prof.dr. J. Prakash (Jai)

I am a pharmaceutical and entrepreneurial scientist who has a passion to develop engineered therapeutics which are beyond the state-of-the-art therapeutics. My major focus ares are fibrosis and tumor microenvironment. I combine multiple disciplines of peptide chemistry, nanomedicine, molecular biology and bioengineering tools to address challenges of these complex pathologies.

I have an educational background in Pharmacology and Targeted Drug Delivery. I obtained PhD (cum laude) in 2006 from University of Groningen (The Netherlands) to design drug targeting strategies against kidney fibrosis. I then worked as a Vice President – Preclinical Research at BiOrion Technologies with a joint position at the University of Groningen. In 2011, I joined Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm as Forskarassistent (Assistant Professor) by receiving several prestigious grants Swedish Cancer Foundation grant, Marie Curie Career Integration Grant and Swedish Research Council young researcher grant. I set up a team to research on finding new targets in the tumor microenvironment, in particular in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Then I was offered a Tenure-Track professor position at University of Twente to set up the new line of tumor microenvironment and targeted therapeutics. In the past years, I have gained unique expertise in finding therapeutic targets in CAFs and immune cells and cell-specific targeting strategies to re-program the tumor microenvironment. I have set up a team to develop 3D bioengineered tumor models to test novel engineered therapeutics. In 2019, I visited School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) in Harvard University for a few months and initiated new research lines and research collaborations.

Based on my inventions, I have founded a spin-off company ScarTec Therapeutics, which is developing novel peptide therapeutics for the treatment of organ fibrosis and tumor stroma. ScarTec has received NWO Take-off phase-1, phase-2 and H2020 SME phase-1 funding.

Besides this, I am currently serving as the President of Controlled Release Society (CRS) chapter for BeNeLux and France region.

Chemistry

# Drug
# Stellate Crystal

Medicine & Life Sciences

# Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts
# Fibrosis
# Hepatic Stellate Cells
# Liver Cirrhosis
# Neoplasms
# Pancreatic Stellate Cells

Faculty of Science and Technology (TNW), Advanced Organ bioengineering and Therapeutics (AOT)

ScarTec Therapeutics
ScarTec Therapeutics

The lab is carrying out dynamic inter-disciplinary research in the field of peptide therapeutics, cell-specific targeted delivery and nanomedicine for the indications in the field of fibrotic diseases and (immuno)-oncology.

In recent years, the significance of fibrosis in solid tumors has been highlighted in driving the tumor progression, invasion and metastasis. The crosstalk between tumor cells and stromal cells such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), immune cells such as tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) as well as extracellular matrix (ECM) is essential to maintain and stimulate the tumor growth and progression. The lab is, on the one hand, uncovering the underlying biology of tumor–stroma interaction, while on the other hand, developing innovative technologies to target specific tumor stromal cells to develop new therapeutics.

The lab has the following major research themes –

Understanding the crosstalk between different cell types within the tumor microenvironment, especially focused on fibroblasts, macrophages and matrix interaction. We have recently investigated the role of several therapeutic targets such as intergrin alpha5 and alpha11 which are involved in these crosstalks.
Peptide technologies as therapeutics to re-program the tumor microenvironment in order to enhance anti-tumour effect of chemotherapy – the lab has recently developed novel peptidomimetic against alpha5 which has led to the startup company ScarTec Therapeutics BV.
Targeted nanomedicine to deliver therapeutic molecules (e.g. microRNA delivery, protein and peptide delivery) to specific cells within the tumor microenvironment to treat cancer.
Nanotheranostic approaches to probe the stromal cells and immune cells within the tumour microenvironment using novel targeting ligands with a goal of personalized medicine.
3D Bioengineering technologies to emulate the tumor microenvironment (e.g. multicellular tumor spheroids, tumor-on-chip models, 3D bioprinted tumor models). We have developed 3D heterospheroid tumor model to study nanomedicine and recently developed a novel 3D bioprinted mini-brain model.

