Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Renata Pasqualini
University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, USA
Keynote: Ligand-directed targeting and molecular imaging based on vascular zip codes revealed by in vivo phage display
Time : 10:00-10:45
Biography:
Renata Pasqualini is the Professor of Medicine and Cancer Experimental Therapeutics, Associate Director for Translational Research and Chief of the Division of Molecular Medicine at the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center. She has received her PhD from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and did Postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and at the Burnham Institute in La Jolla, CA. In addition to her activities as the Principal Investigator and Head of a large research laboratory, first at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and presently at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, she serves as a Board Member, Reviewer and Chair in multiple review panels for the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy along with several other American, Asian and European Foundations that support basic and clinical research. She is a Referee for several top journals featuring cutting edge research and technology and has published over 200 papers.
Abstract:
We have developed in vivo phage display, a functional peptide and antibody screening established in animal models and later in patients, to isolate homing ligands and enable subsequent identification of tissue-specific receptors. Systematic implementation of this strategy advanced the construction of a comprehensive map of vascular markers in each organ, tissue or disease. Indeed, our pioneering discoveries of tissue-specific and angiogenesis-related receptors (vascular "ZIP codes") may lead to a new ligand-directed pharmacology. Over the last few years our efforts have been focused on characterizing the vascular diversity associated with individual cancer patients using antibody-based drug discovery in a precision medicine context and optimizing targeted nanoparticles for drug delivery without off-target toxicity. These new programs represent fertile ground for discovery and drug development
Keynote Forum
Giuseppe Mucci
Bioscience Clinic and Bioscience Institute, Italy
Keynote: Mesenchymal Stem Cells from potential risk of tumor to specifi c anti-tumor therapy
Time : 10:45-11:30
Biography:
Giuseppe Mucci has graduated in Movement Science at Faculty of Medicine in Urbino, Italy. He is a Professor of Bio-Economy at the University of Lugano, Switzerland and Advisory Board Member of the University Roma Tor Vergata. He has established Bioscience Institute in San Marin, Italy in 2006 and Bioscience Clinic in Dubai UAE in 2013, those facilities are Regenerative Medicine compound (Cell Factory and Clinic) specialized in autologous Stem Cells Therapies. In 2014 he created the University spin-off Bioscience Genomics in Milan and Rome.
Abstract:
The use of expanded mesenchymal stem cells followed a path of its own, peculiar but not unique in medical history. Over less than ten years, it went from being negatively labelled as potentially tumorigenic, to being positively hailed as a candidate for new antitumor therapies in the near future. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are indeed among the main candidates for the treatment of specific malignant tumors thanks to their intrinsic immunomodulation and antitumor capabilities. One of their most interesting features is the tropism directed against the tumor itself, supporting the transport of antitumor agents and genes directly into the tumor site. Before the scientific community officially acknowledged such capabilities and their potential in anticancer therapies, over the last decade several researchers have doubted the biological safety of expanded MSC.New studies later confirmed the antitumor effectiveness of MSC, which is particularly significant against specific tumors. Such feature, which obviously requires further investigation, depends on the source of origin of MSC, on the dose used, on the stage and on the nature of the tumor itself Obviously, identifying and selecting the tumors more responsive to MSC treatments is the key for a successful cellular therapy. Genetic studies have recently shown the existence of tumor-specific markers which can be used to identify the types of tumors that can be treated with MSC. Some genetic markers can be used to effectively monitor the response to some treatments (EGFR, BRAF, KRAS, NRAS, BRCA2, melanoma, lung, breast and colon-rectal cancer) and the potential onset of post-therapy resistance, thus allowing the development of specific antitumor therapies through stem cells.Besides, MSC can be modified to express or release multiple antitumor agents, thus overcoming the limitations linked to the half-life and the biological transformation typical of many chemotherapy drugs. This is why MSC have been tested as vectors for a more selective delivery of therapeutic agents such as p53 gene, oncolytic viruses, chemotherapy drugs or specific cellular factors, such as pigment epithelium-derived factors, interleukin 12 and interferon beta. Many of these therapies release substances and induce the death of the vector cell, thus reducing complications linked to stem cells mutation. If the death of the cell can not be induced, it is possible to introduce suicide genes which will cause the cell to kill itself. Even if details still need to be fully defined, the tropism of MSC against tumors clearly involves multiple chemokine-receptor pairs. So, MSC can suppress metastasis and inhibit tumor progression by regulating the expression of cancer suppressor genes, inducing cell cycle arrest, inhibiting angiogenesis, and stimulating the action of Natural Killer cells and of the molecules controlling cellular renewal and differentiation.
