Mohammad Minhajuddin, Ph.D.

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My research focuses on understanding how the pro-inflammatory mediator thrombin, released during sepsis or tissue injury, mediates neutrophils sequestration and emigration in the lung and thus induce lung vascular injury.

In particular, I am interested in identifying critical signaling pathways mediating expression of intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1; CD54), an inducible endothelial adhesive protein that serves as a counter-receptor for ?2-integrins (CD11/CD18) present on the surface of leukocytes. Interaction of ICAM-1 with ?2-integrins enables PMN to adhere firmly and stably to the vascular endothelium, and to migrate across the endothelial barrier. PMN binding to endothelial cells by this mechanism contributes to the development of lung vascular injury and tissue edema.

I employ multidisciplinary approaches ranging from cultured endothelial cells and in vivo mouse models to molecular biology to address these questions of fundamental importance.

have recently demonstrated a crucial role of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in modulating thrombin-induced NF-?B activation and ICAM-1 expression in endothelial cells.

In other collaborative studies, I have contributed to demonstrate crucial roles of actin cytoskeleton and tyrosine kinases in controlling the activation of NF-?B and expression of ICAM-1 following thrombin challenge of endothelial cells.

I have also obtained experience in liposome-based method of gene delivery. I have successfully used this method to express the cDNA encoding mTOR in the lungs of mice. I am currently engaged in determining whether expression of mTOR by this approach dampens ICAM-1 expression, lung neutrophil infiltration, and neutrophil-mediated lung vascular injury in mice challenged with thrombin or lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In initial experiments, expression of mTOR was effective in preventing LPS-induced infiltration of neutrophils in lungs of mice, indicating the clinical significance and the therapeutic potential of these studies.

I have extensive knowledge of mammalian tissue culture, especially establishment of primary cultures from mammalian tissues; familiarity with general techniques of molecular biology, including expression vector cloning; RT-PCR, PCR, Western blotting, cellular DNA and RNA analysis techniques.

Current Appointments

• Research Assistant Professor - Department of Medicine (SMD)

Recent Journal Articles
Showing the 5 most recent journal articles. (9 available)
Mohd Minhajuddin, Kaiser M Bijli, Fabeha Fazal, Antonella Sassano, Keiichi I. Nakayama, Nissim Hay, Leonidas C. Platanias, and Arshad Rahman. "Activation of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin by Protein Kinase C???and? PI3 Kinase/ Akt Modulates NF-kB Activation and ICAM-1 Expression in Endothelial Cells". J Biol Chem (2008).
Bijli KM; Fazal F; Minhajuddin M; Rahman A. "Activation of Syk by protein kinase C-delta regulates thrombin-induced intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression in endothelial cells via tyrosine phosphorylation of RelA/p65." The Journal of biological chemistry. 2008; 283(21):14674-84. Epub 2008 Mar 24.
Bijli KM; Minhajuddin M; Fazal F; O'Reilly MA; Platanias LC; Rahman A. "c-Src interacts with and phosphorylates RelA/p65 to promote thrombin-induced ICAM-1 expression in endothelial cells." American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology. 2007; 292(2):L396-404. Epub 2006 Sep 29.
Fazal F; Minhajuddin M; Bijli KM; McGrath JL; Rahman A. "Evidence for actin cytoskeleton-dependent and -independent pathways for RelA/p65 nuclear translocation in endothelial cells." The Journal of biological chemistry. 2007; 282(6):3940-50. Epub 2006 Dec 08.
Minhajuddin M; Beg ZH; Iqbal J. "Hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties of tocotrienol rich fraction isolated from rice bran oil in experimentally induced hyperlipidemic rats." Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association. 2005; 43(5):747-53.