Investigator Profile

Primary Affiliation: Dr. Rupesh K. Srivastava, Additional Professor, Department of Biotechnology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi-110029 Secondary Affiliation: Shared FACS Facility Centralized Core Research Facility (CCRF), All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi-110029

Email ID: rupesh_srivastava13@yahoo.co.in, rupeshk@aiims.edu

Phone(O): +91-11-26593548

Profile:     

Dr. Rupesh K. Srivastava is an Additional Professor (Department of Biotechnology, AIIMS) and also an Adjunct Faculty (CCRF, AIIMS), New Delhi. He is a translational researcher and academician with expertise in Cellular and Molecular Immunology. He obtained his Ph.D. from the National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), Pune, India and post-doctoral training at both Columbia University Medical Centre, New York and Roswell Park Cancer Institute, New York, USA. Dr. Srivastava was an Elected Executive Committee Member (2022-24) of the Indian Immunology Society (IIS). He is credited with discovering the pivotal role of the immune system in the pathophysiology of osteoporosis, a novel field proposed/coined by him as “Immunoporosis” (Immunopathophysiology of Osteoporosis). His Translational Immunology, Osteoimmunology, and Immunoporosis Lab (TIOIL), and ICMR-CCoE at AIIMS is actively involved in deciphering the cellular and molecular interactions between the Immune and Bone systems under both healthy and diseased conditions.

Dr. Srivastava is featured among top 2% Scientist list-2025 in the World by Stanford University/Elsevier, he is recipient of the “ESCEO-Islene Araujo de Carvalho Prize”- 2025 & 2023 (World Congress on Osteoporosis-WCO), Prof. G. P. Talwar Gold Medal-2024 (ISSRF); TETCs-Best Published Research Paper Award-2023, AIIMS Research Excellence Awards (THRICE)-2022, 2024 & 2025, the prestigious “G. P. Talwar Young Scientist Award”- TWICE (IIS-2011 and ISSRF-2019), and Science Communicator Award-2017. He is also a GOLD Medallist (08) during his Master’s. He has executed/currently handling more than 20 major research projects (>30Cr) funded by national agencies such as ICMR, Wecome Trust, DBT, DST, CCRH-AYUSH, and AIIMS, along with several MOUs with International Universities and Industries. Dr. Srivastava has >100 peer-reviewed international publications with an H-index of 29, an i10 index of 59, with >3650 citations and a cumulative impact factor >700. He has supervised numerous PhD, DM, MD and M.Sc. students. He has an ongoing Clinical Trial Research Grant from ICMR, on probiotics as a therapy for osteoporosis, impacting various national health initiatives. His Lab is now a designated “ICMR-Collaborating Centre for Excellence(CCoE) on Bone Health”, a first in the country, recognizing his commendable achievements in biomedical research in the recent past.

Current Research Focus:     

Vision: By bridging immunology, microbiology, metabolism, environmental health, & computational biology, my group is pioneering several novel disciplines—Immunoporosis, Osteomicrobiology, OsteoBiotics, Osteometabolism, Osteotoxicology, and Osteofertility. Our translational vision is to translate basic discoveries into safe, immune-modulating, and microbiota-based therapeutics for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, fractures, and other bone pathologies affecting millions worldwide.

My doctoral research at NCCS, Pune, introduced me to the exciting field of Immunology, which I pursued further at Columbia University Medical Centre and Roswell Park Cancer Institute, USA. Since returning to India in 2013—first as Assistant Professor at Central University, Sagar, and currently as Faculty at AIIMS, New Delhi—I have focused on establishing and advancing the emerging discipline of Osteoimmunology (Frontiers in Biosciences, 2018). My work investigates how immune and skeletal systems communicate in health and disease, with the long-term goal of developing novel, immune-targeted therapeutics for osteoporosis and other inflammatory bone conditions. Bone and immunity are intricately connected: osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and osteocytes interact with diverse immune cells (T cells, B cells, DCs, NK cells, macrophages, ILCs, neutrophils, etc.). While homeostasis maintains balance, disturbances due to ageing, menopause, infections, autoimmunity, environmental toxins, or stress trigger inflammatory bone loss, fractures, or arthritis. My laboratory’s research has made several pioneering contributions in this area.

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS & RESEARCH THEMES

I. Immunoporosis, i.e. Immuno-pathophysiology of Osteoporosis: We are pioneers in discovering & defining the immune system’s critical role in osteoporosis pathogenesis, coining the term “Immunoporosis” (Front. Immunol., 2018; PNAS-India, 2021; J. of Inflammation Research, 2022; Intech Open, 2024). This framework highlights how both innate and adaptive immune responses drive bone fragility, opening new avenues for immune-based therapies.

