Umesh Deshmukh, Ph.D.
Professor
Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Research Program
Adjunct Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Professor, Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
My 101
Autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Complex interactions between multiple genetic and environmental factors are essential for the development of these disorders. Our laboratory is interested in understanding how autoimmune responses are initiated, amplified and how they cause tissue injury and pathology.
Sjögren’s syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disorder responsible for causing severe dry mouth, dry eyes, and fatigue. Our laboratory investigates how non-specific activation of the immune system by viruses and bacteria can lead to the development of Sjögren’s syndrome.
Recently, our laboratory has started working on an inflammatory disorder, Sarcoidosis, that mainly affects the lungs. We are developing experimental model systems to test the efficacy of different therapeutics to treat this enigmatic disorder.
Research
Activation of innate immunity by danger signals emanating from external and internal sources is a crucial first-line defense mechanism. However, excessive and chronic activation of innate immunity can lead to autoinflammatory and autoimmune disorders.
The primary focus of my laboratory is to investigate how innate immune responses contribute to the pathology of Sjogren’s syndrome and Sarcoidosis. Our lab integrates human clinical research with disease-relevant animal model systems to gain in-depth knowledge of disease mechanisms. We feel this is key for developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to treat autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders.
For details, please follow the lab website link: http://deshmukh.omrf.org/
Brief CV
Education
M.Sc., University of Poona, Pune, India 1988
Ph.D., Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India 1995
Honors and Awards
Young Scientist Award, Indian Immunology Society, 1993
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Arthritis Foundation, 1998
Young Investigator Award, International Congress in SLE, China, 2007
Excellence in Research Award, Dept of Medicine, University of Virginia, 2009
Scientist Development Grant, American Heart Association, 2001
J. Donald and Patricia Capra Award for Scientific Achievement, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 2017
Other Activities
Standing Member Oral Dental and Craniofacial Sciences Study Section, NIH, 2019-2023
Associate Editor, Frontiers in Immunology (Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Disorders)
Program Coordinator for the OMRF BioLabs program (Traineeship for students from Polish Universities)
Memberships
American Association of Immunologists
Joined OMRF scientific staff in 2013
Publications
Recent Publications
Garman L, Pezant N, Dawkins BA, Rasmussen A, Levin AM, Rybicki BA, Iannuzzi MC, Bagavant H, Deshmukh US, Montgomery CG. Inclusivity in Research Matters: Variants in PVT1 Specific to People of African Descent Are Associated with Pulmonary Fibrosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2023 June, PMID: 37348127
Pyclik M, Durslewicz J, Papinska JA, Deshmukh US, Bagavant H. STING Agonist-Induced Skin Inflammation Is Exacerbated with Prior Systemic Innate Immune Activation. Int J Mol Sci 24, 2023 February, PMID: 36835537, PMCID: PMC9960435
Bagavant H, Araszkiewicz AM, Rasmussen A, Pezant N, Montgomery C, Scofield RH, Farris D, Lessard CJ, Deshmukh US. Anti-vimentin antibodies are associated with higher severity of Sjögren's disease. Clin Immunol 247:109243, 2023 January, PMID: 36702181, PMCID: PMC10037908
Selected Publications
Papinska J, Bagavant H, Gymrek GB, Deshmukh US. Pulmonary Involvement in a Mouse Model of Sjögren's Syndrome Induced by STING Activation. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Jun 25;21(12):4512. doi:10.3390/ijms21124512. PMID: 32630417, PMCID: PMC7349948.
Allushi B, Bagavant H, Papinska J, Deshmukh US. Hyperglycemia and Salivary Gland Dysfunction in the Non-obese Diabetic Mouse: Caveats for Preclinical Studies in Sjögren's Syndrome. Sci Rep. 2019 Nov 29;9(1):17969. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-54410-9. PMID: 31784615, PMCID: PMC6884560
Papinska J, Bagavant H, Gmyrek GB, Sroka M, Tummala S, Fitzgerald KA, Deshmukh US. Activation of Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) and Sjögren's Syndrome. J Dent Res. 2018 Jul;97(8):893-900. doi: 10.1177/0022034518760855. Epub 2018 Mar 5. PMID: 29505322, PMCID: PMC6728552.
Szczerba BM, Kaplonek P, Wolska N, Podsiadlowska A, Rybakowska PD, Dey P, Rasmussen A, Grundahl K, Hefner KS, Stone DU, Young S, Lewis DM, Radfar L, Scofield RH, Sivils KL, Bagavant H, Deshmukh US. Interaction between innate immunity and Ro52-induced antibody causes Sjögren's syndrome-like disorder in mice. Ann Rheum Dis. 2016 Mar;75(3):617-622. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-206297. Epub 2015 Feb 5. PMID: 25906316, PMCID: PMC4526450.
Deshmukh US, Bagavant H. When killers become helpers. Sci Transl Med 5: 195fs129, 2013. PMID: 23884464 PMCID: PMC3955842
Szczerba BM, Rybakowska PD, Dey P, Payerhin KM, Peck AB, Bagavant H, Deshmukh US. Type I interferon receptor deficiency prevents murine Sjögren's syndrome. J Dent Res 92: 444-449, 2013. PMID: 23533183 PMCID: PMC3627507
Contact
Lab Staff
Harini Bagavant, Ph.D.
Research Associate Member
Magdalena Makuch
Research Trainee
Joanna Papinska
Graduate Student
Makayla Tillett
Laboratory Technician
Louise Williamson
Finance and Administrative Specialist
News from the Deshmukh lab
When Chip Morgan met the first class of Polish biology students to come to OMRF for a year-long training program in 2013, he couldn’t help but notice something. “They were all women,” says the foundation’s long-time executive vice president and chief operating officer. The next year, the story was the same. Ditto in 2015. “I […]