Keynote Forum
Renata Pasqualini
University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, USA
Keynote: Ligand-directed targeting and molecular imaging based on vascular zip codes revealed by in vivo phage display
Time : 10:00-10:45
Biography:
Renata Pasqualini is the Professor of Medicine and Cancer Experimental Therapeutics, Associate Director for Translational Research and Chief of the Division of Molecular Medicine at the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center. She has received her PhD from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and did Postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and at the Burnham Institute in La Jolla, CA. In addition to her activities as the Principal Investigator and Head of a large research laboratory, first at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and presently at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, she serves as a Board Member, Reviewer and Chair in multiple review panels for the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy along with several other American, Asian and European Foundations that support basic and clinical research. She is a Referee for several top journals featuring cutting edge research and technology and has published over 200 papers.
Abstract:
We have developed in vivo phage display, a functional peptide and antibody screening established in animal models and later in patients, to isolate homing ligands and enable subsequent identification of tissue-specific receptors. Systematic implementation of this strategy advanced the construction of a comprehensive map of vascular markers in each organ, tissue or disease. Indeed, our pioneering discoveries of tissue-specific and angiogenesis-related receptors (vascular "ZIP codes") may lead to a new ligand-directed pharmacology. Over the last few years our efforts have been focused on characterizing the vascular diversity associated with individual cancer patients using antibody-based drug discovery in a precision medicine context and optimizing targeted nanoparticles for drug delivery without off-target toxicity. These new programs represent fertile ground for discovery and drug development
- Molecular Biology and Biochemistry| Frontiers in Biotechnology | Medical Biotechnology |Nano Biotechnology| Molecular Biology & Immunology | Biochemistry| Microbiology
Location: Salon-v
Chair
Giuseppe Mucci
Bioscience Clinic and Bioscience Institute, Italy
Co-Chair
Valentina Giaccaglia
University of Rome, Italy
Session Introduction
Bassem Raafat
Taif University, KSA
Title: Hemoglobin derivatives concentration enhacement after usage of magnetic treated water (MTW)
Time : 11:45-12:15
Biography:
Bassem M Raafat has completed his PhD from Cairo University and Postdoctoral studies from the National Research Center, Egypt. He is the Vice Dean of Applied Medical Science College, Taif University, KSA. He is the Head of E-Learning Unit and Scientific Research and Higher Education. He is the Coordinator of The Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Division in NRC. He has published more than 42 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an Editorial Board Member for more than 15 international well ranked journals.
Abstract:
Safe drinking water is essential to humans and other life forms even though it provides no calories or organic nutrients. Access to safe drinking water has improved over the last decades in almost every part of the world but approximately one billion people still lack access to safe water and over 2.5 billion lack accesses to adequate sanitation. The aim of this work was to evaluate the enhancement of the hemoglobin different derivatives concentration when normal drinking water replaced by magnetic treated water (MTW) through a heavy metal chelation process. 41 male rats were included. Control group (G1), animals did not subject to lead poisoning and drink normal water. Second group (G2) whose did not subject to lead but drink MTW. Third group (G3) received lead ions for 21 days and drink normal water. Fourth group (G4) those received lead ions concomitant with chelation therapy of dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and drink normal water. Fifth group (G5) those subjected to lead ions concomitant with chelation therapy of dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and drink MTW. The rate by which hemoglobin undergo oxidation, hemoglobin normal and abnormal derivatives concentration, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidation activity and electrical conductivity of hemoglobin were measured. Results showed a significant enhancement in normal hemoglobin derivatives concomitant with reduction in abnormal derivatives. Usage of MTW revealed increase in antioxidants activity. In conclusion, it is safe to say that MTW improved the chelation process.
