• Councilor, Mid-Atlantic Pharmacology Society (MAPS) Regional Chapter of the American Society for Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASPET) (2020-present)
• Mary DeWitt Pettit Fellowship, Drexel University College of Medicine (2017)
• Faculty Mentoring Award, PhD Programs at Drexel University College of Medicine (award based on votes cast by graduate students from all basic science departments in the Medical School) (2016)
• Rita Allen Foundation-American Pain Society Collaborative Scholars in Pain Program (2010-2013)

Visit the Ajit Lab.

Dr. Ajit's research focus is to understand the molecular mechanisms of pain with emphasis on epigenetics.

Aberrant miRNA expression is a common feature in a variety of human diseases, thus providing avenues for the identification of biomarkers and new opportunities for the discovery and validation of novel therapeutic targets. Currently Dr. Ajit's lab is studying miRNA regulation and their utility as biomarkers in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a chronic neuropathic pain condition. The lab has identified several differentially expressed miRNAs in CRPS patients, highlighting the potential utility of these miRNAs as biomarkers to group patients based on their disease etiology. We are evaluating the feasibility of testing miRNA fingerprints after administering therapeutic agents, with the goal of developing rigorous translational approaches to predict utility for novel therapeutics and clinical response.

One mode of miRNA transport in body fluids is via exosomes. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles originating from the inward budding of the plasma membrane. They carry mRNAs and miRNAs to recipient cells via circulation, with functional gene regulatory consequences. However, exosomes do not incorporate everything that is present in the parent cell, suggesting that this well-regulated process is dynamically altered by signaling cues. Thus, the composition of these vesicles varies depending on the source, the physiological conditions of cells releasing them and disease states. Exosome uptake results in modulation of gene expression in recipient cells and represents a novel mechanism of cellular communication. We are investigating alterations in composition, function and signaling mechanisms of small extracellular vesicles using in vitro approaches and rodent models of pain.

“Awards Ceremony Celebrates Graduate School Class of 2024”
(May 14, 2024)

“Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Announces Recent CURE Grant Recipients”
(August 14, 2023)

“Faculty Highlights: Recent Awards and Grants”
DrexelNow (March 10, 2023)

“Inflammatory pain resolution by mouse serum-derived small extracellular vesicles”
Lin Z, Luo X, Wickman JR, Reddy D, DaCunza JT, Pande R, Tian Y, Kasimoglu EE, Triana V, Lee J, Furdui CM, Pink D, Sacan A, Ajit SK
Brain Behav Immun. 2024 Sep 28:S0889-1591(24)00636-6. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.09.032. PMID: 39349284

“Epigenetic regulation in opioid induced hyperalgesia”
Reddy D, Wickman JR, Ajit SK
Neurobiol Pain. 2023 Nov 23;14:100146. doi: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2023.100146. eCollection 2023 Aug-Dec. PMID: 38099284

“Small Extracellular Vesicles From Spared Nerve Injury Model and Sham Control Mice Differentially Regulate Gene Expression in Primary Microglia”
Luo X, Jean-Toussaint R, Tian Y, Balashov SV, Sacan A, Ajit SK
J Pain. 2023 Sep;24(9):1570-1581. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.03.015. Epub 2023 Apr 11. PMID: 37044293

“Preclinical target validation for non-addictive therapeutics development for pain”
Hargreaves R, Akinsanya K, Ajit SK, Dhruv NT, Driscoll J, Farina P, Gavva N, Gill M, Houghton A, Iyengar S, Jones C, Kavelaars A, Kaykas A, Koroshetz WJ, Laeng P, Laird JM, Lo DC, Luthman J, Munro G, Oshinsky ML, Sittampalam GS, Woller SA, Tamiz AP
Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2022 Sep;26(9):811-822. doi: 10.1080/14728222.2022.2147063. PMID: 36424892

"Hsa-miR-605 regulates the proinflammatory chemokine CXCL5 in complex regional pain syndrome"
Pande R, Parikh A, Shenoda BB, Ramanathan S, Alexander GM, Schwartzman RJ, Ajit SK*
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 2021 Aug;140:111788. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111788

"Circulating miRNAs from the mouse tibia fracture model reflect the signature from complex regional pain syndrome patients"
Wickman JR, Luo X, Jean-Toussaint R, Sahbaie P, Guo TZ, Sacan A, Clark JD, Ajit SK*
Pain Reports 2021 Aug 24;6(3):e950. doi: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000000950. eCollection 2021 Sep-Oct. PMID: 34514274

"Differential RNA packaging into small extracellular vesicles by neurons and astrocytes"
Luo X, Jean-Toussaint R, Sacan A, and Ajit SK*
Cell Communication and Signaling 2021 Jul 10;19(1):75. doi: 10.1186/s12964-021-00757-4. PMID: 34246289

"Uptake of fluorescent labeled small extracellular vesicles in vitro and in spinal cord"
Gupta R, Luo X, Lin Z, Tian Y, Ajit SK*
JoVE J Vis Exp. 2021 May 23;(171). doi: 10.3791/62537. PMID: 34096919

Therapeutic and prophylactic effects of macrophage-derived small extracellular vesicles in the attenuation of inflammatory pain
Jean-Toussaint R, Lin Z, Tian Y, Gupta R, Pande R, Luo Z, Hu H, Sacan A, Ajit SK
Brain Behav Immun. :S0889-1591(21)00047-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.02.005. Online ahead of print. 2021 Feb 16

Xist attenuates acute inflammatory response by female cells
Shenoda BB, Ramanathan S, Gupta R, Tian Y, Jean-Toussaint R, Alexander GM, Addya S, Somarowthu S, Sacan A, Ajit SK
Cell Mol Life Sci., doi: 10.1007/s00018-020-03500-3. [Epub ahead of print], Mar 19, 2020, PMID: 32193609

Additional publications...