Presidency University

Molecular Virology Lab

I gained interest in research during my B.Sc. at Budge Budge college. After completion of M.Sc. in Zoology from Maulana Azad college, I was appointed as a part-time lecturer in Department of Zoology, at Budge Budge college for more than two years. During that period, I became fascinated about teaching also. I did my Ph.D. and postdoctoral research in Molecular Biology and Virology. I am now interested to persue my career in these fields.

India as a country with extreme geo-climatic diversity, is continuously threatened by new and re-emerging viral infections of public health concern. The viral disease is a very complex phenomenon that involves not only the viral characteristic as well as the host also plays a very pivotal role. Thus, understanding the etiology of viral disease demands in-depth knowledge of each stage of infection as well as the underlying mechanisms. Viral factors, genetic predisposition, and immune response of the infected person have been implicated in the pathogenesis and the clinical outcome of the infection. My area of interest is to study Hepatitis C virus (HCV) which is associated with advance liver diseases like fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. In India, the predominant HCV genotype 3 is associated with the development of increased risk of liver cancer and DAA resistance. To achieve the HCV elimination goal of WHO by 2030, we need to understand detailed molecular mechanism of HCV mediated disease pathogenesis, host-virus interaction and therapeutic responses among all HCV genotypes.

Currently my lab at Institute of Health Sciences, Presidency University is focusing on-

i) Distinct roles of different HCV genotypes on progression of liver pathogenesis

ii) Evaluating the molecular mechanisms of host-virus interaction

iii) Understanding the roles of different viral and host factors for development of better therapeutic approaches

Academic qualifications:

1. B.Sc in Zoology (Honours) from Budge Budge College, University of Calcutta (2004-2007)

2. M.Sc. in Zoology from Maulana Azad College, University of Calcutta (2007-2009)

3. Ph.D. in Molecular Biology with Specialization in Virology from The West Bengal University of Health Sciences, India (2012-2019)

Fellowships and awards:

1. Qualified for Lectureship (LS) in Joint CSIR-UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) held on 19th June, 2011.

2. Qualified for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) under UGC fellowship scheme in Joint CSIR-UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) held on 18th December, 2011.

3. Awarded Travel Grant from Department of Biotechnology (DBT, Government of India) under CTEP programme for attending “2016 International Meeting on Molecular Biology of Hepatitis B Viruses” held at Seoul, South Korea from 21.09.2016 to 24.09.2016.

4. Awarded Travel Grant from Department of Science & Technology (DST, Government of India) under International Travel Support (ITS) Scheme for attending “2016 International Meeting on Molecular Biology of Hepatitis B Viruses” held at Seoul, South Korea from 21.09.2016 to 24.09.2016.

5. Awarded Registration bursary for the abstract presentation by the organizing committee of 2016 International Meeting on the Molecular Biology of Hepatitis B Viruses, held at Seoul, South Korea from 21.09.2016 to 24.09.2016.

6. Awarded Travel Grant for the abstract presentation by the organizing committee of 2018 International Meeting on the Molecular Biology of Hepatitis B Viruses, held at Palazzo dei Congressi, Taormina (Messina), Italy, from 03.10.2018 to 06.10.2018.

7. Awarded Travel Grant from Centre for Co-operation in Science and Technology among Developing Societies (CCSTDS, Government of India) for attending “2018 International Meeting on the Molecular Biology of Hepatitis B Viruses” held at Palazzo dei Congressi, Taormina (Messina), Italy, from 03.10.2018 to 06.10.2018.

8. Won the Best Paper Award in Oral Paper Session in 63rd Foundation Day Programme of the I.P.G.M.E.&R., Kolkata, on January 16th-17th, 2019.

I did my Ph.D. from The West Bengal University of Health Sciences, Kolkata, under the expert guidance of Prof. Simanti Datta and Prof. Gopal Krishna Dhali. My doctoral dissertation included the investigation of the molecular epidemiology and pathogenic potential of diverse subgenotypes of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotype D such as D1, D2, D3 and D5 that are prevalent in eastern India and also evaluation of their response pattern towards the currently used antiviral therapy. Involving chronically HBV infected patients and using in-vitro experimental system, I had highlighted the clinical implications of these subgenotypes as well as their differential potential in causing advanced liver damages including fibrosis, cirrhosis and HCC.