Saif Aldeen Saleh Al Ryalat
The University of Jordan, Jordan
Title: CRISPR-Cas 9 system; the new tool to design our own bio-production system
Time : 12:15-12:45
Biography:
Saif Aldeen Saleh Al Ryalat is a leading Researcher in several aspects of medicine, including genetic engineering and neurology. He is working on a project to design a bio-production system to design aglycosylated antibodies that can replace monoclonal glycosylated antibodies that are used in several neurological diseases (relatively high cost). He is also a peer Reviewer for several journals and a Researcher with several high impact publications. He is currently at School of Medicine at The University of Jordan where he had several honors and certificates.
Abstract:
In 2012, Doctor Doudna and her colleagues generated a new discovery that would reduce the time and work needed to edit genomic DNA, it is Cas9 protein that can be found in Streptococcus bacteria CRISPR immune system. CRISPR-Cas 9 introduced as a tool for sequence-specific Double Strand Breakage (DSB) with low relative cost and high specificity and success rates. The capability of this system to perform targeted, highly efficient alterations of genome sequence and gene expression will undoubtedly transform biological research and spur the development of novel molecular therapeutics for human disease with significantly lower costs. The days where kilograms of animal and plant tissues or large volumes of biological fluids were needed for the purification of small amounts of a given protein are almost gone, we now have the ability to express and purify the desired recombinant protein in a large quantity with relatively low cost. In our speech, we will discuss how to design our own bio-production system by integrating all new advances in the field of genetic engineering, using E. coli bacteria as a prototype host of protein production.
Fadia El Bitar
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, KSA
Title: Molecular research on Alzheimer’s disease of Saudi patients and its applications
Time : 12:45-13:15
Biography:
Fadia El Bitar is currently working in Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Saudi Arabia
Abstract:
Introduction & Aim: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and neurodegeneration. Cerebral atrophy, beta amyloid aggregation and intra-neuronal neurofibrillary tangles are associated with AD. Although AD is largely sporadic occurring in the elderly, a minority of cases belongs to early onset form that appears before age of 65 and is genetically inherited. As little is known on the background of AD in Saudi population, we established research on the genetic basis of AD in Saudi patients and initiated in vitro cellular model derived from the patients that is applicable for drug discovery.
Method: To find out the genetic cause of Alzheimer’s disease in Saudi patients, we recruited 100 AD belonging to familial and sporadic cases and screened them by direct sequencing for possible pathogenic mutations in AD related genes. 76 representative samples were examined for copy number of variants. Modeling of the disease was studied by direct conversion of human fibroblasts to neurons using our novel combination of chemical molecules to be applicable on fibroblasts issued from Saudi patients genetically inherited AD.
Results: We found 2 out of 24 novel variants to be potentially pathogenic mutations in exons 23 and 26 of SORL1 gene. We got out of 72 known variants, probably damaging mutations in the following genes: SORL1 exon11 (c1582; A528T); APOEe4 exon4.1 (c487; R163C) and APOEe4 exon4.2 (c526; R176C). Certain index cases displayed loss of heterozygosity on chromosomal regions that include genes causing Alzheimer’s disease. We identified small-molecule cocktails that converted fibroblasts into neurons without exogenous genetic factors.
Conclusion: The outcome of this study is providing data bases for mutations of AD and favoring in the near future the Saudi patients to benefit from personalized treatments.
