Kavikrishna Laboratory

KaviKrishna Lab is a not for profit SIRO certified research organisation focusing on Stem Cell Altruism Research. The idea of stem cell altruism is based on Vedic philosophy of AvatarVada Theory; like the individuals cells also reprogram to a Avatar (more powerful) cell when there is any stress or infection in the body either triggered by pathogens or cancer cells. These Avatar Cells or Reprogrammed cells are called Altruistic Stem Cells which activate a stem cell niche defense mechanism to protect their niche from stress. We are trying to develop therapeutics and diagnostics against cancer and TB utilising the mechanism of stem cell niche defense. The altruistic stem cells were reported by Dr. Bikul Das in embryonic stem cell population in the year 2012. This lab for the first time reported that TB bacteria remain dormant inside bone marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BM-MSCs) even after successful anti-TB treatment for decades (Das B et al, Science Translational Medicine, 2013). This lab also showed how cancer stem cell exploit this altruistic property of stem cell to maintain an asymmetric self renewal for generations (Das B et al, Cancer Research, 2019). Recently this lab showed that coronavirus infection may activate this altruistic stem cell niche defense mechanism in lung MSCs, thus may reactivate the dormant TB bacteria residing in the MSCs (Pathak L et al, American Journal of Pathology, 2021). The Lab is providing research training program on cancer cell culture, TB bacteria culture and its interaction with stem cell to the graduate and post graduate biotech/life science/microbiology students of north East India. Four students have completed PhD from the lab and 5 are undergoing PhD in the Lab registered at Gauhati Un diversity and IIT Guwahati. The lab has collaboration with BBCI, Guwahati, IIT Guwahati, JNU, Delhi, Amity University, Noida and with its sister laboratory "Thoreau Laboratory for Global Health, UMass, Lowell, MA, USA".