Apart from my thesis work, I was actively involved in different other projects to identify the phenotypic and genetic characterization of HBV and evaluated significance of those characters in different phases of liver disease by in-vitro as well as in-vivo approaches. I also contributed to the different epidemiological studies on identification of presence of recombinant strains of HBV in Eastern India. I was involved in the studies of host- virus interaction resulting in modification of host immune system with respect to disease pathogenesis.

I did my postdoctoral research at Saint Louis University, USA under the supervision of Prof. Ratna B Ray. My topic of research was based on understanding the molecular mechanism of development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). I focused on the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) mediated liver disease progression and studied the molecular mechanism of host-virus association involved in viral infection, immune evasion and establishment of pathogenesis. I also evaluated the role of specific host factors such as long non-coding RNAs in the progression of advanced liver disease such as fibrosis and cancer.

I did my second postdoctoral research at University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas, USA at Prof. Muge Martinez's laboratory from March, 2022 to June, 2022. During that period I worked on the regulation of alternative splicing in diabetic heart disease.

I have published my work in different peer-reviewed journals. I also presented my work as oral and poster presentations in different International and National conferences and was awarded with several International and National Travel Grants.

Postdoctoral Research:

1. Postdoctoral fellow at Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA (2019-2022)

2. Postdoctoral fellow III at University of Texas medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA (March, 2022- June, 2022)

Part-time Lectureship in Department of Zoology, Budge Budge College (Affiliated to the University of Calcutta), Budge Budge, Kolkata, India from May, 2010 to June, 2012

I have been enlisted as one of the reviewer of the following journals

i) VirusDisease [ISSN: 2347-3584 (Print) 2347-3517 (Online)]

ii) BMC Research Notes [ISSN: 1756-0500]

iii) Scientific reports [ISSN 2045-2322 (online)]

1. Haga Y, Bandyopadhyay D, Khatun M, Tran E, Steele R, Banerjee S, Ray R, Nazzal M, Ray RB. Increased expression of long non-coding RNA FIRRE promotes hepatocellular carcinoma by HuR-CyclinD1 axis signalling. J Biol Chem. 2024 Mar 29:107247. doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107247.

2. Baidya A, Khatun M, Mondal RK, Ghosh S, Chakraborty BC, Mallik S, Ahammed SKM, Chowdhury A, Banerjee S, Datta S. Hepatitis B virus suppresses complement C9 synthesis by limiting the availability of transcription factor USF-1 and inhibits formation of membrane attack complex: implications in disease pathogenesis. J Biomed Sci. 2022 Nov 14;29(1):97. doi: 10.1186/s12929-022-00876-1.

3. Khatun M*, Kumar K*, Baidya A*, Mondal RK, Baszczy?ski O, Kal?ic F, Banerjee S, Dhali GK, Das K, Chowdhury A, Janeba Z, Chakrabarti S, Datta S. Variability in the response of HBV D-subgenotypes to antiviral therapy: designing pan D-subgenotypic reverse transcriptase inhibitors. J Virol. 2022 Jan 26;96(2):e0180021, doi:10.1128/JVI.01800-21. *Contributed equally.

4. Pal S, Dey D, Chakraborty BC, Nandi M, Khatun M, Baneree S, Santra A, Ghosh R, Ahmmed SM, Chowdhury A, Datta S. Diverse facets of MDSC in different phases of chronic HBV infection: impact on HBV specific T cell response and homing. Hepatology 2022; doi:10.1002/hep.32331.

5. Khatun M, Zhang J, Ray R, Ray RB. Hepatitis C virus evades IFN signaling by suppressing long non-coding RNA Linc-Pint involving C/EBP-β. J Virol. 2021 Aug 10;95(17):e0095221. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00952-21.

6. Khatun M, Sur S, Steele R, Ray R, Ray RB. Inhibition of long noncoding RNA Linc-Pint by hepatitis C virus in infected hepatocytes enhances lipogenesis. Hepatology 2021 Jul;74(1):41-54. doi: 10.1002/hep.31656.