Key Publications

Kuninty, P. R., Binnemars-Postma K.A., Jarray A., Pednekar, K.P., Heinrich, M.A., Pijffers, H., ten Hoopen, H., Storm, G., van Hoogevest, P., den Otter, W., & Prakash J. (2022) Engineering "tail-flipping" nanoliposomes to alter functionality of alternatively-activated macrophages in tumors: a novel biomimicry approach. Nature Communications. 10.1038/s41467-022-32091-9 (Impact factor: 17.7)
Heinrich MA, Uboldi I, Kuninty PR, Ankone MJK, van Baarlen J, Zhang YS, Jain K, Prakash J. (2022) Microarchitectural mimicking of stroma-induced vasculature compression in pancreatic tumors using a 3D engineered model. Bioactive Materials. 22:18-33 (Impact factor 16.4)
Kuninty, P. R., Bansal, R., S., D. G., Mardhian, D. F., Schnittert, J., van Baarlen, J., Storm, G., Bijlsma, M., van Laarhoven, Metselaar, J. M., Kuppen, P. J. K., Vahrmeijer, A., Ostman, A., Sier, C. F. M. & Prakash, J. (2019) ITGA5 inhibition in pancreatic stellate cells attenuates desmoplasia and potentiates efficacy of chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer. Science Advances 4;5(9):eaax2770. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aax2770. (Impact factor: 14.5)
Heinrich MA, Bansal R, Lammers T, Zhang YS, Schiffelers RM, Prakash J. (2019) 3D-Bioprinted Mini-Brain: A Glioblastoma Model to Study cellular interactions and therapeutics. Advanced Materials. Apr;31(14):e1806590. (Impact factor: 30.1)
Heinrich MA, Mostafa, AMRH, Morton J, Hawinkels LJAC, Prakash J. Translating complexity and heterogeneity of pancreatic tumor: 3D in vitro to in vivo models. Adv Drug Del Rev. 174:265-2. (Impact factor: 17.8)
Rodrigues, J. , Heinrich, M. A. , Teixeira, L. M. , & Prakash, J. (2020) 3D In Vitro Model (R)evolution: Unveiling Tumor–Stroma Interactions. Trends in cancer. doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2020.10.009 (Impact factor: 19.0)
Schnittert J, Bansal R, van Baarlen J, Ostman A, Prakash J. (2019) Integrin alpha11 in pancreatic stellate cells regulates tumor stroma interaction in pancreatic cancer. FASEB J May;33(5):6609-6621. (Impact factor: 5.0)
Mardhian D, Storm G, Mishra DP, Bansal R, Prakash J. (2018) Nano-targeted relaxin impairs fibrosis and improves the efficacy of gemcitabine in vivo. J Control Release. 28;290:1-10 (Impact factor: 11.5)

Priwitaningrum, D. L. (2023). Strategies to overcome barriers for cancer (nano)medicines. [PhD Thesis - Research UT, graduation UT, University of Twente]. University of Twente. https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036556163

Prakash, J. , & ten Hoopen, H. W. M. (Eds.) (2023). NANOTME2023 Abstract Book: 2nd International Conference on NANOMEDICINE meets the TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT. https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036556088

Priwitaningrum, D. L., Pednekar, K., Gabriël, A. V., Varela-Moreira, A. A. , Gac, S. L. , Vellekoop, I. , Storm, G., Hennink, W. E. , & Prakash, J. (2023). Evaluation of paclitaxel-loaded polymeric nanoparticles in 3D tumor model: impact of tumor stroma on penetration and efficacy. Drug delivery and translational research, 13(5), 1470-1483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13346-023-01310-1

Lu, T. , Oomens, L. , Terstappen, L. W. M. M. , & Prakash, J. (2023). In Vivo Detection of Circulating Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Breast Tumor Mouse Xenograft: Impact of Tumor Stroma and Chemotherapy. Cancers, 15(4), [1127]. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15041127

Heinrich, M. A., Heinrich, L. , Ankone, M. J. K., Vergauwen, B. , & Prakash, J. (2023). Endotoxin contamination alters macrophage-cancer cell interaction and therapeutic efficacy in pre-clinical 3D in vitro models. Biomaterials Advances, 144, [213220]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioadv.2022.213220

Heinrich, M. A., Uboldi, I. , Kuninty, P. R. , Ankone, M. J. K., van Baarlen, J., Zhang, Y. S. , Jain, K. , & Prakash, J. (2023). Microarchitectural mimicking of stroma-induced vasculature compression in pancreatic tumors using a 3D engineered model. Bioactive Materials, 22, 18-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.09.015

Lu, T. , Terstappen, L. W. M. M. , & Prakash, J. (2022). MicroRNA in the Tumor Stroma: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications. In J. Prakash (Ed.), The Tumor Stroma: Biology and Therapeutics (1 ed.). Jenny Stanford Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003224921-8

Uboldi, I., Poduval, P. , & Prakash, J. (2022). Engineering solutions to design CAR-T cells. In Engineering Technologies and Clinical Translation: Volume 3 of Delivery Strategies and Engineering Technologies in Cancer Immunotherapy (pp. 1-31). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-90949-5.00001-2

