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Faculty Detail    
Name VITHAL K GHANTA
  
Campus Address LHRB 146 Zip 0007
Phone  (20-5) -482
E-mail  vghanta@uab.edu
Other websites
     


Faculty Appointment(s)
Appointment Type Department Division Rank
Primary  Biology  Biology Professor
Secondary  Microbiology  Microbiology Associate Professor
Secondary  Nursing Graduate Programs  Nursing Graduate Programs Professor
Center  Center for Biophysical Sciences/Engineering  Center for Biophysical Sciences/Engineering Professor
Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center  Comprehensive Cancer Center Professor

Graduate Biomedical Sciences Affiliations
Cancer Biology 
Cellular and Molecular Biology Program 
Immunology 
Neuroscience Graduate Program 
Neurosciences 

Biographical Sketch 
Vithal Ghanta (b. 1942), Professor (Biology), completed graduate studies in biochemistry at Southern Illinois University (Ph.D., 1970). She synthesized glucuronic acid derivatives using a new oxidative agent to understand the mechanisms of corn stalk rotting. Postdoctoral studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham under Dr. Raymond Hiramoto led to the development of two animal tumor models. These models are used by other investigators to develop protocols for treatment of human cancers. Outside interests include gardening and handwork.



Research/Clinical Interest
Title
Tumor immunology, immune system and aging, CNS immune system interactions
Description
The research interests of our group are the treatment of cancer at multiple modality levels, quantitation of tumor load, follow-up of the response of tumors to different agents and modalities, understanding the interactions between the immune and central nervous systems, and the changes that take place in the immune system with age. I am interested in developing new approaches for the treatment of cancer, including combination treatments like passive therapy, immune stimulation, and chemotherapy. Secondly, our group has developed a conditioning paradigm for an increase in natural killer cell and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activities. The model is used extensively in our laboratory to study the mechanisms of central nervous and the immune system interactions and the mechanisms of conditioned regulation of tumor growth.