Praghalathan Kanthakumar, MD, PhD

Praghalathan Kanthakumar, MD, PhD

Medical Pharmacology and Physiology

Assistant Professor

573-882-8571

Profile

Praghalathan Kanthakumar, MD, PhD, is a physician and researcher focused on diabetes-induced kidney damage, specifically of renal glomeruli and the effects on podocytes. Podocytes are crucial for maintaining the integrity of the glomerular filtration barrier. Therefore, podocyte injury can result in compromised functioning of the kidney’s filtration unit, urinary protein loss, and ultimately, renal failure. The role of the urotensin II system in diabetic nephropathy has been a focus of scientific research in recent decades with attempts to develop drugs targeting the urotensin II receptor being met with mixed success. Dr. Kanthakumar’s research seeks to understand the role of podocyte urotensin II receptor in type 1 and type 2 diabetes-induced chronic kidney disease. He uses techniques ranging from patch clamp electrophysiology, intracellular calcium imaging, confocal and transmission electron microscopy, molecular biology techniques and renal glomerular explant culture to study renal glomeruli and podocytes.

Academic Information

Assistant Professor

Office

1030 Hitt Street
Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health Building, Rm 3408F
Columbia, MO 65211
United States

P. 573-882-8571

Research Interests

  • Diabetes-induced renal glomerular injury
  • Ion channels of renal glomeruli
  • Podocyte TRPC5 and TRPC6 ion channels
  • Role of urotensin II system in renal glomeruli

Areas of Expertise

  • Patch-clamp electrophysiology
  • Renal glomerular isolation and explant culture
  • Confocal microscopy
  • Intracellular calcium imaging
  • Teaching medical physiology

Education & Training

Degrees

2019 PhD, University of Otago, New Zealand
2010 MD, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India

Fellowship

2023 Postdoctoral fellowship, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN

Awards & Honors

  • 2024: American Heart Association Career Development Award (24CDA1273170).
  • 2023: Winter 2022/23 Postdoctoral Travel Award - University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
  • 2021: American Heart Association Postdoctoral fellowship (830462).
  • 2017: Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research Conference travel grant, Queenstown, New Zealand.
  • 2015: University of Otago doctoral scholarship, University of Otago, New Zealand.
  • 2010: First rank medal in MD (Physiology) from Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, India.

Publications

  • Michael OS, Kanthakumar P, Soni H, Rajesh Lenin R, Abhiram Jha K, Gangaraju R, Adebiyi A. Urotensin II system in chronic kidney disease. Current Research in Physiology. 2024;7:100126. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crphys.2024.100126
  • Eguchi S, Torimoto K, Adebiyi A, Kanthakumar P, Bomfim GF, Wenceslau CF, Dahlen SA, Osei-Owusu P. Milestone Papers on Signal Transduction Mechanisms of Hypertension and Its Complications. Hypertension. 2024 May;81(5):977-990. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.21365. Epub 2024 Feb 19. PubMed PMID: 38372140; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11023792.
  • Elsherif L, Kanthakumar P, Afolabi J, Stratton AF, Ogu U, Nelson M, Mukhopadhyay A, Smeltzer MP, Adebiyi A, Ataga KI. Urinary angiotensinogen is associated with albuminuria in adults with sickle cell anaemia. Br J Haematol. 2023;202(3):669-673. doi:10.1111/bjh.18862
  • Afolabi JM, Kanthakumar P, Williams JD, Kumar R, Soni H, Adebiyi A. Post-injury inhibition of endothelin-1 dependent renal vasoregulation mitigates rhabdomyolysis-induced acute kidney injury, Function, May 2023; zqad022, https://doi.org/10.1093/function/zqad022
  • Afolabi JM, Michael OS, Falayi OO, Kanthakumar P, Mankuzhy PD, Soni H, Adebiyi A. Activation of renal vascular smooth muscle TRPV4 channels by 5-hydroxytryptamine impairs kidney function in neonatal pigs. Microvasc Res. 2023 Jul;148:104516. doi: 10.1016/j.mvr.2023.104516. Epub 2023 Mar 6. PubMed PMID: 36889668; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10258165.
  • Peixoto-Neves D*, Kanthakumar P*, Afolabi JM, Soni H, Buddington RK, Adebiyi A. KV7.1 channel blockade inhibits neonatal renal autoregulation triggered by a step decrease in arterial pressure. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2022 Feb 1;322(2):F197-F207. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.00568.2020. Epub 2022 Jan 10. PubMed PMID: 35001664; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8816635 (*Joint first author).
  • Peixoto-Neves D*, Kanthakumar P*, Kumar R, Soni H, Adebiyi A. Loss of urotensin II receptor diminishes hyperglycemia and kidney injury in streptozotocin-treated mice. J Mol Endocrinol. 2022 Apr 1;68(3):167-178. doi: 10.1530/JME-21-0199. Print 2022 Apr 1. PubMed PMID: 35244607; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9334220 (Joint first author).
  • Kumar R, Soni H, Afolabi JM, Kanthakumar P, Mankuzhy PD, Iwhiwhu SA, Adebiyi A. Induction of reactive oxygen species by mechanical stretch drives endothelin production in neonatal pig renal epithelial cells. (2022) Redox Biology 55: 102394. doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2022.102394
  • Kanthakumar P, Adebiyi A. Renal vascular TRP channels. Curr Res Physiol. 2021;4:17-23. doi: 10.1016/j.crphys.2021.02.001. Epub 2021 Feb 8. PubMed PMID: 34179830; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8225244.
  • Soni H, Kumar R, Kanthakumar P, Adebiyi A. Interleukin 1 beta-induced calcium signaling via TRPA1 channels promotes mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent mesangial cell proliferation. FASEB J. 2021 Jul;35(7):e21729. doi: 10.1096/fj.202100367R. PubMed PMID: 34143493.
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