Research Interests

Host – pathogen interactions involving Bunyaviruses, Alphaviruses and Human retroviruses;  Roles of extracellular vesicles in intercellular communication.

Research Program

The first major focus of my research is to understand host responses to infection by bunyaviruses such as Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), alphaviruses such as Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEEV) and human retroviruses such as HIV.  Specifically, I am interested in deciphering the influences of specific phosphosignaling events occurring in infected host cells that correlate with viral replication and in utilizing such events that are crucial for pathogen replication to design novel therapeutic inhibitors.  In addition to identifying novel therapeutic candidates, my research interest also extends to defining the mechanistic basis behind pathogen inhibition when using host-based therapeutics.

The second aspect of my research focus includes extracellular membranous vesicles called exosomes, specifically those produced by virally infected cells (Bunyaviruses, Alphaviruses, Human retroviruses).  Exosomes from infected cells will differ significantly in a proteomic and genomic capacity from those produced by uninfected cells.  Such information can be exploited to understand transfer for genetic and proteomic information to naïve cells (intercellular communication).   Such information can also be utilized to discover novel disease/pathogen specific biomarkers, vaccine and therapeutic candidates.

Selected publications

Narayanan A, Popova T, Turell M, Kidd J, Chertow J, Popov SG, Bailey C, Kashanchi F, Kehn-Hall K. Alteration in superoxide dismutase 1 causes oxidative stress and p38 MAPK activation following RVFV infection. 2011. PLoS One. 6(5):e20354. PMID: 21655261.

Narayanan A, Bailey C, Kashanchi F, Kehn-Hall K. Developments of antivirals against influenza, smallpox and hemorrhagic fever viruses. 2011.  Exper Opin Investig Drugs. 20(2):239-54. PMID: 21235430.

Narayanan A, Kehn-Hall K, Bailey C, Kashanchi, F. Analysis of the roles of HIV-derived microRNAs. 2011.  Expert Opin Biol Ther. 11(1):17-29. PMID: 21133815.

Popova TG, Turell M, Espina V, Kehn-Hall K, Kidd J, Narayanan A, Liotta L, Petricoin EF, Kashanchi F, Bailey C, Popov SG.  Reverse-Phase Phosphoproteome Analysis of Signaling Pathways Induced by Rift Valley Fever Virus in Human Small Airway Epithelial Cells.  PLoS ONE. 2010.  5(11):e13805. PMID: 21072193.

Carpio L, Klase Z, Coley W, Guendel I, Choi S, Van Duyne R, Narayanan A, Kehn-Hall K, Meijer L, Kashanchi F.  microRNA machinery is an integral component of drug-induced transcription inhibition of HIV-1 infection.  J RNAi Gene Silencing. 2010. 6(1):386-400.  PMCID: 20628499.

Coley W, Van Duyne R, Carpio L, Guendel I, Kehn-Hall K, Chevalier S, Narayanan A, Luu T, Lee N, Klase Z, Kashanchi F.  Absence of Dicer in monocytes and its regulation by HIV-1.  J Biol Chem. 2010. Jun 28.  PMCID: 20584909.

Narayanan A, Zhou W, Ross M, Tang J, Liotta L, Petricoin E, Kashanchi F, Bailey C and Popov S. Discovery of infectious disease biomarkers in murine anthrax model using mass spectrometry of the low-molecular-mass serum proteome. 2009. JPB. Vol.2.9 408-415.