Translational Research Laboratory

Cover story · Translational Research Laboratory

Our Research

Life depends on the daily death of hundreds of billions of cells. Yet, what happens to the genetic material released from these dying cells remains one of biology's least explored questions. Our laboratory investigates cell-free chromatin particles released by dying cells and their effects on living cells. We explore how these particles enter healthy cells, alter cellular function, and contribute to genomic instability, inflammation, ageing, cancer, metastasis, and treatment toxicity. Our research examines their assembly into autonomous satellite genomes, raising questions about non-coding DNA, horizontal gene transfer, genome plasticity, and evolution. We also investigate extracellular redox therapy using ultra-low doses of resveratrol and copper to neutralize these particles. Our vision is to establish cell-free chromatin biology as a biomedical field connecting cell death with health, disease, evolution, and innovative therapeutic opportunities.

Continue reading: Our Research →

The guiding principles of our laboratory

“If no one responds to your call, then go your own way alone”
-Rabindranath Tagore

“Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution”
-Theodosius Dobzhansky

“All knowledge is potentially fallible. Therefore, you can challenge anything.”
-Indraneel Mittra

Research Themes

Research theme 1.

Cell-free chromatin particles as drivers of evolutionary change

Together, these four papers propose that circulating cell-free chromatin particles (cfChPs) released during cell death are biologically active mobile genetic elements, not inert debris. They demonstrate that cfChPs can enter recipient cells, function as autonomous “satellite genomes,” mediate horizontal transfer of genetic information across cellular, species, and kingdom boundaries, mobilize transposable elements, and reveal evolutionary information encoded within non-coding DNA, with potential implications for genomic instability, disease, ageing, and mammalian evolution.

Publications in this theme (4) — view all →

Research theme 2.

Cell-free chromatin particles as pathological entities

Our research shows that extracellular cfChPs can readily enter healthy cells, reshape cellular function, and influence processes ranging from genomic instability and inflammation, to ageing, cancer, metastasis, and treatment-related toxicity.

Lines of enquiry

Publications in this theme (24) — view all →

Research theme 3.

Therapeutic Strategies: Neutralisation of Cell-free Chromatin

These studies establish the scientific rationale and translational potential of the pro-oxidant combination of resveratrol and copper (R–Cu). They demonstrate that R–Cu generates reactive oxygen species that selectively deactivate extracellular cell-free chromatin particles (cfChPs), thereby preventing their pathogenic effects. Across experimental models, R–Cu reduced chemotherapy toxicity, radiation-induced bystander effects, endotoxin sepsis, ageing and neurodegeneration, and systemic dissemination of oncogenic material. Clinical studies and exploratory trials in COVID-19, oral cancer, gastric cancer, multiple myeloma, and glioblastoma showed reduced treatment-related toxicities and attenuation of malignant hallmarks, supporting cfChP deactivation as a novel therapeutic strategy.

Publications in this theme (17) — view all →

Contributors — People

**Dr. Indraneel Mittra**
MBBS, PhD (London), FRCS (England), FASc, FNA
Founder and Head of the Laboratory

**Gorantla Venkata Raghuram, PhD**
Scientific Officer

**Snehal Shabrish, PhD**
Scientific Officer

**Naveen Kumar Khare, M.Sc**
Scientific Officer

**Ashish Pawar, M.Sc**
Scientific Officer

**Relestina Lopes, M.Sc**
Scientific Assistant

**Sushma Shinde, M.Sc**
Scientific Assistant

**Sudarshan Khedekar, B.Sc**
Lab Technician

Biographies, former members and group photographs →

In this issue — Selected Publications

Theme 1.
2025Banerjee, S., Shende, S. S., Kata, L., Lopes, R. S., Praveen, S., Joshi, R., ... & Mittra, I. (2025). Horizontally transferred cell-free chromatin particles function as autonomous ‘satellite genomes’ and vehicles for transposable elements within host cells. Elife, 13, RP103771. https://elifesciences.org/articles/103771
Theme 1.
2015Mittra, I. (2015). Circulating nucleic acids: a new class of physiological mobile genetic elements. F1000Research, 4, 924. https://f1000research.com/articles/4-924/v1
Theme 2.
2015Mittra, I., Khare, N. K., Raghuram, G. V., Chaubal, R., Khambatti, F., Gupta, D., ... & Dutt, A. (2015). Circulating nucleic acids damage DNA of healthy cells by integrating into their genomes. Journal of biosciences, 40(1), 91-111. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5779614/
Theme 2.
2022Pal, K., Raghuram, G. V., Dsouza, J., Shinde, S., Jadhav, V., Shaikh, A., ... & Mittra, I. (2022). A pro-oxidant combination of resveratrol and copper down-regulates multiple biological hallmarks of ageing and neurodegeneration in mice. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 17209. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-21388-w
Theme 3.
2024Mittra, I. (2024). Exploiting the damaging effects of ROS for therapeutic use by deactivating cell-free chromatin: the alchemy of resveratrol and copper. Frontiers in pharmacology, 15, 1345786. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2024.1345786/full
Theme 3.
2017Mittra, I., Pal, K., Pancholi, N., Shaikh, A., Rane, B., Tidke, P., ... & Nair, N. K. (2017). Prevention of chemotherapy toxicity by agents that neutralize or degrade cell-free chromatin. Annals of Oncology, 28(9), 2119-2127. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28911066

Our Publications: the complete list by theme →

In the Press — Media reports

The Hindu: Death of a bystander — The HinduDeath of a bystander

Research Features: Could a combination of two simple nutraceuticals slow down ageing disorders? — Research FeaturesCould a combination of two simple nutraceuticals slow down ageing disorders?

The Hindu: Can resveratrol-copper be used to prevent metastasis without trials? — The HinduCan resveratrol-copper be used to prevent metastasis without trials?

EurekAlert!: Uptake of DNA fragments from dying cells could redefine mammalian evolution and genomics — EurekAlert!Uptake of DNA fragments from dying cells could redefine mammalian evolution and genomics

All 14 media reports →

Correspondence

Address

Translational Research Laboratory
Ground floor, Khanolkar Shodhika
ACTREC, Kharghar
Navi Mumbai 410 210
India

indraneel.mittra@gmail.com

Head of the Laboratory

Dr. Indraneel Mittra