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Vijay Kumar

Stanley S. Scott cancer Center, School of Medicine Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSUHSC), New Orleans, LA

Dr. Vijay Kumar has more than 14 years of academic research experience in the field of infection, immunity, and inflammation. He is the recipient of the prestigious Indian Council of Medical Research junior and senior research fellowships. He received the Piero Periti Review Article Award from the Journal of Chemotherapy in 2008 for his article “Innate immunity in sepsis pathogenesis and its modulation: new immunomodulatory targets revealed.” Currently, he leads the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy in the Department of Surgery, Morehouse School of Medicine, Georgia, USA. He has more than eighty publications to his credit, including editorials, book chapters, and journal articles. He has also edited eight books. He is an associate editor for Frontiers in Immunology and an editorial board member and peer reviewer for several other immunology journals.

5books edited

8chapters authored

Latest work with IntechOpen by Vijay Kumar

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have attracted interest due to their role in detecting pathogens and regulating the pro-inflammatory immune response. To date, 10 functional TLRs (TLR1–10) have been detected in humans. These TLRs control diverse immunological and embryonic development processes to maintain immune homeostasis and healthy fetal growth and development. They recognize diverse pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and death/damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) to maintain immune homeostasis via regulating diverse immunological processes. This book discusses TLRs from their evolution to immunological functions governing infection and inflammation pathogenesis, cancer immunology, and their interactions with other pro-inflammatory molecules generated during inflammation pathogenesis. It is a must-read for researchers interested in TLR biology and the role of TLRs in infection, immunity, and cancer.

Thirty Years since the Discovery of Toll-Like Receptors

Thirty Years since the Discovery of Toll-Like Receptors

Edited by Vijay Kumar

Books edited

Macrophages

Macrophages

Edited by Vijay Kumar

Inflammation in the 21st Century

Inflammation in the 21st Century

Edited by Vijay Kumar

SARS-CoV-2 Origin and COVID-19 Pandemic Across the Globe

SARS-CoV-2 Origin and COVID-19 Pandemic Across the Globe

Edited by Vijay Kumar

Vaccines

Vaccines

Edited by Vijay Kumar

Sepsis

Sepsis

Edited by Vijay Kumar

Chapters authored

Innate Immune System in Sepsis Immunopathogenesis and Its Modulation as a Future Therapeutic Approach

By Vijay Kumar

Part of the book: Inflammatory Diseases

Introductory Chapter: The Journey of Vaccines - The Past and the Present

By Kumar Vijay

Part of the book: Vaccines

Macrophages: The Potent Immunoregulatory Innate Immune Cells

By Vijay Kumar

Macrophages are ubiquitously present innate immune cells in humans and animals belonging to both invertebrates and vertebrates. These cells were first recognized by Elia Metchnikoff in 1882 in the larvae of starfish upon insertion of thorns of tangerine tree and later in Daphnia magna or common water flea infected with fungal spores as cells responsible for the process of phagocytosis of foreign particles. Elia Metchnikoff received the Noble prize (Physiology and Medicine) for his discovery and describing the process of phagocytosis in 1908. More than 130 years have passed and different subtypes and roles of macrophages as innate immune cells have been established by the researchers. In addition to their immunoregulatory role in immune homeostasis and pathogenic infection, they also play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of sterile inflammatory conditions including autoimmunity, obesity, and cancer. The present chapter describes the immunoregulatory role of macrophages in the homeostasis and inflammatory diseases varying from autoimmunity to metabolic diseases including obesity.

Part of the book: Macrophage Activation

Learning from Bats to Escape from Potent or Severe Viral Infections

By Vijay Kumar

The COVID-19 pandemic that started in December 2019 in Wuhan city, China has created chaos all over the world with over 185 million infection cases and 4 million deaths world-wide. The pathogen behind COVID-19 has been identified as severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that is more close to the previous SARS-CoV responsible for SARS epidemic 2002–2003. Although, SARS-CoV-2 also differs from SARS-CoV in many aspects as indicated by genetic studies. For example, SARS-CoV does not have a furin binding domain or site, whereas its presence in SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein increases its potential for infectivity. The horseshoe bats (Rhinolphus species) from China are considered as primary animal reservoirs for SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. However, along with CoVs, bats also harbor many other viral pathogens (Ebola, Nipah, and Hendra viruses) without having serious infections. The bat physiology plays a crucial role in harboring these viruses along with adaptations to longevity and slow aging process. The immune system plays a crucial role in the clearance or establishment of the infection. Present chapter discusses different immunological aspects (innate immune response comprising the virus recognizing pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), type 1 interferon production, pro- and anti-inflammatory immune response, and adaptive immune response) that help bats to control viral infection without getting a severe infection as compared to other mammals, including humans.

Part of the book: SARS-CoV-2 Origin and COVID-19 Pandemic Across the Globe

Introductory Chapter: The Journey of Inflammation and Inflammatory Disease Research - Past, Present, and Future

By Vijay Kumar

Part of the book: Inflammation in the 21st Century

Introductory Chapter: Macrophages – More than Sentinel Innate Immune Cells

By Vijay Kumar

Part of the book: Macrophages

Toll-Like Receptors in Immunity and Inflammation

By Vijay Kumar and John H. Stewart IV

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are critical components of innate immunity and serve as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). These PRRs recognize different microbe or pathogen-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs or PAMPs) and death/danger-associated molecular patterns to initiate the pro-inflammatory immune reaction in response to foreign and internal dangers. PRRs, including TLRs, also connects innate immunity to adaptive immunity. Furthermore, TLRs expressed on both innate and adaptive (T and B cells) immune cells regulate their functions. TLRs were first discovered in the common fruit fly or Drosophila melanogaster as genes controlling dorso-ventral body patterning during embryonic development. Immunological and scientific advances have led to the discovery of different TLRs (extra and intracellular) with diverse functions. The present chapter introduces the role of TLRs in immunity and inflammation and their expansion to mammalian reproduction and embryonic development, maintenance of immune homeostasis, health, and disease, specifically neurological disorders, including neurodegeneration and cancers.

Part of the book: Thirty Years since the Discovery of Toll-Like Receptors

Introductory Chapter: Evolution of Toll-Like Receptors

By Vijay Kumar and John H. Stewart IV

Part of the book: Thirty Years since the Discovery of Toll-Like Receptors

View all chapters

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