Hitendra S Chand, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Department of Immunology,

Center of Personalized Nanomedicine

Institute for NeuroImmune Pharmacology

Email: , Ph. +1-305-348-0674

Dr. Chand received his PhD from the University of Delhi, India and got his postdoctoral training in Department of Pathology at UNM Health Science Center, Albuquerque, NM. As an Assistant Professor (Research) at Center for Infectious Diseases and Immunology (CIDI), UNM School of Medicine Dr. Chand worked on systems based biology to study opportunistic pulmonary infectious diseases. He pursued his interest in respiratory biology at LRRI where he investigated the molecular mechanisms involved in programmed cell death and inflammation using the experimental animal models of airway diseases.

His primary research interest involves understanding the mechanisms of inflammation and remodeling in chronic diseases by undertaking the combination of cellular, molecular, and animal model approaches.

Current projects include:

Investigating the mechanisms of cell survival and death pathways

Understanding the role of inflammatory mediators on mucous secretion

  • Effect of substance abuse, pollutants, and viral infection on COPD progression
  • Nano-delivery to upper and lower airways
  • Targeting airway diseases with nanotechnology

Selected Publication

  1. Singh SP, Chand HS, et al., “HIF-1α Plays a Critical Role in the Gestational Sidestream Smoke-Induced Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Mice.” PLOS One. 2015 10(9): e0137757. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0137757.
  2. Wu Z, Hu CA, Wu G, Zhaorigetu S, Chand H, et. al., "Intimacy and a deadly feud: the interplay of autophagy and apoptosis mediated by amino acids." Amino Acids. 2015 Oct; 47(10):2089-99.
  3. Awji EG, Chand HS, Bruse S, Smith KR, Colby JK, Mebratu Y, Levy BD, Tesfaigzi Y. Wood Smoke Enhances Cigarette Smoke-Induced Inflammation by Inducing the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Repressor in Airway Epithelial Cells. Am. J. Respir. Cell. Mol. Biol. 2015 Mar; 52(3): 377-86.
  4. Chand HS, Montano G, Huang X, Randell SC, Petersen H, and Tesfaigzi Y. A variant in the proline-rich domain of p53 restricts the mucus secretory phenotype by regulating SPDEF and Bcl-2 expression. Nature Communications. 2014. Nov 27; 5:5567.
  5. Nyunoya T, Mebratu Y, Contreras A, Delgado-Vargas M, Chand HS and Tesfaigzi Y: Molecular Processes that Drive Cigarette Smoke-Induced Effects on Epithelial Cells of the Lung. Am. J. Resp. Cell Mol. Biol. 2014; 50(3):471-82.
  6. Contreras AU, Mebratu Y, Hu CA, Ryter SW, Choi AMK, Lin Y, Xiang J, Chand H, and Tesfaigzi Y. Deacetylation of p53 Induces Autophagy by Suppressing Bmf Expression. J. Cell Biol. 2013; 201:427-437.
  7. Singh SP, Gundavarapu S, Smith KR, Chand HS, et al. Gestational Exposure of Mice to Secondhand Cigarette Smoke Causes Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Blocked by the Nicotinic Receptor Antagonist Mecamylamine. Environ. Health Perspect. 2013; 121(8):957-64.
  8. Chand HS, Woldegiorgis Z, Schwalm K, McDonald J and Tesfaigzi Y. Acute Inflammation Induces IGF-1 to Mediate Bcl-2 and Muc5ac Expression in Airway Epithelial Cells. Am. J. Resp. Cell Mol. Biol.2012; 47(6):784-791.
  9. Chand HS, Harris JF, Mebratu Y, Chen Y, Wright P, Randell SH, Hotchkiss J and Tesfaigzi Y. Intracellular IGF-I Induces Bcl-2 Expression in Airway Epithelial Cells. J. Immunol. 2012; 188(9): 4581-4589.
  10. Chand HS, Schuyler M, Joste N, Hensler C, Tesfaigzi Y, Masten B, Schrader R and Lipscomb MF. Anti-IgE Therapy Results in Decreased Myeloid Dendritic Cells in Asthmatic Airways. J Allergy Clin. Immunol.2010; 125(5):1157-1158.
  11. Hansen SJ, Rushton J, Dekonenko A, Chand HS, et al., Cowpox virus inhibits human dendritic cell immune function by nonlethal, nonproductive infection. Virology. 2011; 412(2):411-425.
  12. Chand HS, Drysdale M, Lovchik J, Koehler TM, Lipscomb MF, and Lyons CR. Discriminating virulence mechanisms among Bacillus anthracis strains by using a murine subcutaneous infection model. Infect Immun. 2009; 77(1):429-5.
  13. Chand HS, Foster DC, and Kisiel W. Structure, Function and Biology of Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor-2. Thrombosis & Haemostasis. 2005; 94 (5): 1122-30.
  14. Chand HS, Schmidt AE, Bajaj SP, and Kisiel W. Structure-Function Analysis of the Reactive Site in the First Kunitz-type Domain of Human Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor-2. J. Biol. Chem. 2004; 279(17):17500-7.
  15. Chand HS, Du X, Ma D, Inzunza HD, Kamei S, Foster D, Brodie S, and Kisiel W. The Effect of Human Tissue factor Pathway Inhibitor-2 on the Growth and Metastasis of Fibrosarcoma Tumors in Athymic Mice. BLOOD. 2004; 103(3):1069-77.