7. Abutaleb A*, Khatun M*, Clement J, Baidya A, Singh P, Datta S, Ahammed SM, George K, Mukherjee P, Santra A, Neogi S, Parikh S, Pillai V, Kottilil S, Chowdhury A. A Model of Care Optimized for Marginalized Remote Population Unravels Migration Pattern in India. Hepatology 2021 Apr;73(4):1261-1274. doi: 10.1002/hep.31461. *Contributed equally.

8. Sur S, Khatun M, Steele R, Isbell TS, Ray R, Ray RB. Exosomes from COVID-19 Patients Carry Tenascin-C and Fibrinogen-β in Triggering Inflammatory Signals in Cells of Distant Organ. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Mar 20;22(6):3184. doi: 10.3390/ijms22063184.

9. Nazzal M, Sur S, Steele R, Khatun M, Patra T, Phillips N, Long J, Ray R, Ray RB. Establishment of a Patient-Derived Xenograft tumor from Hepatitis C Associated Liver Cancer and Evaluation of Imatinib Treatment Efficacy. Hepatology 2020 Aug;72(2):379-388. doi: 10.1002/hep.31298.

10. Khatun M, Mondal RK, Pal S, Baidya A, Bishnu D, Banerjee P, Santra A, Dhali GK, Banerjee S, Chowdhury A and Datta S. Distinctiveness in virological features and pathogenic potentials of subgenotypes D1, D2, D3 and D5 of Hepatitis B virus. Sci Rep 2018; 8: 8055. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-26414-4.

11. Mondal RK, Khatun M, Banerjee P, Ghosh A, Sarkar S, Santra A, Das K, Chowdhury A, Banerjee S and Datta S. Synergistic impact of mutations in Hepatitis B Virus genome contribute to its occult phenotype in chronic Hepatitis C Virus carriers. Sci Rep 2017; 7: 9653. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-09965-w.

12. Banerjee P, Chakraborty A, Mondal RK, Khatun M, Datta S, Das K, Pandit P, Mukherjee S, Banerjee S, Ghosh S, Chakrabarti S, Chowdhury A, Datta S. HBV quasispecies composition in Lamivudine-failed chronic hepatitis B patients and its influence on virological response to Tenofovir-based rescue therapy. Sci Rep 2017; 7: 44742. doi: 10.1038/srep44742.

13. Ghosh S, Nandi M, Pal S, Mukhopadhyay D, Chakraborty BC, Khatun M, Bhowmick D, Mondal RK, Das S, Das K, Ghosh R, Banerjee S, Santra A, Chatterjee M, Chowdhury A, Datta S. Natural killer cells contribute to hepatic injury and help in viral persistence during progression of hepatitis B e-antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Clin Microbiol Infect 2016; 22: 733.e9-733.e19. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.05.009.

14. Mondal RK, Khatun M, Ghosh S, Banerjee P, Datta S, Sarkar S, Saha B, Santra A, Banerjee S, Chowdhury A, Datta S. Immune-driven adaptation of hepatitis B virus genotype D involves preferential alteration in B-cell epitopes and replicative attenuation-an insight from human immunodeficiency virus/hepatitis B virus coinfection. Clin Microbiol Infect 2015; 21: 710.e11–710.e20. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2015.03.004.

15. Banerjee P, Mondal RK, Nandi M, Ghosh S, Khatun M, Chakraborty N, Bhattacharya S, RoyChoudhury A, Banerjee S, Santra A, Sil S, Chowdhury A, Bhaumik P, Datta S. A rare HBV subgenotype D4 with unique genomic signatures identified in North- Eastern India-an emerging clinical challenge? PLOS ONE 2014; 9(10): e109425. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109425.

16. Book chapter:

Khatun M, Ray R, Ray RB. Hepatitis C virus associated hepatocellular carcinoma. Adv Cancer Res. 2021;149:103-142. doi: 10.1016/bs.acr.2020.10.003.

17. Review article:

Khatun M, Ray RB. Mechanisms Underlying Hepatitis C Virus-Associated Hepatic Fibrosis. Cells. 2019 Oct; 8(10): 1249. doi:10.3390/cells8101249.

Mousumi Khatun

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Mousumi Khatun Assistant Professor