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Molecular Biology and Therapeutics of Diseases

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Molecular biology and therapeutics research advances SDG 3 by developing targeted treatments for diseases, thus reducing mortality rates and improving the quality of life of human being. Understanding disease mechanisms at the molecular level enables the development of more effective therapies, contributing to SDG 3's targets on reducing premature deaths and achieving universal health coverage.

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Description of Subtheme:

We live in the era of bedside to bench to bedside that facilitates and speeds up the understanding of diseases molecular pathways. At the Faculty of Medicine, our effort focuses on identifying genes implicated in the development of diseases and searching for new therapeutic avenues.

We use multiple approaches in order to identify and characterize the genes implicated in the human diseases and which can contribute for the development of novel therapies. The pathological pathways and mechanisms of underlying diseases are closely studied in patient derived cells and cultured tissues, and later in animal model, in particular mice and rats. These assays combination provides a novel spectrum that correlates genes to molecules and functions to pathological pathways essential to elaborate therapeutics in favors of patients.

We focus on the molecular genetics of human disease including cancer thru the elaboration of new tumor markers and tumor suppressor genes implications and neuromuscular diseases through the identification of novel genes and their function involved in the pathogenesis.

We keep a close collaboration with clinical researchers experienced in the field in our affiliated hospitals across Lebanon exploring crucial relevant clinical questions to be evaluated and solved by our molecular research teams.

Research Action Plan:

Currently, researchers are working on three different axes:

  1. Identifying novel therapy for tumors by using synthetic molecules or natural compounds
  2. Understanding the signaling pathway involved in Lung cancer in respond to modification in the microenvironment and the impact of WPSC on the development of lung cancer
  3. Identifying new molecules that can be used as anti-inflammatory agents in Neuromuscular dystrophies

Prominent Research:

  1. Mrad, S. Salhab, M. Al Battal, J. Borjac. The effect of salvia fruticosa water extract in acetic- acid-induced colitis in mice-BAU journal of Science and Technology , 3, 2, (2022).
  2. Zaarour, R.F.; Azakir, B.; Hajam, E.Y.; Nawafleh, H.; Zeinelabdin, N.A.; Engelsen, A.S.T.; Thiery, J.; Jamora, C.; Chouaib, S. Role of Hypoxia-Mediated Autophagy in Tumor Cell Death and Survival. Cancers, 13, 533, (2021).
  3. Zaarour, R.F.; Azakir, B.; Hajam, E.Y.; Nawafleh, H.; Zeinelabdin, N.A.; Engelsen, A.S.T.; Thiery, J.; Jamora, C.; Chouaib, S. Role of Hypoxia-Mediated Autophagy in Tumor Cell Death and Survival. Cancers, 13, 533. (2021).
  4. Swaidan A, Azakir B, Neugart S, Kattour N, Sokhn ES, Osaili TM, Darra NE. Evaluation of the Phenolic Composition and Biological Activities of Six Aqueous Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Seed Extracts Originating from Different Countries: A Comparative Analysis. Foods. 2023 Dec 29;13(1):126. doi: 10.3390/foods13010126. PMID: 38201154; PMCID: PMC10778786.
  5. El Tannir H, Houhou D, Debs E, Koubaa M, Jammoul A, Azakir B, Khalil MI, El Darra N, Louka N. Optimization of Aqueous Extraction of Polyphenols from Cuminum cyminum Seeds Using Response Surface Methodology and Assessment of Biological Activity. BioTech. 2024; 13(1):7. https://doi.org/10.3390/biotech13010007