T. V. Rajan, M.D., Ph.D. Boehringer-Ingelheim Professor of Immunology and Experimental Pathology Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Education Research Interests Educational Interests Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  Bronx, NY
  Ph.D.
• All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences
  New Delhi, India
  M.B., B.S.

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Lymphatic Filariasis

Over the past decade, work in Dr. Rajan's laboratory has focused on understanding the biology of the human filarial parasite, Brugia malayi, and the feline homolog, Brugia pahangi and the immunological basis of their interactions with the mammalian host. Their long term goals are both basic (an attempt to understand more about the biology of the organism), and applied in that they hope to use the basic biological knowledge to control and limit infections caused by these organisms, which currently afflict approximately 120,000,000 people worldwide.

Role of Oral Tolerance in Allergic Disorders

A few years ago, Dr. Rajan initiated preliminary studies on the role of honey as an oral tolerogen against allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. Forty-five age and sex matched individuals exhibiting seasonal rhino-conjunctivitis were recruited. Fifteen were treated by standard protocols, including topical steroids and systemic anti-histamines. Fifteen individuals were given a store-bought, pasteurized honey, and fifteen others were asked to take a locally generated honey. There were significant problems with compliance with the laboratory's protocol. It is clear that the protocols will need to be modified over the coming years. Nonetheless the data are intriguing and suggest that regular consumption of a locally generated honey may give significant relief again seasonal allergies to at least a subset of individuals. Dr. Rajan is excited by this area of research and intent to continue it for the foreseeable future. 

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Educational Interests

Over the past 5 years, Dr. Rajan has been organizing and conducting one week workshops in clinical research methodology in various cities in India. The goal of these workshops has been to demonstrate to them the need for conducting clinical (patient based) research in India, exposing them to role models who have successful research careers (both local and non-resident Indians), to provide a core knowledge of the fields of epidemiology, biostatistics and research methodologies, and to engage the student in a dynamic, team project that builds both a sense of camaraderie and self-efficacy (“I can do this” and “I enjoy doing this”). Dr. Rajan's ultimate hope is to develop a cadre of Indian physicians interested in and capable of conducting epidemiological and clinical research in India.

Over the past few years, Dr. Rajan has spent a considerable portion of his time in the development of computer based teaching tools for Pathology. He initially conceived the UConn Health Center's web-based museum called Pathweb a few years ago, when he noted that the Health Center lacked a real pathology museum. Space constraints and specimen availability, due to the smallness of the Health Center's hospital, implied that it would not be possible to develop a real pathology museum, an invaluable teaching tool in larger, older, more established medical schools. In view of this, Dr. Rajan initiated an effort to convert archival kodachromes into a computer accessible format. Drs. Richard Lindquist and Melinda Sanders, colleagues in the Department of Pathology, have been key figures in helping Dr. Rajan realize this goal, and Pathweb was launched as a teaching tool.

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Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications (From a List of Over 125)

Clawson, M.L., Paciorkowski, N., Rajan, T.V., LaVake, C., Pope, C., LaVake, M., Wikel, S.K., Krause, P.J. and Radolf, J.D. Cellular immunity, but not gamma interferon, is essential for resolution of Babesia microti infection in BALB/c mice. Infect Immun. 70(9):5304-06, 2002.

Rajan, T.V. East is East, etc. Cancer. 1(3):314-4, 2002.

Spencer, LA., Porte, P., Zetoff, C. and Rajan, T.V. Mice genetically deficient in immunoglobulin E are more permissive hosts than wild-type mice to a primary, but not secondary, infection with filarial nematode Brugia malayi. Infect Immun. 71(5):2462-7, 2002.

Spencer, L., Shultz, L. and Rajan, T.V. T cells are required for host protection against Brugia malayi but need not produce or respond to interleukin-4. Infect Immun. 71(6):3097-106, 2003.

Rajan, T.V. The Gell-Coombs classification of hypersensitivity reactions: a re-interpretation. Trends Immunol. 24(7):376-9, 2003.

