Raj Shankar
Encyclopedia
Raj Shankar was an Indian biochemist
. His main fields of specialization were neurobiochemistry and clinical biochemistry. His contributions on neurochemistry
are well recognized and he had been invited to deliver lectures in various prestigious conferences.
Shankar studied developmental neurobiology with special emphasis on malnutrition
during the brain growth spurt. His work clearly established that undernutrition during brain development causes some irreversible changes. In 1991, work carried out in Texas and Yale
with Magnetic Resonance Imaging
by other workers confirmed some of the conclusions of Shankar's work. Work done during last few years of his life on developing brain show that signal transduction
mechanisms are affected due to nutritional stress during brain development.
He also studied biochemical aspects of mode of action of drugs on the central nervous system
. Apart from work on reserpine
done earlier and published in Nature and Biochemical Pharmacology, in 1987 he established that the barbiturate
pentobarbitone affects protein phosphorylation
in the brain. This work is important for the mode of action of drugs like haloperidol
and trifluoperazine
. Shankar's work in clinical biochemistry was mainly concerned with lipoprotein
metabolism
. At the time of his death, he had over 80 publications in international and national academic journals.
degree with major courses in Botany
, Zoology
, and Chemistry
from Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University. In 1966 he received his M.Sc.
degree in Biochemistry
from the Lucknow University. Shankar began his career studying lipid metabolism in mycobacteria at the University of Delhi
. He then traveled to the University of British Columbia
(UBC) to study for his Ph.D.
degree in Biochemistry under Professor Judah Hirsch Quastel,a British-Canadian biochemist who pioneered diverse research in neurochemistry
, soil metabolism, cellular metabolism
, and cancer
. At UBC, Shankar studied cerebral metabolism during anoxia
. This work showed that tetrodotoxin
stimulates anaerobic glycolysis
and these findings led to the conclusion that at the onset of anoxia,and in the absence of tetrodotoxin action potentials are generated.
Upon graduation, he returned to India and joined the faculty of Banaras Hindu University
( Department of Biochemistry , IMS-BHU
), in Varanasi
, India. Here he began his work on malnutrition and brain development. His work with malnourished rats demonstrated that Na+K+ ATPase (an essential neuronal enzyme) show decreased activity during malnutrition.He also chaired as the Head Of the Department Of Biochemistry at IMS-BHU
.
is a strong inhibitor of lipid peroxidation and protein phosphorylation
in the brain. Shankar's work established that reserpine affects the cationic content of the rat brain and proposed that this may be related to release of monoamines at the synapse
.
In the early 1980s, Shankar demonstrated that there is a relationship between high density lipoprotein
and premature atherosclerosis
in patients with renal failure
published in The LANCET.
are caused by a phosphorylation-related problem with protein folding. This influenced Alzheimer's research for years to come.
In his last work he showed that sites in proteins damaged due to free radicals can be accurately determined by carbonylation studies and could have been developed as an accurate method to denote relation between chronological age and biological age after free radical induced damage.
Paying tribute to him, the Professor Raj Shankar Memorial Gold Medal is given to a top student in Biological Sciences every year at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University (Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.)
Biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
. His main fields of specialization were neurobiochemistry and clinical biochemistry. His contributions on neurochemistry
Neurochemistry
Neurochemistry is the specific study of neurochemicals, which include neurotransmitters and other molecules such as neuro-active drugs that influence neuron function. This principle closely examines the manner in which these neurochemicals influence the network of neural operation...
are well recognized and he had been invited to deliver lectures in various prestigious conferences.
Shankar studied developmental neurobiology with special emphasis on malnutrition
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess , or in the wrong proportions....
during the brain growth spurt. His work clearly established that undernutrition during brain development causes some irreversible changes. In 1991, work carried out in Texas and Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
with Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
by other workers confirmed some of the conclusions of Shankar's work. Work done during last few years of his life on developing brain show that signal transduction
Signal transduction
Signal transduction occurs when an extracellular signaling molecule activates a cell surface receptor. In turn, this receptor alters intracellular molecules creating a response...
mechanisms are affected due to nutritional stress during brain development.
He also studied biochemical aspects of mode of action of drugs on the central nervous system
Central nervous system
The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...
. Apart from work on reserpine
Reserpine
Reserpine is an indole alkaloid antipsychotic and antihypertensive drug that has been used for the control of high blood pressure and for the relief of psychotic symptoms, although because of the development of better drugs for these purposes and because of its numerous side-effects, it is rarely...
done earlier and published in Nature and Biochemical Pharmacology, in 1987 he established that the barbiturate
Barbiturate
Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system depressants, and can therefore produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to total anesthesia. They are also effective as anxiolytics, as hypnotics, and as anticonvulsants...
pentobarbitone affects protein phosphorylation
Phosphorylation
Phosphorylation is the addition of a phosphate group to a protein or other organic molecule. Phosphorylation activates or deactivates many protein enzymes....
in the brain. This work is important for the mode of action of drugs like haloperidol
Haloperidol
Haloperidol is a typical antipsychotic. It is in the butyrophenone class of antipsychotic medications and has pharmacological effects similar to the phenothiazines....
and trifluoperazine
Trifluoperazine
Trifluoperazine is a typical antipsychotic of the phenothiazine chemical class.- Uses :...
