Pratap Vydyam, PhD
Postdoctoral AssociateAbout
Titles
Postdoctoral Associate
Appointments
Departments & Organizations
Research
Overview
I am profoundly interested in infectious diseases that severely impact the global economy, specifically in uncovering new antimalarial treatments and identifying untapped pathways crucial to protozoan parasites such as Plasmodium and Babesia, which can be targeted for therapeutic intervention. By identifying the molecular target(s) of active compounds, we can not only delve into the underlying biology of these parasites but also expedite the development of innovative medicines. Over the past ten years, my malaria research has revolved around investigating the role of P. falciparum recombinase in antigenic variation, providing a proof of concept for its potential as a drug target towards disease elimination. I have also studied how antimalarials and FDA-approved compounds function and how human babesiosis-causing parasites counteract their effects in vitro and animal models.
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Research Interests
Choukri Ben Mamoun, PhD
Pallavi Singh
Albert Ko, MD
Anne Wyllie, PhD
Chantal Vogels, PhD
Dennis G Moledina, MD, PhD, FASN
Babesiosis
Rad51 Recombinase
Antimalarials
Publications
2024
Effectiveness of Two New Endochin-like Quinolones, ELQ-596 and ELQ-650, in Experimental Mouse Models of Human Babesiosis
Vydyam P, Chand M, Pou S, Winter R, Liebman K, Nilsen A, Doggett J, Riscoe M, Mamoun C. Effectiveness of Two New Endochin-like Quinolones, ELQ-596 and ELQ-650, in Experimental Mouse Models of Human Babesiosis. ACS Infectious Diseases 2024, 10: 1405-1413. PMID: 38563132, PMCID: PMC11127568, DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00143.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsRadical cureEndochin-like quinolonesAgent of human malariaLethal infection modelTreatment of human babesiosisLow toxicity profileExperimental mouse modelImmunocompetent miceImmunocompromised miceFavorable pharmacological propertiesHuman malariaToxicity profileChronic modelHuman babesiosisAnimal modelsInfection modelPharmacological limitationsActivity in vitroPharmacological propertiesReduce infectionQuinolonesMiceMitochondrial electron transport chainFavorable physicochemical propertiesMonotherapyResponse to the Letter by Liu and Colleagues
Mamoun C, Vydyam P. Response to the Letter by Liu and Colleagues. The Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2024, 229: 1601-1601. PMID: 38471083, DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiae084.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchTafenoquine-Atovaquone Combination Achieves Radical Cure and Confers Sterile Immunity in Experimental Models of Human Babesiosis
Vydyam P, Pal A, Renard I, Chand M, Kumari V, Gennaro J, Mamoun C. Tafenoquine-Atovaquone Combination Achieves Radical Cure and Confers Sterile Immunity in Experimental Models of Human Babesiosis. The Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2024, 229: 161-172. PMID: 38169301, PMCID: PMC10786256, DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad315.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
2023
Babesia BdFE1 esterase is required for the anti-parasitic activity of the ACE inhibitor fosinopril
Vydyam P, Choi J, Gihaz S, Chand M, Gewirtz M, Thekkiniath J, Lonardi S, Gennaro J, Mamoun C. Babesia BdFE1 esterase is required for the anti-parasitic activity of the ACE inhibitor fosinopril. Journal Of Biological Chemistry 2023, 299: 105313. PMID: 37797695, PMCID: PMC10663679, DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105313.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAngiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitorsACE inhibitor fosinoprilTick-borne illnessConverting Enzyme InhibitorsVector-borne parasitic diseaseClass of drugsNovel drug targetsApicomplexan parasitesMass spectrometry analysisAnti-parasitic activityHeart failureSafe therapyParasite developmentDrug targetsEnzyme inhibitorsParasitic diseasesDrug resistanceTreatment of diseasesHuman babesiosisBabesia parasitesIntraerythrocytic parasitesSuch diseasesDiseaseSpectrometry analysisParasitesUncovering the role of Rad51 in homologous recombination-mediated antigenic diversification in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum
Vydyam P, Roy N, Bhattacharyya M. Uncovering the role of Rad51 in homologous recombination-mediated antigenic diversification in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Frontiers In Molecular Biosciences 2023, 10: 1223682. PMID: 37593128, PMCID: PMC10427863, DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1223682.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetricConceptsRecombination eventsHuman malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparumAntigenic variationMalaria parasite Plasmodium falciparumRole of RAD51Generation of diversityWhole genome sequencing approachParasite Plasmodium falciparumHuman malaria parasiteMultigene familyGene diversificationRecombinase functionGene repertoireHomologous recombinationGenomic rearrangementsSequencing approachSequence rearrangementsKey molecular factorsParasite linesMolecular determinantsAntigenic diversificationMalaria parasitesChronicity of infectionMolecular factorsImmune evasion mechanismsBabesia duncani multi-omics identifies virulence factors and drug targets
