Scientist 'E'

Division of Molecular Immunology
Phone : +(91-22) 2419-2016
Email  : reddyk@nirrh.res.in

Academic Background

• M.Sc. S. V. University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India (Zoology, Reproductive Physiology; 1981)
• Ph.D. S. V. University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India (Reproductive Physiology; 1984)

Professional Experience

Research Interests

• Immunology

• Transgenic and knockout

• Antimicrobial Peptides

   

Awards & Achievements

• Received Swarnakanta Dingley National Award for scientific research achievements for the year 2005.

• Awarded DBT Associateship by the Department of Biotechnology to carry out gene targeting and transgenic studies at Centre for Reproductive Biomedicine, Kansas Medical Centre, Kansas, USA for a period of six months in the year 2005.

• Awarded CSB associateship by the Central Silk Board, Ministry of Commerce and Textiles, Govt. of India to visit Zhenjiamg, Jiyangsu , China for training in silk work raring 1994.

• Received Institutional award for Professional Excellence in research from NIRRH for the year, 2002-2003 .

Publications (Last 10)

1. Gupta SM, Aranha CC, Reddy KVR. Evaluation of developmental toxicity of microbicide Nisin in rats. Food and Chemical Toxicology 46: 598-603, 2008.
2. Mangale SS, Modi DN and Reddy KVR. Identification of genes regulated by an interaction between αvβ3 integrin and vitronectin in murine deciduas. Reproduction, Fertility and Development 20: 311-319, 2008.
3. Arun P. Sikarwar and Reddy KVR. siRNA-Mediated silencing of c-kit in mouse primary spermatogonial cells induces cell cycle arrest. Oligonucleotides 18: 145-160, 2008.
4. Clara A, Sadhana G and Reddy KVR. Evaluation of cervico-vaginal toxicity in rabbits following exposure to Nisin gel. Cytokines 43: 63-70, 2008.
5. Arun P Sikarwar, Murali K Rambabu and KVR Reddy. Differential regulation of gene expression in mouse spermatogonial cells after blocking c-kit-SCF interaction with RNAi. J RNAi Gene Silenc. 4, 302-311, 2008.
6. Talwar GP, Dar SA, Rai MK, Reddy KVR, Mitra D, Kulkarni SV, Doncel GF, Buck CB, Schiller JT, Muralidhar S, Bala M, Agrawal SS, Bansal K and Verma JK. A novel polyherbal microbicide with inhibitory effect on bacterial, fungal and viral genital pathogens. Int J Antimicrob Agents 32: 180-5, 2008.
7. Sadhana M. Gupta, Clara C. Aranha and Reddy KVR. Expression of Toll-like receptors in rabbit vaginal epithelium following intra vaginal administration of microbicide Nisin gel. Mediators of Inflammation 23: 45-59, 2008.
8. Yedery RD and Reddy KVR. Purification and characterization of antibacterial components from the granular hemocytes of Indian mud crab, Scylla serrata. Acta Biochimica Polonica 56: 71-82, 2009
9. Ketkar Alhad Ashok and Reddy KVR. Oct-4: more than a pluripotent marker? Yakhteh Medical Journal. 11: 1-12, 2009 .
10. Sadhana M. Gupta, Clara C. Aranha, Sareena D’Souza, Bellare R. Jayesh and Reddy KVR. Interaction of contraceptive antimicrobial peptide nisin with target cell membranes: implications for vaginal use as a microbicide. Contraception (In press, 2009).

Present students

• Mr. Roshan D. Yedery
• Mr Alhad A. Ketkar
• Mr Mandar S. Patgaonkar
• Mr Ameya V. Sathe

Past students

• Dr Rajeev K. Shreemali
• Dr Vijayalaxmi G. Gupta
• Dr Sachin S. Mangle
• Dr Sadhana M. Gupta
• Dr Arun P. Sikarwar

Projects

• Development and assessment of Resazurin Reduction Tests to assess the quality of sperm in men (Funded by WHO)

• Development and preclinical evaluation of naturally occurring antimicrobial peptide, magainin for the prevention of STIs/HIV including unplanned pregnancies (Funded by ICMR)

• Endometrial functional markers to evaluate implantation defects in human (Funded by ICMR)

• Immunological and biochemical characterization of cell adhesion molecules from human spermatozoa: Role of the integrins and disintegrins in the regulation of fertility (Completed in 1999) (Funded by DBT)

• Nisin: The antimicrobial peptide for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS (Ongoing) (Funded by ICMR)

• Identification and characterization of polypeptides having antimicrobial activities from hemocytes/hemolymph of Indian mud crab Scylla serrata (Ongoing) (Funded by CONRAD)

• Generation of transgenic mouse model of male infertility to understand the basic mechanism of spermatogenesis in mice (Funded by Indo-US)

• To delineate the role of rabbit vaginal fluid polypeptides for the prevention of STIs/HIV (Funded by International Partnership on Microbicides (IPM))

• Identification and characterization of cationic polypeptides with antimicrobial properties from rabbit epididymis (Funded by DBT-IC MR)

• In vitro evaluation of peptide based microbicides for anti-viral activity (Funded by DBT-ICMR)

• Design of germ cell specific transgene constructs to investigate early events in spermatogenesis (Funded by DST)