ANNUAL REPORT - Department of Biotechnology

the pathogenesis of JE. It has been seen that JEV
infection activates microglia both morphologically
and functionally; infection leads to an elevation of
proinflammatory mediators for which microglia are
predominantly responsible and the cytotoxins
released from activated microglia are instrumental in
inducing neuronal death that accompanies JE.
Avian Influenza (H5N1) Virus
A brain-storming session was organized by the
Department on the status of Avian Influenza Research
in India: Past, Present and Future on September 9,
2006. Experts from India and USA participated and
deliberated. The priority areas identified are genetic
diversity, pathogenesis and zoonosis, diagnostics,
vaccines. Accordingly, the Department has funded two
R&D projects on development of a cost effective and
easily up-scaleable multivalent vaccine using a novel
yeast expressed virus like particles approach against
the deadly Influenza A (H5N1) virus and molecular
biology studies on the pathogenic strain of H5N1 virus
(Indian isolate): protein-protein interaction based
approach to study molecular evolution of the virus from
its non-pathogenic strain at ICGEB, New Delhi.
Malaria
The project implemented at ICGEB, NIMR, New
Delhi and Ispat General Hospital, Rourkela the cell
bank and technology for production of recombinant
PfMSP-119 and PfF2 were transferred to Bharat
Biotech International Limited (BBIL), Hyderabad for
developing master cell bank and master working cell
bank for characterization. The BBIL has successfully
produced cGMP grade material of three consistent
batches at 10L scale for human clinical trial and
toxicological studies. Efforts have been made to
scale up to 50-100L ferment.
Malaria vaccine trial site has been developed at
Sundergarh District of Orissa to evaluate the malaria
candidate vaccinogens PfMSP-119 and PfF2 through
collection of clinical, entomological and molecular
epidemiological /immunological indicators from the
study. The group conducted longitudinal
DBT Annual Report 2006-07
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entomological surveys in two indicator villages each
from forest and plan area. A total of 11 anopheline
species from forest area and 10 speciies from plain
area were recorded. It was observed that Anopheles
Culificacies was the most predominants species and
accounted for 41.2 and 36.5% of the total
anophelines in forest and plain area respectively.
Further observed that An. Fluviatilis was restricted to
only forest area and its prevalence rate was 1.1%. It
was measured that the antibody levels against
PfMSP1 19,
EBA 175 and TRAP antigens in 222 (110
from forest and 112 from plain areas) and 248 (138
from forest and 110 from plain areas) blood samples
collected during low and high transmission seasons,
respectively. The results suggest that there was a
boosting in antibody production against these
molecules by natural infectious in these individuals.
The level of antibodies in study groups appeared to
be related to their exposures to the parasite during
high transmission phase. Update on progress on the
project was reviewed in the month of January, 2007
and decided to validate the data generated to initiate
phase I/II clinical trial with malaria vaccinogens
through national and international experts.
A new multi-centric project entitled “Use of
artemisinin and curcumin combination in treatment of
uncomplicated P.falciparum malaria” was
implemented at five institutions i.e. at National
Institute of Malaria Research, Delhi; Indian Institute
of Science, Bangalore; NIMR Field station,
Rourkela; Ispat General Hospital, Rourkela and
NIMR, Jabalpur.
Another project implemented at IISc., Bangalore on
development of candidate anti-malarials based on
new drug targets, analyzed Pfcrt mutation as a
marker for chloroquine resistance in 200 P.
falciparum infected patients. Analysis of Pfmdr1 gene
as a marker for chloroquine resistance has revealed
that only around 30% of the Indian samples show the
N86Y mutation, although in Africa there is a good
correlation between K76T-Pfcrt mutation and N86Ymdr1
mutation. The high prevalence of K76T- Pfcrt
mutation in the Indian isolates of P.falciarum is a