Address

540, E.Canfield Street Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics Scott Hall, 3230 Detroit, MI 48201

Department

Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics

Laboratory Phone

313-577-8797

Laboratory Web Site

https://www.aras-lab.com

Research Interests

• Molecular mechanisms of breast cancers
• Mitochondrial regulation in pathophysiologies of neurodegeneration and viral infections
• Placental inflammation
• Mitochondrial DNA disorders

Research Description

Our lab studies the regulation of mitochondrial function across disciplines. Our major focus is on characterizing mitochondrial pathways that regulate pathophysiology of a) Breast cancers, b) Neurodegeneration, c) placental inflammation, and d) genetic disorders due to a mutation in mitochondrial DNA. We have identified a novel mito-nuclear regulator MNRR1 that regulates multiple cellular pathways and is a potential linchpin target. We use cell and animal models along with patient tissues to characterize the mechanism by which MNRR1 via its mitochondrial and nuclear function, regulates cellular signaling.

Recent Publications

Neeraja Purandare, Nardhy Gomez-Lopez, Marcia Arenas-Hernandez, Jose Galaz, Roberto Romero, Yue Xi, Andrew Fribley, Lawrence I. Grossman, Siddhesh Aras. The MNRR1 activator nitazoxanide abrogates lipopolysaccharide-induced preterm birth in mice. Placenta. 2023;140:66-71.

Harpreet Kaur, Paige Minchella, David Alvarez-Carbonell , Neeraja Purandare , Vijay K. Nagampalli , Daniel Blankenberg , Todd Hulgan , Mariana Gerschenson , Jonathan Karn, Siddhesh Aras^, Asha R. Kallianpur^. Contemporary Antiretroviral Therapy Dysregulates Iron Transport and Augments Mitochondrial Dysfunction in HIV-Infected Human Microglia and Neural-Lineage Cells. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24:12242.

Chehade H, Purandare N, Fox A, Adzibolosu N, Jayee S, Singh A, Tedja R, Gogoi R, Aras S, Grossman LI, Mor G, Alvero AB. MNRR1 is a driver of ovarian cancer progression. Transl Oncol. 2023;101623.

Purandare N, Kunji Y, Xi Y, Romero R, Gomez-Lopez N, Fribley A, Grossman LI*, Aras S*. Lipopolysaccharide induces placental mitochondrial dysfunction in murine and human systems by reducing MNRR1 levels via a TLR4-independent pathway. iScience. 2022;25:105342.

Popli S, Chakravarty S, Fan S, Glanz A, Aras S, Nagy LE, Sen GC, Chakravarti R, Chattopadhyay S. IRF3 inhibits nuclear translocation of NF-κB to prevent viral inflammation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022;119:e2121385119.

Madrid FF, Grossman LI, Aras S. Mitochondria Autoimmunity and MNRR1 in Breast Carcinogenesis: A Review. J Cancer Immunol (Wilmington). 2020;2:138-58.

Aras S, Purandare N, Gladyck S, Somayajulu-Nitu M, Zhang K, Wallace DC, Grossman LI. Mitochondrial Nuclear Retrograde Regulator 1 (MNRR1) rescues the cellular phenotype of MELAS by inducing homeostatic mechanisms. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117:32056-65.

Aras S, Maroun MC, Song Y, Bandyopadhyay S, Stark A, Yang ZQ, Long MP, Grossman LI, Fernández-Madrid F. Mitochondrial autoimmunity and MNRR1 in breast carcinogenesis. BMC Cancer. 2019;19:411.

Purandare N, Somayajulu M, Hüttemann M, Grossman LI, Aras S. The cellular stress proteins CHCHD10 and MNRR1 (CHCHD2): Partners in mitochondrial and nuclear function and dysfunction. J Biol Chem. 2018;293:6517-29.

Education/Training

MBBS (US MD equivalent) - 1995-2001, University of Mumbai.
Resident Physician, 2001-2004, Grant Medical College and Sir JJ group of Hospitals, Mumbai
PhD, 2005-2010 LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2010-2014, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.

← Return to listing