Dr. Anjan Debnath, Ph.D., M.A.S.
Associate Adjunct Professor
Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Pronouns: He|Him|His
My research interests can be categorized into two broad areas: (1) Development of new antimicrobials for parasitic diseases. Amebiasis, giardiasis Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) and Acanthamoeba keratitis, caused by the protozoan pathogens Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia lamblia, Naegleria fowleri (brain-eating ameba) and Acanthamoeba castellanii continue to be the major causes of morbidity and mortality. Colitis and diarrhea are the most common manifestations of amebiasis and giardiasis and PAM contributes to extensive inflammation and hemorrhage of the brain. Acanthamoeba keratitis is a painful eye infection that can lead to blindness and occurs in healthy individuals wearing contact lenses.
My research on drug discovery uses a two-pronged approach, combining a strategy of repurposing compounds that are already in clinical development along with development of compounds with novel scaffolds and improved activity against the parasites. This approach encompasses both robotic-driven technology and close interaction with multiple academic groups, pharmaceutical company partners and non-profit organizations. This aligns well with the mission of the Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases (CDIPD), which is to discover and develop drugs for neglected parasitic diseases.
(2) Studies on molecular mechanism of pathogenesis. E. histolytica, N. fowleri and Acanthamoeba are remarkable organisms with phagocytic and proteolytic capabilities, invading colonic mucosa, human brain and eyes. We are using these model systems to identify or validate key virulence factors contributing to colonic, brain, and eye infections. In addition, we are using designed small molecule inhibitors to probe the function of important proteins, such as cysteine protease, heat shock protein 90, thioredoxin reductase, steroidogenic enzymes in Entamoeba, Naegleria and Acanthamoeba biology. These studies are providing important new clues about how a pathogen orchestrates responses to the host environment and the knowledge generated in these studies has the potential for generating new types of therapeutics for the treatment of amebiasis, PAM and Acanthamoeba keratitis.
Education: B.Sc. (Hons.) in Zoology, University of Calcutta, India (1995); M.Sc. in Zoology, University of Calcutta, India (1997); Ph.D. in Parasitology, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, University of Calcutta, India (2005); Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Clinical Research, UC San Diego (2018).
Awards and Honors:: Lady Tata Memorial Trust Junior Scholarship, India (1998); UNESCO-American Society for Microbiology Travel and Scholarship Award (2002); Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Keystone Symposia Scholarship (2012); Finalist for the 2012 Deloitte QB3 Award for Innovation; Honorary Sage Scholar, Sage Bionetworks (2016); KL2 Award (2016); Research Topic Editor ("Drug Development for Parasite-induced Diarrheal Diseases"), Frontiers in Microbiology (2014-2017); Research Topic Editor ("Recent Progresses in Amebiasis"), Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (2017-2019); Judge Travel Awards for the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Students (ABRCMS) (2017-2021, 2023-2024); National Center of Leadership in Academic Medicine (NCLAM), UC San Diego (2018).
Leadership Experience: Co-Director, Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases at UC San Diego (2023-present); Director of Amoebozoa Core at the Center for Discovery and Innovation in Parasitic Diseases at UC San Diego (2015-2023); Associate Editor, Frontiers in Microbiology (2017-present); Associate Editor, BMC Infectious Diseases (2018-present); Editorial Board Member, Microorganisms (2022-present); Editorial Board Member, Drugs and Drug Candidates (2024-Present).
- Equity in Systems Science 1 (SOMC 248)
- Equity in Systems Science 2 (SOMC 254)
- Microbiology (SOMC 242)
- Student Research Project (SPPS 210)
- Summer Research Program (SRP)
- Individual Research for Undergraduates (BISP 199, CHEM 199)
- Developed a shotgun genomic DNA microarray for E. histolytica
- Developed high-throughput screening assays for E. histolytica and Naegleria
- Discovered a new lead, auranofin, for the treatment of amebiasis and a new lead, Corifungin, for the treatment of Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis
- Auranofin entered a Phase II clinical trial for amebiasis and giardiasis
- Responsible for two successful orphan drug designations by the US FDA - auranofin for the treatment of amebiasis and Corifungin for the treatment of PAM
- Shing et al. (2022) Development of a machine learning-based cysticidal assay and identification of an amebicidal and cysticidal marine microbial metabolite against Acanthamoeba. Microbiol Spectr. 10:e0007722.
- Mohamed et al. (2022) A bioluminescence-based drug screen identifies activities of fexinidazole and its metabolites against Helicobacter pylori. Antibiotics (Basel). 11:1605.
- Yuan et al. (2023) High-throughput screen of microbial metabolites identifies F1FO ATP synthase inhibitors as new leads for Naegleria fowleri infection. ACS Infect Dis. 9:2622-2631.
- Sharma et al. (2023) Miconazole-like scaffold is a promising lead for Naegleria fowleri-specific CYP51 inhibitors. J Med Chem. 66:17059-17073.
- Escrig et al. (2024) Antigiardial and antiamebic activities of fexinidazole and its metabolites: new drug leads for giardiasis and amebiasis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 68:e0073123.
- Active laboratory collaborations with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies
- Drug susceptibility testing of medically important protozoan parasites
- Experience in drug repurposing, success in FDA orphan drug designations and discovery of a new lead that entered Phase II clinical trial