The Bharamara Trust of YT and Madhuri Thathachari has selected Dr. Ashok Khar, deputy director of the Centre for Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad for this year's Prof YT Thathachari Prestigious Research Award for 'Medical Sciences'. Dr. Khar is one of the renowned immunologists of India. He joined CCMB in the year 1980.

He is known for his studies on the fundamental basis of rejection of cancers and has developed a unique rat macrophage tumour cell line designated as AK5. He has studied the basis of tumour rejection on growth when implanted in the rat. This has relevance to the issue of cancer in man. He has shown that in most tumours, the rejection of the AK5 is not due to toxic T cells but due to NK cells and macrophages as modulated by cytokines.

The work carried by the group led by Dr. Khar has shown that the tumour cell is killed by necrosis mediated by perforin and apoptosis through the involvement of granzyme B. The observations suggested AK-5 tumour to be highly immunogenic. They have also cloned the tumour rejection antigen, which is able to induce resistance to AK-5 tumour growth in the immunized animals.

Dr. Khar has also been involved in developing a pituitary cell line, which was successfully used to address hormonal regulation in this master gland. He has also contributed to a natural product development by studying the anti-tumour activity of the curcumin and other alkaloids.

Prof YT Thathachari Prestigious Research Award for science consists of a memento, citation and a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh. Dr. Khar has won many awards in the past, which include the Indian Immunological Society award, Senior Scientist Award in 2001 and NIH Physicians Recognition Award of the American Medical Association, 1995.