Dr. Pendyala's Laboratory | Anesthesiology | University of Nebraska Medical Center

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Neuroinflammation associated with long-term use of psychostimulant drugs (methamphetamine, nicotine) at the synapse
Prenatal drug exposure and synaptic development
Application of novel anti-inflammatory drugs to attenuate inflammation at the synapse
Sex differences and drug abuse
Molecular mechanisms of microRNAs at the synapse
Role of extracellular vesicles in drug addiction and HIV infection

LAB PERSONNEL

	Vicki Schaal Research Technologist II		Sneh Koul Research Technologist I
	Murali Kuracha, PhD Postdoctoral Research Associate		Sneham Tiwari, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Research Associate
	Melissa Campbell Research Administrator		Kunal Sualy, MD Clinical Researcher
	Murali Devanaboyina High School Researcher		Jordan Hernandez Graduate Student
	Adrian Flores Graduate Student		Alex Schmitz Medical Student
	Colton Roessner Medical Student

Lab Alumni

	Nate Lombardo Research Scholar		Nate Zaroban Medical Student
	Rahul Guda Undergraduate Researcher		Gabriel Gallegos, MD Clinical Research Fellow
	Sid Gillella High School Researcher

Currently accepting PhD and MD/PhD students for graduate studies and lab rotations.

Positions available:
- Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Residents and Clinical Fellows with research interests in the neurobiology of drug addiction

Contact gpendyala@unmc.edu for more information.

LAB TECHNIQUES

Rodent animal models
Cell and Molecular biology
Biochemical Isolation of Synapses
In vitro primary (neuronal, glial) and mixed cultures
High throughput “Omics” approaches (Genomics, Transcriptomics, Proteomic)

LAB NEWS

CURRENT FUNDING

Child Health Research Institute/UNMC/Children's Hospital & Medical Center
Award Period: 07/01/2020 – 06/30/2021
Title: The conundrum of opioid use in the NICU: Providing comfort or aggravating development?
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Sualy)

COBRE - Nebraska Center for Nanomedicine Pilot project
Award Period: 03/01/2019-12/31/2020
Title: “Characterizing Synaptic Architecture in Pre and Postnatal Oxycodone Exposed Offspring Using Clarity”
Role: Principal Investigator

Child Health Research Institute/UNMC/Children's Hospital & Medical Center
Award Period: 02/01/2020 - 01/31/2021
Title: Cord blood extracellular vesicle proteins as novel biomarkers to screen newborns exposed to intrauterine prescription opioids
Role: Principal Investigator

U2-18-FU910, National Strategic Research Institute/University of Nebraska
Award Period: 01/06/2020 - 01/05/2021
Title: Medical Countermeasure Drug Discovery & Development
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Bayles/Berkowitz)

NIH/NIDA-R21DA049577
Award Period: 9/30/2019 to 8/31/2023
Title: "High-throughput integrated magneto electrochemical exosome (HIMEX) platform to identify neurodevelopmental markers associated with pre and postnatal oxycodone exposure"
Role: Principal Investigator

NIH/NEI R01EY030507
Award Period: 09/01/2019-05/31/2024
Title: “Influence of Ocular hypertension on neurons and synapses in the visual thalamus”
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Van Hook)

NIH/NIDA-RO1DA046852
Award Period: 9/30/2018 to 6/30/2023
Title: "Extracellular vesicles, meth relapse, and sex differences"
Role: Principal Investigator

NIH/NIDA-DA046284
Award Period: 04/15/2019-03/31/2021
Title: "Therapeutic Efficacy of Ibudilast to Attenuate Inflammation at the Synapse"
Role: Principal Investigator

PREVIOUS FUNDING

NE DHHS LB506- 2020-42
Award Period: 07/01/2019-06/30/2020
Title: " Nicotine Addiction and Sex Differences: Role of Extracellular Vesicles"
Role: Principal Investigator

UNMC Office of Vice Chancellor of Research Core grant
Award Period: 01/01/2018-12/31/2018
“Oxycodone Exposure and Synaptic Development”
Role: Principal Investigator

Nebraska Center for Substance Abuse Research
Award Period: 11/1/17-10/31/18
Title: “Systems biology approach to identify novel blood biomarkers associated with opioid tapering”
Role: Principal Investigator

COBRE - Nebraska Center for Nanomedicine Pilot project
Award Period: 01/01/2018-06/30/2018
Title: “In vivo neuroimaging of brain metabolites after oxycodone exposure”
Role: Principal Investigator

Nebraska Research Initiative
Award Period: 07/1/15-06/30/17
Title: “Ageing and NeuroAIDS: Decoding the synapse”
Role: Co- Principal Investigator

IDEA Award, Department of Defense
Award Period: 09/30/13-09/29/16
Title: “Mechanisms of synaptic alterations in a neuroinflammation model of Autism”
Role: Co- Investigator

Nebraska Research Initiative
Award Period: 07/1/12-06/30/14
Title: “Strategies to prevent relapse in chronic methamphetamine users”
Role: Principal Investigator

NE DHHS –LB506 2014-04B
Award Period: 07/1/13-06/30/14
Title: “Sex Differences in Nicotine addiction: A systems approach to decipher the synapse”
Role: Principal Investigator

Gurudutt Pendyala, PhD, and Vicki Schaal, MS, prepare research materials in Dr. Pendyala's lab.