. Shankar's work in clinical biochemistry was mainly concerned with lipoprotein
Lipoprotein
A lipoprotein is a biochemical assembly that contains both proteins and lipids water-bound to the proteins. Many enzymes, transporters, structural proteins, antigens, adhesins, and toxins are lipoproteins...
metabolism
Metabolism
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in the cells of living organisms to sustain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories...
. At the time of his death, he had over 80 publications in international and national academic journals.
Early career
In 1964 he obtained his B.Sc.Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree with major courses in Botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
, Zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
, and Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
from Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University. In 1966 he received his M.Sc.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree in Biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
from the Lucknow University. Shankar began his career studying lipid metabolism in mycobacteria at the University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
. He then traveled to the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
(UBC) to study for his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degree in Biochemistry under Professor Judah Hirsch Quastel,a British-Canadian biochemist who pioneered diverse research in neurochemistry
Neurochemistry
Neurochemistry is the specific study of neurochemicals, which include neurotransmitters and other molecules such as neuro-active drugs that influence neuron function. This principle closely examines the manner in which these neurochemicals influence the network of neural operation...
, soil metabolism, cellular metabolism
Metabolism
Metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that happen in the cells of living organisms to sustain life. These processes allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. Metabolism is usually divided into two categories...
, and cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. At UBC, Shankar studied cerebral metabolism during anoxia
Hypoxia (medical)
Hypoxia, or hypoxiation, is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply. Variations in arterial oxygen concentrations can be part of the normal physiology, for example, during strenuous physical exercise...
. This work showed that tetrodotoxin
Tetrodotoxin
Tetrodotoxin, also known as "tetrodox" and frequently abbreviated as TTX, sometimes colloquially referred to as "zombie powder" by those who practice Vodou, is a potent neurotoxin with no known antidote. There have been successful tests of a possible antidote in mice, but further tests must be...
stimulates anaerobic glycolysis
Anaerobic glycolysis
Anaerobic glycolysis is the transformation of glucose to pyruvate when limited amounts of oxygen are available. Anaerobic glycolysis is only an effective means of energy production during short, intense exercise, providing energy for a period ranging from 10 seconds to 2 minutes...
and these findings led to the conclusion that at the onset of anoxia,and in the absence of tetrodotoxin action potentials are generated.
Upon graduation, he returned to India and joined the faculty of Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
( Department of Biochemistry , IMS-BHU
IMS-BHU
The Institute Of Medical Sciences is one of the three institutes of Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India and comprises three faculties:...
), in Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, India. Here he began his work on malnutrition and brain development. His work with malnourished rats demonstrated that Na+K+ ATPase (an essential neuronal enzyme) show decreased activity during malnutrition.He also chaired as the Head Of the Department Of Biochemistry at IMS-BHU
IMS-BHU
The Institute Of Medical Sciences is one of the three institutes of Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India and comprises three faculties:...
.
Contributions to the field
He and his team later found that reserpineReserpine
Reserpine is an indole alkaloid antipsychotic and antihypertensive drug that has been used for the control of high blood pressure and for the relief of psychotic symptoms, although because of the development of better drugs for these purposes and because of its numerous side-effects, it is rarely...
is a strong inhibitor of lipid peroxidation and protein phosphorylation
Phosphorylation
Phosphorylation is the addition of a phosphate group to a protein or other organic molecule. Phosphorylation activates or deactivates many protein enzymes....
in the brain. Shankar's work established that reserpine affects the cationic content of the rat brain and proposed that this may be related to release of monoamines at the synapse
Synapse
In the nervous system, a synapse is a structure that permits a neuron to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another cell...
.
In the early 1980s, Shankar demonstrated that there is a relationship between high density lipoprotein
High density lipoprotein
High-density lipoprotein is one of the five major groups of lipoproteins, which, in order of sizes, largest to smallest, are chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, LDL, and HDL, which enable lipids like cholesterol and triglycerides to be transported within the water-based bloodstream...
and premature atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which an artery wall thickens as a result of the accumulation of fatty materials such as cholesterol...
in patients with renal failure
Renal failure
Renal failure or kidney failure describes a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter toxins and waste products from the blood...
published in The LANCET.
Legacy
One of Shankar's most lasting contributions is his discovery that the cognitive defects in Alzheimer's diseaseAlzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
are caused by a phosphorylation-related problem with protein folding. This influenced Alzheimer's research for years to come.
In his last work he showed that sites in proteins damaged due to free radicals can be accurately determined by carbonylation studies and could have been developed as an accurate method to denote relation between chronological age and biological age after free radical induced damage.
Paying tribute to him, the Professor Raj Shankar Memorial Gold Medal is given to a top student in Biological Sciences every year at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University (Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.)
Awards and Fellowships
- 1960-62 Awarded Merit Scholarship under 2nd year plan in India.
- 1964-66 Awarded Atomic Energy Scholarship by the Atomic Energy Commission (India).
- 1966-67 Awarded CSIR Junior Research Fellowship at V.P Chest Institute,University of Delhi.
- 1967-71 Awarded various scholarships including prestigious University of British Columbia Graduate Fellowship at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver B.C,Canada.
- Elected member of International Brain Research Organization in 1979.
- In 1999 elected as Executive member of Neuroscience Society of India.
- Elected Lifetime Member of Association of Clinical Biochemists Of India.