Biomedical subjects

Rahul Kumar

Publications and source records attributed to Rahul Kumar.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Genome Editing in Solanaceae: Harnessing CRISPR-Cas Technology for Precision Crop Improvement.

Malnutrition and climate-induced stress remain major constraints to global food and nutritional security despite the yield gains of the Green Revolution. Solanaceae crops such as tomato, potato, brinjal, and pepper are key sources of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds. Yet, their genetic improvement has been limited by narrow diversity and complex polygenic traits. The advent of CRISPR/Cas-mediated genome editing provides a transformative platform for precision crop improvement by enabling targeted modification of genes controlling stress tolerance, yield, and nutritional quality. In Solanaceae, CRISPR/Cas applications have successfully enhanced resistance against major pathogens (SlMlo1, SlPelo, SlDCL2), improved abiotic stress tolerance through editing of SlMAPK3, SlCBF1, and SlBZR1, and optimized fruit quality traits via modulation of Psy1, CrtR-b2, and fiAD2/3. Emerging innovations, such as base and prime editing, and RNP-mediated transgene-free delivery, are expanding the precision and scope of editing. However, challenges persist, including genotype-dependent transformation, low HDR efficiency, and incomplete understanding of off-target and epigenetic effects. Integrating CRISPR with omics-guided gene discovery, efficient transformation systems, and regulatory harmonization can accelerate the development of nutritionally enriched, stress-resilient, and sustainable Solanaceae varieties. This review synthesizes recent advances, identifies critical limitations, and outlines future opportunities for deploying CRISPR/Cas technology to achieve next-generation breeding and food system resilience.

CRISPR/Cas↗

PubMed2026

Integrated Cytokine and Immune Cell Profiling Reveals a Distinct Immune Signature Associated with High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema.

High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a rapidly progressive, life-threatening disorder arising in otherwise healthy individuals upon ascent to high altitude, yet the mechanisms underlying maladaptive vascular leak remain poorly defined. Although elevated pulmonary arterial pressure and capillary stress failure are recognized as central hemodynamic drivers, accumulating evidence indicates that innate immune dysregulation is an equally critical, largely unexplored determinant of HAPE. To systematically delineate the immune and molecular programs that distinguish pathological responses to hypobaric hypoxia from acclimatization, peripheral blood along with clinical details was collected from low-altitude controls (LA-Cntrl, number of participants, (n = 19), healthy high-altitude sojourners (HA-Cntrl, n = 47), and HAPE patients (n = 90). Plasma proteomic markers were quantified using a targeted panel, while monocyte and dendritic cell subsets in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were immunophenotyped by multicolor flow cytometry. HA-Cntrl subjects displayed an anti-inflammatory profile, marked by the suppression of CXC chemokine receptor 3 axis chemokines. HAPE patients, in contrast, exhibited a pro-inflammatory, vascular injury signature, with elevated levels of inflammatory interleukins and myeloid and chemotactic factors. This inflammatory signature was accompanied by the expansion of classical monocytes, implicating a myeloid vascular program associated with HAPE.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Rs_MEP1 Is Required for the Pathogenesis of Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA in Plants.

Rhizoctonia solani AG1-IA is a polyphagous necrotrophic fungal pathogen that causes sheath blight disease in rice. Efforts are being made to identify pathogenicity-associated genes in R. solani and modulate them to develop a disease control strategy. Here, we investigated the roles of some predicted pathogenicity-associated genes of R. solani that have previously been reported to be upregulated during infection in rice. The tobacco rattle virus-based host-induced gene silencing of the selected pathogenicity-associated genes revealed that silencing of Rs_MEP1, a zinc-containing Peptidase_M43 domain metalloprotease, severely compromises R. solani infection in tomato. Moreover, double-stranded RNA-mediated silencing of Rs_MEP1 prevented R. solani infection in rice. The signal sequence trap assay indicated the secretory nature of Rs_MEP1, and the reporter assay suggested its localization in the plant apoplast. Notably, Agrobacterium-mediated transient overexpression of Rs_MEP1 induces necrotic cell death responses in plants. We provide evidence that Rs_MEP1 interacts with the GH19 family of rice chitinases and potentially modulates their functions. Overall, our study emphasizes that Rs_MEP1 facilitates R. solani in promoting necrotic responses and targets rice GH19 chitinases to impart disease susceptibility in plants. [Formula: see text] Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.

Rhizoctonia↗