Valentina Giaccaglia
University of Rome, Italy
Title: Procalcitonin Reveals Early Dehiscence in Colorectal Surgery: The PREDICS Study
Time : 14:00-14:30
Biography:
Valentina Giaccaglia is a Female General Surgeon expert in proctology and female pelvic floor diseases from diagnosis to minimally invasive therapy. She is the Principal Investigator of PREDICS study (Procalcitonin Reveals Early Dehiscence After Colorectal Surgery), whose results have been published in the prestigious Annals of Surgery journal. She has published many papers, wrote book chapters and received prestigious research awards like RAS-ACS international exchange program of American College of Surgeons and Best Podium Lecture at Annual International Colorectal Disease Symposium (ACDS), Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA. She is an Associate Fellow of American College of Surgeons.
Abstract:
Objectives: We designed a multicentric, observational study to test if Procalcitonin (PCT) might be an early and reliable marker of anastomotic leak (AL) after colorectal surgery.
Background: Procalcitonin is a biomarker used to monitor bacterial infections and guide antibiotic therapy. Anastomotic leak after colorectal surgery is a severe complication associated with relevant short and long-term sequelae.
Methods: Between January 2013 and September 2014, 504 patients’ underwent colorectal surgery for malignant colorectal diseases, in elective setting. White blood count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP) and PCT levels were measured in 3rd and 5th postoperative day (POD). AL and all postoperative complications were recorded.
Results: We registered 28 (5.6%) anastomotic leaks. Specificity and negative predictive value for AL with PCT less than 2.7 and 2.3 ng/mL were, respectively, 91.7% and 96.9% in 3rd POD and 93% and 98.3% in 5th POD. Receiver operating characteristic curve for biomarkers shows that in 3rd POD, PCT and CRP have similar area under the curve (AUC) (0.775 vs. 0.772), both better than WBC (0.601); in 5th POD, PCT has a better AUC than CRP and WBC (0.862 vs. 0.806 vs. 0.611). Measuring together PCT and CRP significantly improves AL diagnosis in 5th POD (AUC: 0.901).
Conclusions: PCT and CRP demonstrated to have a good negative predictive value for AL, both in 3rd and in 5th POD. Low levels of PCT, together with low CRP values, seem to be early and reliable markers of AL after colorectal surgery. These biomarkers might be safely added as additional criteria of discharge protocols after colorectal surgery
Mohamed Mostafa Shokry
Cairo University, Egypt
Title: Potential of camel-derived hemoglobin oxygen carriers as a blood substitute
Time : 14:30-15:00
Biography:
Mohamed Mostafa Shokry has completed his PhD from Cairo University, Egypt. He is a Professor Emeritus of Veterinary Surgery & Anesthesia in Cairo University, Egypt. He has published more than 75 papers in scientific journals and has published many library books.
Abstract:
The quest for producing a blood substitute is the result of an incessant demand not only for routine surgery and accidents but also in cases of mass civilian casualties during natural disasters, terrorism and wars. The risks of allogenic blood transfusion are multiple and include infections transmission (HIV and Hepatitis B and C), delayed postoperative healing, transfusion reactions, transfusion-related lung injury, immunodilution and potential risk of cancer recurrence. Blood primarily functions transport oxygen to tissues. This function performed by hemoglobin (Hb), a protein encapsulated inside the red blood cells (RBCs) that is capable of binding and releasing oxygen. Hb-based oxygen carriers HBOCs are being developed as substitute to replace the oxygen-carrying functions of erythrocytes and thereby lessen the demand of donor blood during surgery and trauma situations. Artificial blood substitutes present several advantages over the use of donor blood for blood transfusions because they have no antigenic blood groups on their surface, no possibility for transmitting infections; they have a longer storage lifetime and are cost efficient. Bovine and human Hb forms the bases of many different types of (HBOCs) ranging from chemically modified Hbs, including cross-linked, polymerized, polymerized conjugated to particle encapsulated.