Singh P, Lonardi S, Liang Q, Vydyam P, Khabirova E, Fang T, Gihaz S, Thekkiniath J, Munshi M, Abel S, Ciampossin L, Batugedara G, Gupta M, Lu X, Lenz T, Chakravarty S, Cornillot E, Hu Y, Ma W, Gonzalez L, Sánchez S, Estrada K, Sánchez-Flores A, Montero E, Harb O, Le Roch K, Mamoun C. Babesia duncani multi-omics identifies virulence factors and drug targets. Nature Microbiology 2023, 8: 845-859. PMID: 37055610, PMCID: PMC10159843, DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01360-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDrug targetsVirulence factorsCandidate virulence factorsRNA-seq dataIntraerythrocytic life cycleAttractive drug targetB. duncaniNuclear genomeGenome annotationApicomplexan parasitesApicomplexan pathogensEpigenetic profilesEpigenetic analysisParasite metabolismMalaria-like diseaseHuman erythrocytesLife cycle stagesBabesia speciesGenomeMetabolic requirementsCycle stagesLife cycleBiologySmall moleculesPotent inhibitorFront Cover: A Chimeric Peptide Inhibits Red Blood Cell Invasion by Plasmodium falciparum with Hundredfold Increased Efficacy (ChemBioChem 7/2023)**
Mannuthodikayil J, Sinha S, Singh S, Biswas A, Ali I, Mashurabad P, Tabassum W, Vydyam P, Bhattacharyya M, Mandal K. Front Cover: A Chimeric Peptide Inhibits Red Blood Cell Invasion by Plasmodium falciparum with Hundredfold Increased Efficacy (ChemBioChem 7/2023)**. ChemBioChem 2023, 24 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300043.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetric
2022
Babesia duncani as a Model Organism to Study the Development, Virulence, and Drug Susceptibility of Intraerythrocytic Parasites In Vitro and In Vivo
Pal AC, Renard I, Singh P, Vydyam P, Chiu JE, Pou S, Winter RW, Dodean R, Frueh L, Nilsen AC, Riscoe MK, Doggett JS, Mamoun C. Babesia duncani as a Model Organism to Study the Development, Virulence, and Drug Susceptibility of Intraerythrocytic Parasites In Vitro and In Vivo. The Journal Of Infectious Diseases 2022, 226: 1267-1275. PMID: 35512141, PMCID: PMC10233494, DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac181.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsLethal infectionC3H/HeJ miceMalaria-like illnessB. duncaniMouse genetic backgroundSurvival outcomesHeJ miceSevere diseaseBabesia duncaniMouse modelDifferent mouse genetic backgroundsDrug susceptibilityBabesia microtiHuman babesiosisIntraerythrocytic parasitesUnique pathogenParasite loadMiceSpecies of BabesiaApicomplexa phylumInfectionBabesia parasitesFree merozoitesHuman erythrocytesGenetic background
2021
Effective Therapy Targeting Cytochrome bc1 Prevents Babesia Erythrocytic Development and Protects from Lethal Infection
Chiu JE, Renard I, Pal AC, Singh P, Vydyam P, Thekkiniath J, Kumar M, Gihaz S, Pou S, Winter RW, Dodean R, Frueh L, Nilsen AC, Riscoe MK, Doggett JS, Mamoun C. Effective Therapy Targeting Cytochrome bc1 Prevents Babesia Erythrocytic Development and Protects from Lethal Infection. Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy 2021, 65: 10.1128/aac.00662-21. PMID: 34152821, PMCID: PMC8370247, DOI: 10.1128/aac.00662-21.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsEndochin-like quinolonesLethal infectionBlood-borne diseasesBlood-borne pathogensEffective therapyRelated apicomplexan parasitesExperimental therapiesLow doseMouse modelInfectious agentsHuman infectionsInfectionClinical candidatesStrong efficacyB. microtiExcellent safetyMode of actionTherapyErythrocytic developmentAtovaquoneEfficacyApicomplexan parasitesSafetyStructure-activity relationshipsParasitemiaEvidence for SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in the Urine of COVID-19 Patients
George S, Pal AC, Gagnon J, Timalsina S, Singh P, Vydyam P, Munshi M, Chiu JE, Renard I, Harden CA, Ott IM, Watkins AE, Vogels CBF, Lu P, Tokuyama M, Venkataraman A, Casanovas-Massana A, Wyllie AL, Rao V, Campbell M, Farhadian SF, Grubaugh ND, Dela Cruz CS, Ko AI, Perez A, Akaho EH, Moledina DG, Testani J, John AR, Ledizet M, Mamoun CB, Team A. Evidence for SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in the Urine of COVID-19 Patients. Kidney360 2021, 2: 924-936. PMID: 35373072, PMCID: PMC8791366, DOI: 10.34067/kid.0002172021.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSARS-CoV-2 spike proteinSARS-CoV-2Spike proteinUrine samplesSARS-CoV-2 infectionYale-New Haven HospitalCOVID-19 patientsAntigen capture assayDetectable viral RNANew Haven HospitalPositive PCR resultsPossible long-term consequencesSpike S1 proteinNP PCRChildren's HospitalNasopharyngeal swabsSARS-CoV-2 spike S1 proteinRenal abnormalitiesLong-term effectsCystatin CLong-term consequencesHospitalUrineViral RNAAlbuminuria