Profile
Dr. Pankaj Sharma is a Scientist at the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, since January 2025. He obtained his Ph.D. from CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, in 2017, followed by postdoctoral research at Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School (2017–2024). His research focuses on immunology, with an emphasis on B cell biology and cancer immunology. His laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms regulating B cell receptor signaling within germinal centers (GCs), with the objective of informing rational vaccine design. Additionally, his lab is interested in understanding the age-dependent regulation of germinal centers and deciphering the role of stromal cells in shaping GC dynamics. In the domain of cancer immunology, his research aims to elucidate tumor-mediated suppression of antigen presentation pathways in dendritic cells, with a broader goal of developing strategies to counteract immune evasion.
Current Focus Areas
Understanding the mechanisms regulating selection of antibodies in health and disease.
Selected Publications
Sharma, P., Zhang, X., Ly, K., Qi Wan, Kim, JK., Kain, L., Théry, C., Teyton, L., and Winau, F. (2024). Hyperglycosylation of prosaposin in tumor dendritic cells drives immune escape. Science. 383 (6679): (190-200). DOI: 10.1126/science.adg1955.
Sharma, P., Zhang, X., Ly, K., Zhang, Y., Hu, Y., Ye, AY., Hu, J., Kim, JK., Wang, C., Celuzza, Q., Bundle, DR., Furukawa, K., Alt, FW., and Winau, F. (2024). The lipid globotriaosylceramide promotes germinal center B cell responses and anti-viral immunity. Science. 16;383(6684):eadg0564. DOI: 10.1126/science.adg0564.
Zhang, X., Sharma, P*., Maschmeyer, P., Hu, Y., Lou, M., Kim, J., Fujii, H., Unutmaz, D., Schwabe, RF., and Winau, F. (2023). GARP on activated hepatic stellate cell is a therapeutic target for liver fibrosis. Journal of Hepatology. 79(5):1214-1225. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.05.043. (*shared first author).
Sharma, P., Sharma, A., Ganga, L., Satoeya, N., Jha, R., and Srivastava, M. (2021). Acidic Calcium-Independent Phospholipase A2 Regulates Eosinophil-Mediated Pathology during Filarial Manifestation of Tropical Pulmonary Eosinophilia. Journal of Immunology. 206, 722-736. DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000604.
Sharma, P., Levy, O., and Dowling, D.J. (2020). The TLR5 Agonist Flagellin Shapes Phenotypical and Functional Activation of Lung Mucosal Antigen Presenting Cells in Neonatal Mice. Frontiers in Immunology. 11, 171. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00171.