Hosam Gharib Abdelhady
Taibah University, KSA
Title: 4D molecular scale imaging of the effect of suicide anticancer Nano-particles on individual live cancer cells
Time : 15:00-15:30
Biography:
Hosam Gharib Abdelhady has completed his PhD in Biophysics and Surface Analysis from College of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham in 2004 and Postdoctoral studies with Professor Donald Dendrimers at Central Michigan University in 2005. He has then served as a Senior Scientist and directed the Analytical Department at Dendritic Nanotechnologies, CMURC, Michigan from 2005-2009. He is currently an Associate Professor at College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, KSA. He has published more than 15 papers in reputed journals, a patent in Nanomedicine and received more than $ 1M grants.
Abstract:
The unique ability of the real time Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in providing valuable information in the field of biomolecular sciences, gene delivery and cancer therapy will be demonstrated. For example, the formation of the most durable, individual, DNA nanoparticles (DNPS) able to resist the enzymatic digestions of cancer cells and evoke apoptosis was monitored in 4 dimensions (4D) from the first second of the interaction between individual DNA molecules and individual dendrimers nano-polymers till the death of individual cancer cells in their environment. Optimizing both, the incubation time between DNA/dendrimers and the DNA/dendrimers ratios have shown significant effects in producing the best DNPS. Finally, cancer cells were exposed to the ideal DNPS and directly imaged by 4D AFM. Cell membrane liquefaction, cytoplasmic shrinkage, cytoskeleton structure loss and changes in cellular nanomechanical properties were observed. In contrast, control cells have no changes. Thus, understanding the real-time effects of anticancer DNPS on the cytoskeletal and nanomechanical behaviors of cancer cells may provide new methods for cancer treatment.
Dina Mohammad Erfan
Ain Shams University, Egypt
Title: The association of single nucleotide polymorphism of interleukin-21 gene and serum interleukin-21 levels with systemic lupus erythematosus
Time : 15:45-16:15
Biography:
Dina Mohammmad Erfan has completed her MD and Postdoctoral studies from Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Egypt
Abstract:
Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a common autoimmune disorder which commonly results from the combined effects of a large number of genes. Variations in the DNA sequence in the Interleukin-21 (IL-21) gene may lead to altered IL-21 production and/or activity which can affect an individual’s susceptibility to SLE. IL-21 is a novel class I cytokine produced by activated CD4+ T cells, natural killer T cells and T helper (Th) cells. There is increasing evidence that IL-21 contributes to the pathogenesis of SLE due to its biological activity.
Aim: To investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of IL-21 rs2221903 gene and serum IL-21 levels with SLE and to detect the possible association between IL-21 serum levels and the pathogenesis of the disease.
Subjects & Methods: This study was conducted on 30 SLE patients and 20 age and sex matched healthy controls. Serum IL-21 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique and SNP of IL-21 rs2221903 gene was detected by genotyping assay, using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
Results: Serum IL-21 levels were significantly higher in patients compared with controls (p<0.001). Patients with high activity index of SLE had significantly higher levels of serumIL-21 (p value<0.001). A statistically significant association was found between the T allele of SNP rs2221903 and SLE, whereas; no association between SNP of IL-21 rs2221903 genotypes and SLE or serum IL-21 levels could be detected.
Conclusion: IL-21 plays an important role in the immune-pathogenesis of SLE and could be used as a possible target for novel immunotherapy. The T allele of SNP rs2221903 suggests that the IL-21gene may contribute to an inherited predisposition to SLE
Khouloud M Barakat
National Institute of Oceanography & Fisheries, Egypt
Title: Potential use of marine Enterococcus spp. to ferment seaweeds and enhance anticoagulant properties
Time : 16:15-16:45
Biography:
Khouloud M Barakat is presently working as an Assistant Professor of Marine Microbiology at Alexandria University, Egypt.
Abstract:
The current investigation was performed to evaluate the ability of marine lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as starter cultures for seaweeds fermentation to enhance their anticoagulant activity. 24 LAB isolates from seven marine sediment samples and seven shrimp specimens collected from the Red Sea, Egypt were characterized for their ability to use selected local seaweeds (Sargassum sp., Pterocladia capillacea and Ulva lactoca) as sole carbon source in the growth media. Two LAB strains were selected for seaweed fermentation according to their ability to grow and produce organic acids as indicated by marked pH decreases of the media. Potent strains were biochemically identified as: Eterococcus durans MED5 and Eterococcus hirae MEH23. The optimum seaweeds fermentation period was determined by monitoring the fermented samples at regular interval for a period of 5 weeks during which activated partial thromboplastintime (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) as well pH values were recorded. The most promising results were observed in cases of Sargassum sp., fermented by E. durans MED5 and E. hirae MEH23 for 2 weeks as they inhibited intrinsic blood coagulation system and recorded APTT assay results of 982 s and 820 s, respectively without affecting the PT assay records at the assessed concentrations. Moreover, Sargassum sp., samples fermented by E. durans MED5 showed enhanced antioxidant activities compared to the control as they recorded 68.42% in the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay. Sulfated polysaccharides (SP) with anticoagulant activity (APTT>1000 s) were partially purified from Sargassum sp., sample fermented with E. durans MED5 by anion exchange chromatography using DEAE-cellulose column. The FTIR spectrum of the partially purified SP was very much typical to that previously reported for fucoidan, which is the SP characteristic to brown algae. The total dry matter yield in the crude seaweed extract (CSE) and ethanol precipitate (PPT) represents 25 and 13.3% of the fermented seaweed dry weight, respectively. Therefore, this study reveals a novel well-defined starter culture from marine origin intended for seaweed fermentation for recovery of anticoagulant compound and provides information to pave a way towards the development of wide range of seaweed functional foods
Monwar Hossain
United Arab Emirates University, UAE
Title: Membrane Extractions and Adsorptions in Separation of Biomolecules from Multicomponent Mixtures
Time : 16:45-17:15
Biography:
M Hossain was graduated from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) in 1977. He has obtained his MEngSci in 1985 and PhD in 1988 from the University of Queensland, Australia. After several years of research at IRL he then joined as a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is involved in teaching Chemical Engineering (Thermodynamics, Transport Processes and Reactor design), Biochemical Engineering (Biotechnology and Bioseparations), Water Desalination and Water Treatment. He has published more than 67 research papers in international journals and presented 65 articles at the international/national professional conferences. His current research interests are membrane technology to chemical & biochemical processes and removal of ions (inorganic and organic ions) from water and wastewaters.
Abstract:
Separations based on membrane-based extractions and adsorptions have been demonstrated to be potentially selective process for biomolecules such as antibiotics and proteins. These methods offer the advantages of strong affinity between the target solutes in various phases and additional interaction between the charges of the molecules and the exchangeable charge groups in the membrane. Recently efforts have been intensified to develop separations based on solvent extractions using membranes or simple adsorption on membrane that provide simplicity in the process, selectivity in separation and faster recovery of the solutes. In this article experimental results obtained using commercially available membranes and membrane modules are presented. The systems considered were: (1) Separation of an antibiotic from its mixture and (2) separation of major whey proteins, α-lactalbumin (α-La), β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Experiments were performed in a bench-scale hollow-fibre membrane contactor using an eco-friendly solvent for the system in (1) and for (2) a laboratory-scale ion exchange membrane unit; Sartobind® Anion Exchanger-D75 was used. The processes showed superior selectivity in antibiotic separation and good capacity for adsorption of proteins. The results are considered very well because these were obtained with commercially available membrane units and in a wide range of solute concentrations. These processes have the potential to be upgraded to selectively separate a desired component from a multi-component mixture when optimized conditions are determined.
