Chandra Shekhar Bakshi, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Areas of Expertise
- Immunopathogenesis of Francisella tularensis
- General Infectious Diseases
Education
- Ph.D., Indian Veterinary Research Institute
- Postdoct., Institute for Animal Health and Albany Medical College
Research
Dr. Chandra Shekhar Bakshi, D.V.M., Ph.D., leads a research laboratory dedicated to investigating the immunopathogenesis of Francisella tularensis, the bacterium responsible for tularemia. Classified as a Category A select agent by the CDC, F. tularensis possesses a unique ability to subvert the innate immune system. Infection with F. tularensis triggers rapid bacterial replication in the host while suppressing macrophage activation. Additionally, the bacterium inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by interfering with critical signal transduction pathways.
By integrating immunology and bacterial genetics, Dr. Bakshi's team seeks to identify the virulence determinants of F. tularensis and uncover key mechanisms of the host immune response to this pathogen. Recent discoveries from his laboratory include identifying novel virulence factors of F. tularensis that inhibit macrophage activation by preserving kinase signaling and pro-inflammatory cytokine production.
Dr. Bakshi's research has also advanced understanding of the bacterium's virulence mechanisms, particularly its robust antioxidant defense systems, which play a central role in immune subversion. He emphasizes that identifying F. tularensisfactors that suppress immunity and drive pathogenesis could pave the way for developing improved therapeutics and effective vaccines against tularemia.
Publications
- Barrett EG, Revelli D, Bakshi CS, et. al. "The impact of primary immunization route on the outcome of infection with SARS-CoV-2 in a hamster model of COVID-19." Frontiers in microbiology, 14(), (2023) 1212179. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1212179
- Ketkar H, Alqahtani M, Tang S, et. al. "Chronically hypertensive transgenic mice expressing human AT1R haplotype-I exhibit increased susceptibility to Francisella tularensis." Frontiers in microbiology, 14(), (2023) 1173577. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1173577
- Alqahtani M, Ma Z, Miller J, et. al. "Comparative analysis of absent in melanoma 2-inflammasome activation in Francisella tularensis and Francisella novicida." Frontiers in microbiology, 14(), (2023) 1188112. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1188112
- Gupte SA, Bakshi CS, Blackham E, et. al. "The severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in K18-hACE2 mice is attenuated by a novel steroid-derivative in a gender-specific manner." British journal of pharmacology, 180(20), (2023) 2677-2693. doi: 10.1111/bph.16155
- Bakshi CS, Centone AJ, Wormser GP, et. al. "SARS-CoV-2 is Emerging in White-Tailed Deer and Can Infect and Spread Among Deer Mice Experimentally: What About Deer Ticks?" The American journal of medicine, 135(12), (2022) 1395-1396. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2022.08.020
- Ma Z, Higgs M, Alqahtani M, et. al. "ThioredoxinA1 Controls the Oxidative Stress Response of Francisella tularensis Live Vaccine Strain (LVS)." Journal of bacteriology, 204(5), (2022) e0008222. doi: 10.1128/jb.00082-22
- Suresh RV, Bradley EW, Higgs M, et. al. "Nlrp3 Increases the Host's Susceptibility to Tularemia." Frontiers in microbiology, 12(), (2021) 725572. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.725572
