Shekhar Kumar, PhD

faculty photo
Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Hematology)
Department: Pediatrics

Contact information
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
310 C Abramson Research Building
3615 Civic Center Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215-590-0333
Education:
BS (Biotechnology)
Patna University, Patna, India, 2000.
MS (Biotechnology)
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, 2003.
PhD (Biochemistry)
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India, 2010.
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Description of Research Expertise

Our laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms of blood clot formation with the goal of developing knowledge-based strategies to prevent excessive clotting or bleeding.

We use tools of biochemistry and structural biophysics to explore how macromolecular interactions involved in the assembly of the coagulation complexes modulates enzyme’s function, and how deviation from the normal function leads to bleeding or thrombosis.

In this effort we are combining concepts and approaches from structural biology and biochemistry to investigate the complex interplay of clotting factors in the blood coagulation process. Our repertoire of structural approaches includes x-ray crystallography, small angle x-ray scattering, hydrogen-deuterium exchange, and single molecule reconstruction by cryo-electron microscopy. These complementary capabilities bring an innovative approach to the field of coagulation biology.

Keywords: blood coagulation, coagulation factor, serine protease, proteolytic enzymes, thrombosis, factor V/Va, thrombin, factor X/Xa, factor VIII/VIIIa, prothrombinase, tenase

Selected Publications

Shekhar Kumar, Haixiang Yu, Bruce A. Sullenger, Sriram Krishnaswamy: "X-Ray Structures of Thrombin Bound to Heterobifunctional Aptamer-Drug Conjugates Reveal the Mechanistic Basis for a Novel Tethered Inhibition Strategy" International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Annual Meeting, 2023, Montreal, CA 2023.

Soule EE, Yu H, Olson L, Naqvi I, Kumar S, Krishnaswamy S, Sullenger BA.: Generation of an anticoagulant aptamer that targets factor V/Va and disrupts the FVa-membrane interaction in normal and COVID-19 patient samples. Cell Chem Biol 29: 215-225, 2022.

Shekhar Kumar, Haixiang Yu, Bruce A. Sullenger, Sriram Krishnaswamy: "X-Ray Structure of Thrombin Bound to a Heterobifunctional Aptamer-Drug Conjugate Reveals the Mechanistic Basis for a Novel Tethered Inhibition Strategy" Blood (2022) 140 (Supplement 1): 1668–1669. 2022.

Vandna Sharma, Shekhar Kumar, Girish Sahni: Kringles of substrate plasminogen provide a “catalytic switch” in plasminogen to plasmin turnover by Streptokinase. Biochemical Journal 477 (5): 953–970, 2020.

Gunaratne, R*., Kumar, S*., Frederiksen, J.W., Stayrook, S., Lohrmann, J.L., Perry, K., Bompiani, K.M., Chabada, C.V., Thalji, N.K., Ho, M.D., Arepally, G., Camire, R.M., Krishnaswamy, K., and Sullenger, B.A: Combination of aptamer and drug for reversible anticoagulation in cardiopulmonary bypass. Nature Biotechnology 36(7): 606-613, 2018 Notes: * Co-first author, Featured as Paper of the Month by Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society.

Pooja Sawhney, Shekhar Kumar, Neeraj Maheshwari, Sumeet Singh Guleria, Neelam Dhar, Radhika Kashyup, Girish Sahni: Site-Specific Thiol-mediated PEGylation of Streptokinase Leads to Improved Properties with Clinical Potential. Current Pharmaceutical Design 22(38): 5868-5878, 2016.

S Kumar, S Krishnaswamy: Thrombin Formation In: Gonzalez E., Moore H., Moore E. (eds) Trauma Induced Coagulopathy. Springer, Cham Page: 55-74, 2016.

Kumar, S., Deng, W., Stayrook, S., Li, R., Camire, R., and Krishnaswamy S: Structural Basis for the Procofactor to Cofactor Transition in Human Factor V. 45th Annual Philadelphia workshop on Hemostasis, Thrombosis, and Atherosclerosis, Philadelphia, 2016 (Oral presentation). 45th Annual Philadelphia workshop on Hemostasis, Thrombosis, and Atherosclerosis, Philadelphia, 2016 (Oral presentation) 2016.

S Kumar, W Deng, S Stayrook, R Li, RM Camire, S Krishnaswamy: Structural Basis for the Procofactor to Cofactor Transition in Human Factor V American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, San Diego, 2016, Blood (2016) 128 (22), 253-253. (Oral presentation) 2016.

S Kumar, S Stayrook, RM Camire, S Krishnaswamy: The X-Ray Structure of a Variant of Human Factor V Provides Structural Insights into the Procofactor Activation Paradox Blood 126 (23): 121-121, 2015.

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Last updated: 09/06/2023
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