II. Discovering novel roles of Immune Cells in Bone Homeostasis

• Bregs: We discovered the anti-osteoclastogenic role of regulatory B cells, inhibiting osteoclastogenesis in an IL–10–dependent manner (BBA, 2024; Front. Immunol., 2021).


• Th9 cells: We discovered the osteoclastogenic role of Th9 cells in an IL-9-dependent manner, identifying them as the 2^nd osteoclastogenic Th-cell subset (after Th17) (JBMR Plus, 2024).


• GTregs: We identified gut-resident Tregs as bone-protective, promoting osteoblast activity and limiting osteoclastogenesis. Their disruption by SCFA deficiency accelerates bone loss, while probiotic supplementation restores their function (J. Leukocyte Biol., 2025).

III. “Gut–Immune–Bone” & “Breg-Treg Vs Th9-Th17” Cell Axis: Our studies established that dysbiosis-induced leaky gut exacerbates postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO). Estrogen deficiency shifts microbiota composition, increasing endotoxin-producing and reducing SCFA-producing bacteria, thereby worsening inflammatory bone loss. Importantly, we showed that probiotics like Bacillus coagulans restore microbial balance, enhance Breg-Treg functions along with dampening Th9-Th17 cell responses, and improve bone density and strength (Gut Microbes, 2025). This work has established the therapeutic potential of the “Gut–Immune–Bone” axis, which targets and establishes the Therapeutic “Breg-Treg Vs Th9-Th17” cell axis.

IV. Pioneered multiple novelInterdisciplinary fields in Bone Health:

• Osteomicrobiology/Osteobiotics– Uncovering how probiotics and Gut-Associated Metabolites-GAMs(SCFAs, indole derivatives, bile acids, etc.) regulate skeletal health (Bone Reports, 2018; Nutrition, 2018; Scientific Reports, 2021; Front. Immunol., 2022; Front. Microbiol., 2022, J. of Biological Macromolecules, 2024).


• Osteometabolism – Introducing the concept of skeletal cell bioenergetics in bone remodelling and identifying GAMsas regulators of osteoblast/osteoclast energetics (Cells, 2022). Our data suggest probiotics and dietary interventions as safe, accessible therapies for osteoporosis, RA, and other metabolic bone diseases.


• Osteo-Therapeutics - We have systematically evaluated phytoconstituents and Ayurvedic plants (Cissus quadrangularis-HADJOD, Moringa oleifera-DRUM STICK, Crocus sativus-SAFFRON), demonstrating their anti-osteoporotic potential (Cells, 2023; Phytomedicine Plus, 2022). Our group is also conducting scientifically rigorous evaluations of various homoeopathic formulations (MOU with CCRH), addressing a major knowledge gap in alternative therapeutics for bone health.

V. Environmental and Lifestyle Factors

• Osteotoxicology – We coined this field to study the deleterious effects of environmental pollutants (microcystins, particulate matter, and microplastics, etc.) on bone health via immune dysregulation (Environ. Pollution, 2018).


• Osteofertility – We coined this field & discovered that high salt diets impair both bone and male fertility through immune-bone-testis crosstalk (Scientific Reports, 2018; Reprod. Sci., 2023).


• Stress & Osteoporosis – Using the UCMS model, we are dissecting how stress-induced gut dysbiosis and neuro-immune modulations disrupt Bone Health,i.e. “Brain-Gut-Immune-Bone axis”.

VI. Expanding Horizons

• Osteoarthritis & Fractures: Investigating immune and gut metabolite contributions to cartilage and fracture healing.


• Osteosarcoma: Linking tumour immunometabolism, gut metabolites, and CD8T/NK cell function in osteosarcoma progression (Bone Reports, 2024).


• Microgravity& Bone Health: Exploring its role in bone health.


• Infections & Bone Health (COVID-19, ARDS & Sepsis): Evaluating microbiota-based prophylaxis against cytokine storms and their long-term skeletal implications (International Reviews of Immunology, 2021; Frontiers in Bioscience, 2021; Exploration in Immunology, 2023; Inflammation Research, 2023; Clinical Immunology, 2024).


• AI, ML & Bone Health: Applying machine learning to integrate osteo-omics datasets and design personalised immunotherapies for osteoporosis.