Professor Arun Kumar Shukla’s team from IIT Kanpur’s Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering has discovered the complete structure of the Duffy antigen receptor found in cells, which is responsible for the entry of factors responsible for various diseases including cancer, malaria and HIV. By identifying this, measures can now be taken to prevent diseases from entering the body.

This IIT discovery has been published by the prestigious international science journal SAIL. Professor Shukla said that some people in South Africa do not have the Duffy antigen receptor, based on this information will be used in the future to try to find out how to prevent cancer or other life-threatening infections from entering the body’s cells.

It will prove helpful in making medicines

The Duffy antigen receptor protein, found on the surface of red blood cells and other cells in the human body, acts as a gateway into cells, allowing infection by devastating pathogens such as malaria, Plasmodium vivax, and the bacterium, Staphylococcus aureus.

Professor Shukla said that research has been going on all over the world for many years to find out the secrets of Duffy antigen receptor. This information will help in developing advanced drugs including new antibiotics and antimalarials.

It enhanced the reputation of the institution

The research team used state-of-the-art cryogenic-electron microscopy to reveal the complex structure of the Duffy antigen receptor. This provided new insights into the unique structural features of the Duffy receptor and distinguished it from similar receptors in the human body. Director of IIT Prof. Manindra Agarwal congratulated the research team for this achievement and said that it has brought pride to the institute.

The research team consisted of IIT Kanpur’s Shirsha Saha, Jagannath Maharana, Saloni Sharma, Nasrah Zaidi, Annu Dalal, Sudha Mishra, Manishankar Ganguly, Divyanshu Tiwari, Ramanuj Banerjee and Prof. Arun Kumar Shukla was involved.