Rimal, R., Desai, P., Daware, R., Hosseinnejad, A. , Prakash, J. , Lammers, T., & Singh, S. (2022). Cancer-associated fibroblasts: Origin, function, imaging, and therapeutic targeting. Advanced drug delivery reviews, 189, [114504]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2022.114504

Day, N. B., Dalhuisen, R., Loomis, N. E., Adzema, S. G. , Prakash, J., & Shields IV, C. W. (2022). Tissue-adhesive hydrogel for multimodal drug release to immune cells in skin. Acta biomaterialia, 150, 211-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2022.07.053

Kuninty, P. R. , Binnemars-Postma, K. , Jarray, A., Pednekar, K. P. , Heinrich, M. A., Pijffers, H. J. , ten Hoopen, H. , Storm, G., van Hoogevest, P. , den Otter, W. K. , & Prakash, J. (2022). Cancer immune therapy using engineered ‛tail-flipping’ nanoliposomes targeting alternatively activated macrophages. Nature communications, 13(1), [4548]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32091-9

Shukla, P., Yeleswarapu, S. , Heinrich, M. A. , Prakash, J., & Pati, F. (2022). Mimicking tumor microenvironment by 3D bioprinting: 3D cancer modeling. Biofabrication, 14(3), [032002]. https://doi.org/10.1088/1758-5090/ac6d11

Calejo, I. , Heinrich, M. A., Zambito, G., Mezzanotte, L. , Prakash, J. , & Teixeira, L. M. (2022). Advancing Tumor Microenvironment Research by Combining Organs-on-Chips and Biosensors. In Microfluidics and Biosensors in Cancer Research: Applications in Cancer Modeling and Theranostics (pp. 171-203). (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology; Vol. 1379). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-04039-9_7

Kurniawan, D. W. (2022). Targeting of macrophages and hepatic stellate cells for the treatment of liver diseases. [PhD Thesis - Research UT, graduation UT, University of Twente]. University of Twente. https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036553445

Mardhian, D. F. (2022). Designing novel therapeutic strategies against tumor stroma and fibrosis. [PhD Thesis - Research UT, graduation UT, University of Twente]. University of Twente. https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036553179

Heinrich, M. A., Mangia, M. , & Prakash, J. (2022). Impact of endotoxins on bioengineered tissues and models. Trends in biotechnology, 40(5), 532-534. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2021.12.001

Heinrich, M. A. (2022). Engineering the tumor microenvironment: Novel 3D in vitro models to study cellular interactions & therapeutics. [PhD Thesis - Research UT, graduation UT, University of Twente]. University of Twente. https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036553162

Mostafa, A. M. R. H., Ramadan, A. M., Östman, A. , & Prakash, J. (2021). Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts: Building Blocks of the Tumor Stroma. In The Tumor Stroma: Biology and Therapeutics (pp. 17-54). Jenny Stanford Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003224921-2

Prakash, J. (2021). Integrin binding peptide and use of the same. (Patent No. JP2021101719).

Lu, T. , & Prakash, J. (2021). Nanomedicine strategies to enhance tumor drug penetration in pancreatic cancer. International journal of nanomedicine, 16, 6313-6328. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJN.S279192

Pednekar, K. P. , Heinrich, M. A., van Baarlen, J. , & Prakash, J. (2021). Novel 3d µtissues mimicking the fibrotic stroma in pancreatic cancer to study cellular interactions and stroma-modulating therapeutics. Cancers, 13(19), [5006]. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13195006

Heinrich, M. A., Mostafa, A. M. R. H., Morton, J. P., Hawinkels, L. J. A. C. , & Prakash, J. (2021). Translating complexity and heterogeneity of pancreatic tumor: 3D in vitro to in vivo models. Advanced drug delivery reviews, 174, 265-293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2021.04.018

Rodrigues, J. , Heinrich, M. A. , Teixeira, L. M. , & Prakash, J. (2021). 3D In Vitro Model (R)evolution: Unveiling Tumor–Stroma Interactions. Trends in cancer, 7(3), 249-264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trecan.2020.10.009

Hassan, S. , Heinrich, M., Cecen, B. , Prakash, J., & Zhang, Y. S. (2020). Biomaterials for on-chip organ systems. In Biomaterials for Organ and Tissue Regeneration: New Technologies and Future Prospects (pp. 669-707). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102906-0.00019-2

Kurniawan, D. W. , Booijink, R., Pater, L., Wols, I., Vrynas, A. , Storm, G. , Prakash, J. , & Bansal, R. (2020). Fibroblast growth factor 2 conjugated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (FGF2-SPIONs) ameliorate hepatic stellate cells activation in vitro and acute liver injury in vivo. Journal of controlled release, 328, 640-652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.09.041

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Bachelor

Biomedische Technologie

Master

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