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS
(Past two years)

Shahjin, F.; Guda, R.S.; Schaal, V.L.; Odegaard, K.; Clark, A.; Gowen, A.; Xiao, P.; Lisco, S.J.; Pendyala, G.; Yelamanchili, S.V. Brain-Derived Extracellular Vesicle microRNA Signatures Associated with In Utero and Postnatal Oxycodone Exposure. Cells 2020, 9, 21.

CNS organoids: an innovative tool for neurological disease modeling and drug neurotoxicity screening. Chhibber T, Bagchi S, Lahooti B, Verma A, Al-Ahmed A, Paul MK, Pendyala G, Jayant RD. Drug Discov Today. 2019 Nov 26. pii: S1359-6446(19)30452-0. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2019.11.010. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PMID: 31783130

Moore D, Meays BM, Madduri LSV, Shahjin F, Chand S, Niu M, Albahrani A, Guda C, Pendyala G, Fox HS, Yelamanchili SV. "Downregulation of an Evolutionary Young miR-1290 in an iPSC-Derived Neural Stem Cell Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder." Stem Cells Int. 2019 May 2;2019:8710180. doi: 10.1155/2019/8710180. eCollection 2019. PMID: 31191687

Pittenger SA, Schaal VL, Moore D, Guda RS, Koul S, Yelamanchili SV, Bevins RA and Pendyala G# (2018) “MicroRNA cluster miR199a/214 are differentially expressed in female and male rats following nicotine self- administration” Scientific Reports 8:17464 doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-35747-z #Corresponding author

Thangaraj A, Periyasamy P, Liao K, Bendi VS, Callen S, Pendyala G, Buch S.HIV-1 TAT-mediated microglial activation: Role of mitochondrial dysfunction and defective mitophagy. Autophagy. 2018 Jul 3. doi: 10.1080/15548627.2018.1476810. PMID: 29966509 [Epub ahead of print]

Pendyala G, Chou S, Jung Y, Coiro P, Spartz E, Ragunatham P, Li M and Dunaevsky A (2017) “Maternal immune activation causes behavioral impairments and altered cerebellar cytokine and synaptic protein expression” Neuropsychopharmacology 42(7):1435-1446.

Hu, G, Liao K, Yang L, Pendyala G, Kook Y, Fox HS and Buch S (2017) “Tat-mediated induction of miRs-34a & 138 promotes astrocytic activation via down regulation of SIRT1: Implications for aging in HAND” Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology 12(3):420-432.

Pendyala G, Marcario JK, Riazi M, Fleming K, Marquis J, Lisco SJ, Cheney PD and Buch SJ (2016) “Effect of morphine on behavioral task performance in SIV-infected rhesus macaques” Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology Jun; 11(2): 348-375.

Charnitkov S, Pittenger S, Thapa I, Bastola DR, Bevins RA and Pendyala G# (2015) “Ibudilast reverses the decrease in the synaptic signaling protein phosphatidyl ethanolamine- binding protein 1 produced by chronic methamphetamine intake in rats” Drug and Alcohol Dependence Jul 1; 152:15-23

Pendyala G, Perisamy P, Callen S, Fox HS, Lisco SJ and Buch S (2015) “Chronic SIV and Morphine treatment increases heat shock protein 5 expression at the synapse” Journal of Neurovirology Oct; 21(5): 592-8.

Coiro P, Ragunathan P, Anand S, Spartz E, Pendyala G, Chou C, Jung Y, Meays B, Roy S, Li M and Dunaevsky A (2015) "Impaired Synaptic Development in a Maternal Immune Activation Mouse Model of Neurodevelopmental Disorders" Brain, Behavior and Immunity 50: 249-58.

Additional Publications in Pubmed. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/1NwKZMtTqHnQJ/bibliography/47962309/public/?sort=date&direction=descending

COLLABORATORS

	Rick Bevins, PhD Dept. of Psychology, UNL		Shilpa Buch, PhD Dept. of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, UNMC
	Siddappa Byrareddy, PhD Dept. of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, UNMC		Sowmya Yelamanchili, PhD Dept. of Anesthesiology, UNMC
	Hakho Lee, PhD Dept. of Radiology, Harvard University		Cristina Woo, PhD Dept. of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University
	Mohanad Shukry, MD Dept. of Anesthesiology, UNMC		Ann Anderson Berry, MD, PhD Dept. of Pediatrics, UNMC
	Rahul Jayant, PhD School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

LAB PHOTOS