Ganjana Lertmemongkolchai

Ganjana Lertmemongkolchai

Assistant Professor

Chiang Mai University / Khon Kaen University, Thailand

Tel: +66 43203825

Email: ganja_le@kku.ac.th

 

 

 

VALIDATE Role:

Network Investigator

 

Research Keywords: 

Melioidosis; Burkholderia pseudomallei; non tuberculous mycobacteria; NTM; TB; bacterial sepsis; human immune response to infections; host susceptibility to infections

 

Biography

Dr. Lertmemongkolchai has spent the last 20 years working on neglected tropical diseases,  specifically melioidosis and more broadly sepsis and diabetes mellitus. Her core expertise is in cellular immunology, and her laboratory at Khon Kaen University in Thailand, underpins major collaborative studies in human cellular immunology, host-pathogen interaction and biomarker research by analyzing human immune functions, blood signatures from whole genome expression profiling, large scale T cell epitope mapping and B cell epitope discovery. Recently her laboratory has extended to Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Thailand which is now her primary affiliation.

In her long term collaboration with Prof. Gregory Bancroft at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Dr. Manabu Ato at National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo, together with international collaborators in 14 countries worldwide, her research group has expanded the studies of human cellular immune functions in response to Burkholderia pseudomallei, non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and TB, particularly pro-inflammatory cytokines, cytokine producing cells, memory T and B cells, primary macrophages and neutrophils in the context of diabetes mellitus, anti-diabetic medication and haemoglobinopathies leading to host susceptibility to the infections. The information obtained from these studies has facilitated the vaccine development and supported the concept of precision medicine, in particular ‘one-size vaccine does not fit all’.

 

Related Websites: 

Khon Kaen University

 

Key Publications:

Available on ORCID

  • Nithichanon, A; Tussakhon, I; Samer, W; Kewcharoenwong, C; Ato, M; Bancroft, GJ;  Lertmemongkolchai*, G. Immune responses in beta-thalassaemia: heme oxygenase 1 reduces cytokine production and bactericidal activity of human leucocytes. Sci Rep, 2020  vol. 10(1) p. 10297. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-67346-2
  • Nithichanon, A; Chetchotisakd, P; Matsumura, T; Takahashi, Y; Ato, M; Sakagami, T; Lertmemongkolchai*, G. Diagnosis of NTM active infection in lymphadenopathy patients with anti-interferon-gamma auto-antibody using inhibitory ELISA vs. indirect ELISA. Sci Rep, 2020 vol. 10(1) p.8968. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65933-x
  • Kewcharoenwong, C; Saenwongsa, W; Willcocks, SJ; Bancroft, GJ; Fletcher, HA;  Lertmemongkolchai*, G. Glibenclamide alters interleukin-8 and interleukin-1β of primary human monocytes from diabetes patients against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Tuberculosis (Edinb), 2020 vol. 123 p. 101939. doi.org/10.1016/j.tube.2020.101939
  • Sangwichian, O; Whistler, T; Nithichanon, A; Kewcharoenwong, C; Sein, MM; Arayanuphum, C; Chantratita, N; Lertmemongkolchai*, G. Adapting Microarray Gene Expression Signatures for Early Melioidosis Diagnosis. J. Clin. Microbiol., 2020 vol. 58(7): Doi.org/10.1128/JCM.01906-19,
  • Kewcharoenwong, C; Schuster, GU; Wessells, KR; Hinnouho, GM; Barffour, MA; Kounnavong, S; Brown, KH; Hess, SY; Samer, W; Tussakhon, I; Peerson, JM; Lertmemongkolchai*, G; Stephensen*, CB. Daily Preventive Zinc Supplementation, Decreases Lymphocyte and Eosinophil Concentrations in Rural Laotian Children from Communities with a High Prevalence of Zinc Deficiency: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial. J. Nutr., 2020 vol. 150(8) pp. 2204-2213.
  • Saenwongsa, W; Nithichanon, A; Chittaganpitch, M; Buayai, K; Kewcharoenwong, C; Thumrongwilainet, B; Butta, P; Palaga, T; Takahashi, Y; Ato, M; Lertmemongkolchai*, G. Metformin-induced suppression of IFN-α via mTORC1 signalling following seasonal vaccination is associated with impaired antibody responses in type 2 diabetes. Sci Rep, 2020 vol. 10(1) p. 3229. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-60213-0
  • Kewcharoenwong, C; Prabowo, SA; Bancroft, GJ; Fletcher*, HA; Lertmemongkolchai*, G. Glibenclamide Reduces Primary Human Monocyte functions Against Tuberculosis Infection by Enhancing M2 Polarization. Front Immunol, 2018 vol. 9 p. 2109. doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.02109
  • Nithichanon A, Rinchai D, Buddhisa S, Saenmuang P, Kewcharoenwong C, Kessler B,  Khaenam P, Chetchotisakd P, Maillere B, Robinson J, Reynolds CJ, Boyton RJ, Altmann* DM, Lertmemongkolchai* G. Immune Control of Burkholderia pseudomallei--Common,  High-Frequency T-Cell Responses to a Broad Repertoire of Immunoprevalent Epitopes. Front Immunol. 2018 Mar 20;9:484. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00484. eCollection 2018
  • Chetchotisakd*, P; Anunnatsiri, S; Nanagara, R; Nithichanon, A; Lertmemongkolchai, G. Intravenous Cyclophosphamide Therapy for Anti-IFN-Gamma Autoantibody-Associated Mycobacterium abscessus Infection. J Immunol Res, 2018 vol. 2018 p. 6473629. doi.org/10.1155/2018/6473629.