Ramalingam, T., Rajan, B., Lee, J. and Rajan. T.V. Kinetics of cellular responses to intraperitoneal Brugia pahangi infections in normal and immunodeficient mice. Infect Immun. 71(8):4361-7.

Rajan TV. Superficial? Not us--we men are born molecular geneticists! Perspect Biol Med. 2004 Summer;47(3):422-9.

Rajan TV. Relationship of anti-microbial activity of tetracyclines to their ability to block the l3 to L4 molt of the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2004 Jul;71(1):24-8.

Ramalingam T, Ganley-Leal L, Porte P, Rajan TV. Impaired clearance of primary but not secondary Brugia infections in IL-5 deficient mice. Exp Parasitol. 2003 Oct;105(2):131-9.

Rajan TV. Exogenous nucleosides are required for the morphogenesis of the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi J Parasitol. 2004 Oct;90(5):1184-5.

Rajan TV. The eye does not see what the mind does not know: the bacterium in the worm. Perspect Biol Med. 2005 Winter;48(1):31-41.

Rajan TV. Exogenous nucleosides are required for the morphogenesis of the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi. J Parasitol. 2004 Oct;90(5):1184-5.

Rajan TV, Hein M, Porte P, Wikel S. A double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of garlic as a mosquito repellant: a preliminary study. Med Vet Entomol. 2005 Mar;19(1):84-9.

Rajan TV. Natural course of lymphatic filariasis: insights from epidemiology, experimental human infections, and clinical observations. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2005 Dec;73(6):995-8.

Ramalingam T, Porte P, Lee J, Rajan TV. Eosinophils, but not eosinophil peroxidase or major basic protein, are important for host protection in experimental Brugia pahangi infection. Infect Immun. 2005 Dec;73(12):8442-3.

Rajan B, Ramalingam T, Rajan TV. Critical role for IgM in host protection in experimental filarial infection. J Immunol. 2005 Aug 1;175(3):1827-33.

Dash Y, Maxwell SS, Rajan TV, Wikel SK. Murine extramedullary erythropoiesis induced by tick infestation. Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 2005 Jul;99(5):518-31.

Ramesh M, McGuiness C, Rajan TV. The L3 to L4 molt of Brugia malayi: real time visualization by video microscopy. J Parasitol. 2005 91:1028-33.

Greenspan EJ, Jablonski M, Rajan TV, Levine J, Belinsky G, Rosenberg DW. Epigenetic alterations in RASSF1A in human aberrant crypt foci. Carcinogenesis. 2006. 27:1316-22.

Rajan TV. Natural course of lymphatic filariasis: insights from epidemiology, experimental human infections, and clinical observations. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2005. 73(6):995-8.

Dash Y, Ramesh M, Greiner D, Shultz LD, Klei TR, Rajan TV. Determinants of memory in experimental filarial infections in mice. Parasite Immunol. 2007 Nov;29(11):567-74.

Rajan TV. Neonatal tolerance and patent filarial infection. Trends Parasitol. 2007 Oct;23(10):459-62.

Ramesh M, Paciorkowski N, Dash Y, Shultz L, Rajan TV. Acute but not chronic macrophage recruitment in filarial infections in mice is dependent on C-C chemokine ligand 2. Parasite Immunol. 2007 Aug;29(8):395-404.

Rosenberg DW, Yang S, Pleau DC, Greenspan EJ, Stevens RG, Rajan TV, Heinen CD, Levine J, Zhou Y, O'Brien MJ. Mutations in BRAF and KRAS differentially distinguish serrated versus non-serrated hyperplastic aberrant crypt foci in humans. Cancer Res. 2007 Apr 15;67(8):3551-4.

Belinsky GS, Rajan TV, Saria EA, Giardina C, Rosenberg DW. Expression of secretory phospholipase A2 in colon tumor cells potentiates tumor growth. Mol Carcinog. 2007 Feb;46(2):106-16.

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