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Not just hormones: How Indian scientist found a lipid that controls your neuro and immunity functions

IISER Pune researcher finds how bioactive lipids work in a way similar to hormones to control various processes in the body

The ultimate aim of Dr Kamat’s work is to find ways in which various diseases caused by the dysregulation of lysophosphatidylserine can be prevented or cured. (File Photo)

How many times do we take the lipid profile test and think that cholesterol and triglyceride levels are all that matters? There is, however, another type of lipids. Called bio-active lipids, these can regulate various processes in the body. That’s why this year’s winner of Infosys Prize for Life Sciences, Dr Siddhesh Kamat, from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER)-Pune, worked with one such lipid and its role in certain neuro-degenerative disorders in children and autoimmune diseases.

How lipids control biological processes

The bioactive lipids work in a way similar to hormones to control various processes in the body. Dr Kamat chose to research lipid lysophosphatidylserine, which impacts the functioning of the nervous and immune systems. “It has to be at an optimal level all the time. If its level goes up or down, there can be weird biological effects. The levels of such lipids, in turn, are controlled by various enzymes. If there is more of the enzyme that makes it and less of the enzyme that breaks it, the levels then accumulate. If this scenario is opposite, its levels fall,” he explained.

Dr Kamat’s lab has studied how the particular lipid is made, how it is regulated, how it signals, and importantly, what happens when its levels are dysregulated. When he first started working with lysophosphatidylserine, there was some evidence that it works on the nervous system and the immune system, so that is where the search began. “Now, in a study that is yet to be published, we have shown that this lipid is found in all tissues,” he said.

How can this research help?

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The ultimate aim of Dr Kamat’s work is to find ways in which various diseases caused by the dysregulation of lysophosphatidylserine can be prevented or cured. “We don’t yet know what is the biological significance of this lipid in different tissues, but in the nervous and immune systems we have been able to show that if the levels are dysregulated, people end up with neuro-degenerative diseases and autoimmune diseases respectively,” said Dr Kamat.

His research has shown that elevation of the levels of the lipid in the brain can exacerbate the neuro-inflammation associated with PHARC (Polyneuropathy, Hearing loss, Ataxia, Retinitis pigmentosa and Cataract), a rare and progressive genetic disorder, which affects people usually in their childhood or early teens.

The levels of the lipid in immune cell is linked to autoimmune conditions such as psoriasis, Grave’s disease (a condition where too much thyroid hormone is produced), and Addison’s disease (where the adrenal glands do not produce enough cortisol and aldosterone), among others. His research has also been able to show that the lipids also regulate critical processes in the immune system such as the clearance of pathogens via phagocytosis (a process where immune cells engulf foreign substances to destroy them) or release of histamine in response to allergens.

Can the findings work for humans?

Dr Kamat’s laboratory has demonstrated these pathways in mice models so far. “Moving forward, we are looking to collaborate with physicians and pharmaceutical companies and see if they can take this to humans. We have already begun the process but everything is at a very nascent stage. So my hope is to take it to clinical trials over the next decade,” said Dr Kamat.

Anonna Dutt

Anonna Dutt is a Principal Correspondent who writes primarily on health at the Indian Express. She reports on myriad topics ranging from the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension to the problems with pervasive infectious conditions. She reported on the government’s management of the Covid-19 pandemic and closely followed the vaccination programme. Her stories have resulted in the city government investing in high-end tests for the poor and acknowledging errors in their official reports. Dutt also takes a keen interest in the country’s space programme and has written on key missions like Chandrayaan 2 and 3, Aditya L1, and Gaganyaan. She was among the first batch of eleven media fellows with RBM Partnership to End Malaria. She was also selected to participate in the short-term programme on early childhood reporting at Columbia University’s Dart Centre. Dutt has a Bachelor’s Degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune and a PG Diploma from the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She started her reporting career with the Hindustan Times. When not at work, she tries to appease the Duolingo owl with her French skills and sometimes takes to the dance floor. ... Read More

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