Currently, efforts are directed to i) understand the mechanism
involved in influencing the susceptibility of the cerebral cytochrome
P450s in the offsprings exposed prenatally to the pesticides, and ii)
identify genetic variations in drug metabolizing enzymes and their role
in determining subsite specificity in maliganacy of head & neck, and
iii) develop the expression profiles of blood lymphocyte cytochrome
P450s as a early biomarker to predict polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
(PAH) toxicity.
Summary of research
Dr. Devendra Parmar has
actively conducted basic and applied research work over the past 25
years. Dr. Parmar directed his efforts to develop capabilities and
expertise to i) identify the genes involved in xenobiotic metabolism in
brain, and ii) develop biomarkers, which could be used for predicting
individuals at risk to the toxicity of environmental chemicals and
adverse drugs effects. Major interest in the basic research has been
directed to identify the xenobiotic metabolizing cytochrome P450s (CYPs)
in brain, understanding substrate specificity, overlapping substrate
specificity with the endogenous substances affecting cerebral functions
and their role in neurotoxicity of drugs and environmental chemicals. He
also showed that prenatal exposure to pesticides imprints the
expression of CYPs in brain and liver in offsprings leading to
deleterious effects in the adulthood. The studies of Dr. Parmar
demonstrated the role of gene-environment interactions and association
of SNPs in drug metabolizing enzymes with tobacco induced head &
neck and lung cancer. Using the expression profiles of blood lymphocyte
CYPs (established by him in rodent model), he showed their expression
profiles could be used as a biomarker to monitor the disease as well as
its chemotherapeutic response.