Latha Ganesan, PhD

614-247-7654
Latha.Ganesan@osumc.edu

Education/Positions

Assistant Professor (research): Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, 2016-
Research Scientist: Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, 2005-2016
Post-Doctoral Researcher: Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, 2002-2004
Post-Doctoral Fellow: Institut de Genetic et Microbiologie, 2000-2001
Scientist: DSQ Biotechnology PVT Ltd , 1999-2000
PhD:  Microbiology, Madurai Kamaraj University, 1994-2001      
MS: Madurai Kamaraj University, 1991-1993          
BS: Madurai Kamaraj University,  1988-1991

PubMed articles

Research Interests

Dr. Ganesan’s research over the last 15 years had been in the field of Fc gamma receptors, particularly its application to immune complex processing, signaling and immune complex-mediated autoimmune diseases such as lupus and glomerulonephritis.  Her ongoing research focus is to understand the innate immune functions of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and its role in eliminating circulating blood borne viruses with particular interest on clearance of HIV and antibody opsonized HIV.  This study is fundamental to understand the innate immune functions during HIV infection and how HIV vaccine elicited antibodies function in vivo through FcγR and to enhance the efficacy of HIV immunotherapy. In addition, her lab is focused on understanding the molecular mechanism behind bacterial endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide detoxification by liver endothelium and its implications to control inflammation during Sepsis.

The Ganesan lab primarily studies the innate and adaptive immune response of various immune cells during autoimmunity and infectious diseases. The research is focused on two main areas:

1. Immunological mechanisms that promote local inflammatory injury in kidney during Lupus Nephritis (LN).
   
   We have identified a previously undescribed population of dendritic cells in LN patient kidneys with unique immunological markers, termed inflammatory dendritic cells (infDC). The infDC are abundant in LN kidney compared to healthy control and interact with intrarenal T cells, suggesting their probable role in the pathogenesis of kidney injury during LN flare. We are now studying the functions of these infDC. This study is fundamental to understanding these key cell populations that appear to drive intrarenal inflammation and advance our knowledge of disease pathogenesis, ultimately informing the development of new therapeutics for LN management.
   
   
2. Innate immune functions of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSEC) and their role in autoimmunity and infectious diseases as listed below.
   
   
   • Our lab has shown that in liver, LSEC are the major immune cells that clear circulating endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS); and HDL facilitates clearance. Follow up of previous work, we are involved in identifying the receptor in LSEC and molecular mechanisms involved in eliminating LPS. We are specifically examining how this receptor mediated clearance of LPS controls systemic inflammation during endotoxin associated diseases such as Sepsis.
   • We have recently made significant contributions in the field of virology by demonstrating that neutralizing Abs suppress HIV infection by accelerating viral clearance from blood circulation by FcγRIIb in LSEC. This study is central to understanding how HIV vaccine elicited antibodies function in vivo through FcγR and has the potential to enhance the efficacy of HIV immunotherapy.
   • We have demonstrated earlier that antibody opsonized autoantigens, which functions as small immune complexes, are eliminated via FcγRIIb in LSEC. This phenomena minimizes deposition of these small immune complexes in end organs like kidney, thereby, reducing the manifestation of inflammatory autoimmune diseases such as glomerulonephritis.