerDemystified.pdf

1. DangerDemystified.pdfJuly 1975 to June 1976      National Institute of Communicable Diseases, Delhi      Senior Research fellow
2. July 1976 to August 1982 -do- Asst. Research Officer
3. August 1982 to Oct’84 -do- Research Officer
4. November 1984 to June 1990  Regional Medical Research Centre (ICMR) Bhubaneswar, Senior Research Officer
5. July 1990 to June 1995 -do- Assistant Director
6. July 1995 to June 2000 -do- Deputy Director
7. July 2000 to April 2006 -do-             Deputy Director (Senior Grade)
8. April 2006 to Aug 2016 Institute of Life Sciences Director
9. Sep 2016 onwards -do- Professor Emeritus
10. Advisor and Adjunct Professor, Ahmadabad University, Ahmadabad
11. Adjunct Professor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal