Yogesh Saini

Bio

Our research encompass the effect of environmental toxicants on two critical organs, i.e., Lung and Liver.

Lung: The longstanding focus of our research has been to understand multiple aspects of lung biology and inflammatory lung diseases. Broadly, the research employs murine models of pathogens- and toxicant-induced inflammation. Using these models of lung inflammation, the research aims to understand the roles of macrophages in the orchestration of inflammatory responses. Unlike traditional view, emerging evidences suggest macrophage as a highly plastic cell type with likely roles in regulation of initiation, progression and resolution of inflammatory responses. Ongoing research in the laboratory has established several tools to characterize macrophage responses. Currently active projects include, understanding macrophage number maintenance in lung, studying macrophage activation heterogeneity, and understanding roles of macrophages in different murine models of lung inflammation. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop diagnostic biomarker of lung diseases and therapeutic interventions to modulate inflammatory responses.

Liver: The PI’s interest in the hepatotoxicity stems from his collaborations during his PhD studies with the world-renowned hepatotoxicologists Drs. Robert Roth and Patricia Ganey. More recently, in collaboration with Dr. Sonika Patial, we explored the roles of RNA-binding proteins in the xenobiotic-induced hepatotoxicity. We use genetic and toxicant-induced models of liver diseases.

The laboratory uses wide range of in vitro and in vivo models and techniques including confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, clinical biochemistry, immunochemical staining, magnetic-associated cell sorting, cellular and proteomic analyses of biological samples, molecular biology (PCR, RT-PCR, RNAscope, Gene expression analyses etc.) and cytokine assays.