Vargheese Chennathukuzhi, Ph.D

I received my PhD in biochemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India. I completed postdoctoral training at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India and from the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. During my post doctoral training, I received the Mellon Foundation Grant award on contraceptive drug discovery and development. After about 6 years of working in pharmaceutical drug discovery and development at Wyeth/ Pfizer, I joined the faculty of Molecular and Integrative Physiology at KUMC in 2009.

My research is aimed at understanding the pathophysiology of uterine fibroids and adenomyosis. My laboratory is involved in drug discovery and development for the treatment of uterine fibroids, as well as in the development of non-hormonal contraceptive drugs. We develop and characterize genetically modified rodent models of uterine pathologies as preclinical models.

A study of 17beta-estradiol-regulated genes in the vagina of postmenopausal women with vaginal atrophy.

A TB-RBP and Ter ATPase complex accompanies specific mRNAs from nuclei through the nuclear pores and into intercellular bridges in mouse male germ cells.

Altering the GTP binding site of the DNA/RNA-binding protein, Translin/TB-RBP, decreases RNA binding and may create a dominant negative phenotype.

Development of allosteric and selective CDK2 inhibitors for contraception with negative cooperativity to cyclin binding

KIF2Abeta: A kinesin family member enriched in mouse male germ cells, interacts with translin associated factor-X (TRAX).

Loss of REST in breast cancer promotes tumor progression through estrogen sensitization, MMP24 and CEMIP overexpression.

Loss of the repressor REST affects progesterone receptor function and promotes uterine leiomyoma pathogenesis

Loss of the repressor REST in uterine fibroids promotes aberrant G protein-coupled receptor 10 expression and activates mammalian target of rapamycin pathway.

Mice deficient for testis-brain RNA-binding protein exhibit a coordinate loss of TRAX, reduced fertility, altered gene expression in the brain, and behavioral changes.

Mouse testis brain RNA-binding protein/translin selectively binds to the messenger RNA of the fibrous sheath protein glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase-S and suppresses its translation in vitro.

Recent Advances in Uterine Fibroid Etiology

The kinesin KIF17b and RNA-binding protein TB-RBP transport specific cAMP-responsive element modulator-regulated mRNAs in male germ cells.

The relative levels of translin-associated factor X (TRAX) and testis brain RNA-binding protein determine their nucleocytoplasmic distribution in male germ cells.

Allosteric CDK2 inhibitor Discovery and Development for Male Contraception

K-INBRE Major Starter

KUEA Start-up

REST/NRSF, miRNAs, and tissue remodeling in adenomyosis pathophysiology

Small molecule GPR10 antagonists for the treatment of uterine fibroids

The Role of REST in the Pathogenesis of Uterine Fibroids