Saptarshi Biswas Laboratory

Research

The CNS neurovascular unit (NVU) is composed of multiple cell-types that communicate with each other either directly or via the vascular basement membrane. Dr. Biswas is fascinated with the intricate interaction among various NVU components that guide and modulate vascular development in the central nervous system (CNS).

During both his doctoral work (under Dr. William J Brunken) and his postdoctoral training (with Dr. Dritan Agalliu), Dr. Biswas studied how these interactions regulate vascular growth (angiogenesis) and establishment of the vascular barrier (blood-brain barrier and blood-retinal barrier) that is unique to the CNS. His goal is to continue his research to answer these questions in his own laboratory at the Cole Eye Institute.

The goal of his current work at the Cole Eye Institute is to expand his previous research. He will build upon his postdoctoral work to explore the mechanisms by which specific types of neurotransmissions affect CNS angiogenesis and vascular barrier integrity during normal development as well as in neurodegenerative diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa. He will also build upon his doctoral work to explore the mechanisms by which interactions between specific NVU cell-types and the vascular basement membrane affect CNS angiogenesis and vascular barrier maturation during development as well as in diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy.

Selected Publications

View publications for Saptarshi Biswas, PhD
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Selected publications:

1. Shahriar S, Biswas S, Zhao K, Akcan U, Tuohy MC, Glendinning MD, Kurt A, Wayne CR, Prochilo G, Price MZ, Stuhlmann H, Brekken RA, Menon V, Agalliu D. VEGF-A-mediated venous endothelial cell proliferation results in neoangiogenesis during neuroinflammation. Nat Neurosci. 2024 Oct;27(10):1904-1917. doi: 10.1038/s41593-024-01746-9. Epub 2024 Sep 10. PubMed PMID: 39256571.
2. Biswas S, Shahriar S, Bachay G, Arvanitis P, Jamoul D, Brunken WJ, Agalliu D. Glutamatergic neuronal activity regulates angiogenesis and blood-retinal barrier maturation via Norrin/β-catenin signaling. Neuron. 2024 Jun 19;112(12):1978-1996.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.03.011. Epub 2024 Apr 9. PubMed PMID: 38599212; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11189759.
3. Biswas S, Shahriar S, Giangreco NP, Arvanitis P, Winkler M, Tatonetti NP, Brunken WJ, Cutforth T, Agalliu D. Mural Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulates Lama2 expression to promote neurovascular unit maturation. Development. 2022 Sep 1;149(17). doi: 10.1242/dev.200610. Epub 2022 Sep 13. PubMed PMID: 36098369; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9578690.
4. Genestine M, Ambriz D, Crabtree GW, Dummer P, Molotkova A, Quintero M, Mela A, Biswas S, Feng H, Zhang C, Canoll P, Hargus G, Agalliu D, Gogos JA, Au E. Vascular-derived SPARC and SerpinE1 regulate interneuron tangential migration and accelerate functional maturation of human stem cell-derived interneurons. Elife. 2021 Apr 27;10. doi: 10.7554/eLife.56063. PubMed PMID: 33904394; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8099424.
5. Cottarelli A, Corada M, Beznoussenko GV, Mironov AA, Globisch MA, Biswas S, Huang H, Dimberg A, Magnusson PU, Agalliu D, Lampugnani MG, Dejana E. Fgfbp1 promotes blood-brain barrier development by regulating collagen IV deposition and maintaining Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Development. 2020 Aug 24;147(16). doi: 10.1242/dev.185140. PubMed PMID: 32747434; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7473640.
6. Biswas S, Cottarelli A, Agalliu D. Neuronal and glial regulation of CNS angiogenesis and barriergenesis. Development. 2020 May 1;147(9). doi: 10.1242/dev.182279. Review. PubMed PMID: 32358096; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7197727.
7. Biswas S, Watters J, Bachay G, Varshney S, Hunter DD, Hu H, Brunken WJ. Laminin-dystroglycan signaling regulates retinal arteriogenesis. FASEB J. 2018 Jun 6;32(11):fj201800232R. doi: 10.1096/fj.201800232R. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29874128; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6181633.
8. Biswas S, Bachay G, Chu J, Hunter DD, Brunken WJ. Laminin-Dependent Interaction between Astrocytes and Microglia: A Role in Retinal Angiogenesis. Am J Pathol. 2017 Sep;187(9):2112-2127. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2017.05.016. Epub 2017 Jul 8. PubMed PMID: 28697326; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5808181.
9. Gnanaguru G, Bachay G, Biswas S, Pinzón-Duarte G, Hunter DD, Brunken WJ. Laminins containing the β2 and γ3 chains regulate astrocyte migration and angiogenesis in the retina. Development. 2013 May;140(9):2050-60. doi: 10.1242/dev.087817. PubMed PMID: 23571221; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3631977.