Kaustabh Ghosh, PhD

Mechanobiology, Cell-Matrix Interactions, Vascular Inflammation and Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, Age-related Macular Degeneration

The goal of our vascular mechanobiology lab is to integrate the principles of biology and engineering to develop effective therapies for vision-threatening diseases, specifically diabetic retinopathy (DR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Currently, DR and AMD are clinically managed only in their advanced stages that are marked by excessive multiplication and leakiness of blood vessels in the inner and outer retina, respectively. However, there is growing recognition that more effective treatment of these conditions is possible by tackling them in the early stages when these blood vessels degenerate.

We are taking a multidisciplinary approach to understand and prevent this early loss of blood vessels in diabetes and aging. Integrating the principles of vascular biology, mechanobiology, inflammation, and bioengineering, our work has introduced a new paradigm that implicates vascular ‘stiffness’ as a crucial determinant of vascular degeneration associated with early DR and AMD. Our ongoing studies aim to identify the factors that alter vascular stiffness in the eye and uncover the mechanobiological mechanisms by which altered stiffness causes vascular loss in diabetes and aging. These studies, performed in collaboration with ophthalmologists and funded by the National Eye Institute/NIH, have the potential to identify new classes of drugs that restore normal vascular stiffness and function in the eye and thereby block DR and AMD progression in their early stages.

Chandrakumar S, Santiago Tierno I, Agarwal M, Lessieur EM, Du Y, Tang J, Kiser J, Yang X, Rodriguez A, Kern TS, Ghosh K. Mechanical regulation of retinal vascular inflammation and degeneration in diabetes. Diabetes. 2024; 73(2):280-291
*Highlighted by NEI/NIH, Yahoo, AP News, among others

Chandrakumar S, Santiago Tierno I, Agarwal M, Matisioudis N, Kern TS, Ghosh K. Subendothelial matrix stiffening by lysyl oxidase enhances RAGE-mediated retinal endothelial activation in diabetes. Diabetes. 2023; 72(7); 973-985

Cabrera Andrea P, Stoddard Jonathan, Santiago Tierno Irene, Matisioudis Nikolaos, Agarwal Mahesh, Renner Lauren, Palegar Neha, Neuringer Martha, McGill Trevor, Ghosh Kaustabh. Increased cell stiffness contributes to complement-mediated injury of choroidal endothelial cells in a monkey model of early age-related macular degeneration The Journal of Pathology, 2022; 257(3): 314-326.

Cabrera Andrea P, Bhaskaran Arun, Xu Jun, Yang Xiao, Scott Harry A, Mohideen Umar, Ghosh Kaustabh Senescence Increases Choroidal Endothelial Stiffness and Susceptibility to Complement Injury: Implications for Choriocapillaris Loss in AMD Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2016; 57(14): 5910-5918.

Scott Harry A, Quach Boi, Yang Xiao, Ardekani Soroush, Cabrera Andrea P, Wilson Randall, Messaoudi-Powers Ilhem, Ghosh Kaustabh Matrix stiffness exerts biphasic control over monocyte-endothelial adhesion via Rho-mediated ICAM-1 clustering Integrative biology: quantitative biosciences from nano to macro, 2016; 8(8): 869-78.

Yang Xiao, Scott Harry A, Monickaraj Finny, Xu Jun, Ardekani Soroush, Nitta Carolina F, Cabrera Andrea, McGuire Paul G, Mohideen Umar, Das Arup, Ghosh Kaustabh Basement membrane stiffening promotes retinal endothelial activation associated with diabetes FASEB journal: official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, 2016; 30(2): 601-11.

Adini Irit, Ghosh Kaustabh, Adini Avner, Chi Zai-Long, Yoshimura Takeru, Benny Ofra, Connor Kip M, Rogers Michael S, Bazinet Lauren, Birsner Amy E, Bielenberg Diane R, D’Amato Robert J Melanocyte-secreted fibromodulin promotes an angiogenic microenvironment The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2014; 124(1): 425-36.

Ghosh Kaustabh, Thodeti Charles K, Dudley Andrew C, Mammoto Akiko, Klagsbrun Michael, Ingber Donald E Tumor-derived endothelial cells exhibit aberrant Rho-mediated mechanosensing and abnormal angiogenesis in vitro Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2008; 105(32): 11305-10.

Ghosh Kaustabh, Ingber Donald E Micromechanical control of cell and tissue development: implications for tissue engineering Advanced drug delivery reviews, 2007; 59(13): 1306-18.

2023 Catalyst Award for Innovative Research Approaches for AMD, Research to Prevent Blindness/IRRF
2017 Featured Scientist, BrightFocus Foundation
2017 Regents Faculty Development Award, University of California
2016 Outstanding Educator Award, Orange County Engineering Council, CA
2014 Hellman Fellowship
2013 Regents Faculty Fellowship, University of California
2011 Lindbergh Lecturer, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2008 NIH/NIBIB T32 Postdoctoral Training Grant
2006 President’s Award to Distinguished Doctoral Students, SUNY at Stony Brook