Pranab Goswami
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India
Title: Development of DNA aptamers against human heart type fatty acid binding protein for early detection of acute myocardial infarction
Time : 17:15-17:45
Biography:
Pranab Goswami has completed his PhD degree from Gauhati University during 1994. From 1991 to 2002, he was a Scientist at CSIR, India. He was a BOYSCAST Fellow of DST, India at University of Massachusetts, Boston. He has joined IIT Guwahati in 2002 and became Professor in 2009. He was the Founder Head of CIF Centre during 2004 to 2006 and Head, Biotechnology Department during 2006 to 2009 at IIT Guwahati. Currently he is the Head of Energy Centre at IIT Guwahati. He is working in the field of biosensors with focus on developing novel biorecognition system for various diagnostic applications
Abstract:
Cardiovascular diseases are the single greatest cause of adult mortality globally, constituting about 31% of all global deaths. Detection of cardiovascular diseases has thus emerged as not only a social and clinical issue but also as an economic one. The current investigation is centered on the development of specific aptamers against human heart type fatty acid binding protein (FABP3), a novel early marker for detection of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It also encompasses the detection of FABP3 using the developed aptamers on a specially designed paper based microfluidic device (µPAD). Two ssDNA aptamers, N13 and N53 were isolated through Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) against human heart-type fatty acid binding-protein (FABP3). The aptamers bound to FABP3 with dissociation constants 0.0743±0.0142 µM and 0.3337±0.1485 µM, respectively. The aptamers displayed stable behavior at different pH, temperature and ionic strength. Considering the large sizes of the aptamers, limited proteolysis of the aptamer-protein complex was performed to map the amino acids involved in binding, which was then used to screen docked structures. The N13 led interaction with stronger affinity, involving more salt bridges and fewer hydrogen bonds, whereas N53 had less number of salt bridges with higher number of hydrogen and hydrophobic interactions. The greater footprint of N53 incited synergistic conformational changes in N53 and FABP3 leading to decrease in binding affinity during the recognition. The aptamers so developed and characterized were then used to detect FABP3 on a paper based microfluidic device designed for the same with leak proof property and low cost. An aptamer modified gold nanoparticle aggregation assay was used as the Yes/No format for the detection of FABP3 with a minimum detection limit of 54 ng per ml.
Sahaya Sukeetha
Bharathidasan University, India
Title: Exploration and Purification of Bioactive compound from seaweeds against human bacterial pathogen
Time : 17:45-18:15
Biography:
Sahaya Sukeetha is a Research Scholar in Bharathidasan University, Trichy. India
Abstract:
Treatment of Infectious diseases by the use of commercially available drugs are becoming certain limitations due to changing patterns of resistance in pathogens and causing side effects. These limitations demand for improved pharmacokinetic properties which necessitates continued research for the search of new novel drugs. Marine organisms are rich source of structurally novel and biologically active metabolites. The cell extracts and active constituents of various algae and seaweeds have been shown to have antibacterial activity against gram positive and gram negative bacteria. Hence the crude extracts from the seaweeds Amphiroa foliacea, Chactomorpho tortuosa, Caulerpa scalpelliformis and Sargassum sp were tested for their resistance against multidrug resistance pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsella sp, Proteus sp. The extracts were obtained with the solvents methanol, chloroform, ethyl acetate and hexane. A highest zone of inhibition was observed in the hexane extract of Amphiroa foliacea and ethyl acetate extract of Sargassam sp against Proteus sp, Staphylococcus aureus respectively. An inhibition zone of 8mm was observed in ethyl acetate extract of Sargassam sp against Staphylococcus aureus. Further the extract of Sargassum sp was purified using silica column chromatography. Single compound fractions were separated and each fraction was screened for antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. F4 fraction possessed antibacterial activity of 7mm which is similar to crude extract. Further the F4 fraction is subjected NMR analysis. Ethyl acetate fraction was found to be posses α-hydroxy stearic acid.