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

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, KO; Codreanu, SG; Sherrod, SD; McLean, JA; Naren, AP; Sulikowski, GA; Plate, L. ACS Chemical Biology. 2025; 20:1560-1573.

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. 2025; 1:100013.

EMC3 is critical for CFTR function and calcium mobilization in the mouse intestinal epithelium. Penrod, S; Tang, X; Moon, C; Whitsett, JA; Naren, AP; Huang, Y. American Journal of Physiology: Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. 2025; 328:G72-G82.

Defective CFTR modulates mechanosensitive channels TRPV4 and PIEZO1 and drives endothelial barrier failure. Amoakon, JP; Lee, J; Liyanage, P; Arora, K; Karlstaedt, A; Mylavarapu, G; Amin, R; Naren, AP. iScience. 2024; 27:110703.

213 Development of a novel lung-on-chip model for studying mucociliary clearance in human lung. Yi, S; Kim, H; Wikenheiser-Brokamp, K; Naren, A; Mun, K. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. 2024; 23:s116-s117.

398 New insights into CFTR-dependent conductive hearing loss. Liyanage, P; Naren, A; Hunter, L; Salomonis, N; Arora, K; Stripp, B; Ramananda, Y; Lee, J; Huang, Y; Ogden, H; Carraro, G. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. 2024; 23:s209.

184 Bioengineered three-dimensional cystic fibrosis lung airway model for drug testing. Kim, H; Yi, S; Wikenheiser-Brokamp, K; Naren, A; Mun, K. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. 2024; 23:s103-s104.

183 Adenylate cyclase 6 is required for cyclic adenosine monophosphate–dependent activation of CFTR to regulate mucociliary clearance in cystic fibrosis airways. Ramananda, Y; Pritchard, A; Yao, C; Carraro, G; Liyanage, P; Mun, K; Wikenheiser-Brokamp, K; Stripp, B; Dakshinamurti, S; Chelikani, P; Sorensen, J; Naren, A; Arora, K. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. 2024; 23:s103.

High frequency of germline variants in CFTR identified in PDAC patients enrolled in an expanded panel multi-gene panel testing program. Hendifar, A; Hitchins, M; Lauzon, M; Hatchell, KE; Heald, B; Pandol, S; Naren, AP; Osipov, A. HPB. 2024; 26:1082-1085.

Distinct positions of genetic and oral histories: Perspectives from India. Biddanda, A; Bandyopadhyay, E; de la Fuente Castro, C; Witonsky, D; Urban Aragon, JA; Pasupuleti, N; Moots, HM; Fonseca, R; Freilich, S; Stanisavic, J; Naren, AP; Sikdar, M; Rai, N; Raghavan, M. Human Genetics and Genomics Advances. 2024; 5:100305.

From the Blog

Tools for Science

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

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