Anjaparavanda P. Naren, PhD

Thomas Boat Chair in Cystic Fibrosis Research, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Research
Director, Cystic Fibrosis Research Center, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Research
Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics

brenda.mcmillan@cchmc.org

About

Biography

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a cAMP-regulated chloride channel located primarily on the apical surface of epithelial cells that line various organs, including the airways and the gut. CFTR dysfunction is detrimental and may result in life-threatening medical disorders. Dr. Naren's laboratory studies two such disorders; (1) Cystic fibrosis, a lethal genetic disease that affects mostly the Caucasian population (>30,000 in USA), in which the CFTR chloride channel is HYPO-functional and (2) Secretory diarrhea, a disease affecting millions of children worldwide, in which HYPER-function of the CFTR chloride channel can occur due to infectious toxins, such as cholera toxin and E. coli enterotoxin. His lab is interested in identifying interactions between CFTR and its binding partners and defining how spatiotemporal regulation of CFTR-containing macromolecular complexes in the apical compartment of polarized epithelial cells lining the secretory epithelia regulates overall fluid secretion. Our studies will identify new drug targets for cystic fibrosis, secretory diarrhea, and other diseases resulting from CFTR dysfunction and provide insights into the etiology of diseases associated with CFTR-interacting molecules.

Interests

Cystic fibrosis; secretory diarrhea.

Publications

Pulmonary vascular morphology in cystic fibrosis. Xiao, Q; Mylavarapu, G; Chmiel, JF; Fleck, R; Amoakon, J-P; Hossain, MM; Nakamura, A; Difrancesco, M; Paisley, A; Schuler, CL; Bates, A; Willmering, M; Naren, AP; Estépar, RSJ; Amin, R. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. 2026; 25(1):158-165.

Catalytic region mimetics in Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor 4 suppress guanylate cyclase 2C activity to regulate enterotoxin triggered diarrhea. Ramananda, Y; Liyanage, P; Huang, Y; Porollo, A; Hannig, G; Naren, AP; Arora, K. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2025; 301(10):110559.

186 Lung-on-a-chip approach to investigate calcium signaling dysregulation in cystic fibrosis. Roberts, M; Yi, S; Kim, H; Naren, A; Mun, K; Wikenheiser-Brokamp, K. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. 2025; 24:s107.

181 A novel patient-derived lung-on-a-chip model to study mucociliary clearance. Yi, R; Roberts, M; Kim, H; Wikenheiser-Brokamp, K; Naren, A; Mun, K. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. 2025; 24:s104a-ss105.

174 A 3D bioengineered human submucosal gland ductal model for studying mucociliary clearance in cystic fibrosis. Kim, H; Yi, S; Roberts, M; Zhao, S; Wikenheiser-Brokamp, K; Xu, Y; Naren, A; Mun, K. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. 2025; 24:s101.

Protocol for live-cell calcium imaging of human lung microvascular endothelial vessel-on-a-chip model. Ariyasinghe, N; Amoakon, J-P; Naren, AP. STAR Protocols. 2025; 6(3):104068.

Lipid Nanoparticle Delivery of iMDK Induces ATF3-Mediated Apoptosis in Sotorasib-Resistant KRAS Mutant Lung Cancer. Liu, B; Fink-Baldauf, IM; Stuart, WD; Jiang, C; Naren, AP; Shi, D; Guo, M; Whitsett, JA; Maeda, Y. Molecular Pharmaceutics. 2025; 22(9):5523-5532.

CFTR Gene Regulation in Human Pancreatic Duct, Bile Duct and Sweat Gland Epithelial Cells. Umrigar, A; Lovrenert, K; Kerschner, JL; Sharma, N; Tian, B; Melton, R; Mun, KS; Vaghela, N; Ogawa, M; Rosson, GD; Ogawa, S; Naren, AP; Gaulton, KJ; Leir, S-H; Harris, A. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. 2025; 29(15):e70751.

Photoaffinity Ligand of Cystic Fibrosis Corrector VX-445 Identifies SCCPDH as an Off-Target. Kim, M; Kim, K; Lee, J; Barny, LA; Scaggs, TD; Romaine, IM; Jeon, K; Codreanu, SG; Sherrod, SD; Mclean, JA; Naren, AP; Sulikowski, GA; Plate, L. ACS Chemical Biology. 2025; 20(7):1560-1573.

Development of a 3D bioengineered human lung submucosal gland ductal airway model to study mucociliary clearance in vitro. Kim, H; Yi, S; Liyanage, P; Zhao, S; Wikenheiser-Brokamp, KA; Mcmillin, L; Xu, Y; Kitzmiller, JA; Whitsett, JA; Naren, AP; Mun, KS. Cell Biomater. 2025; 1(2).

From the Blog

Tools for Science

Pancreas-On-A-Chip May Advance Cystic Fibrosis Research

Anjaparavanda P. "AP" Naren, PhD8/12/2019