Rare Genetic Disorders and Immune-dysregulation Research Group
Source: https://www.sharjah.ac.ae/en/Research/RIMHS/RGDI Parent: https://www.sharjah.ac.ae/en/Research/RIMHS
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Overview
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Goals and Objectives
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Our Team
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Lines of Research
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Publications
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Group Collaborators
The prevalence of rare genetic disorders in gulf region is high due to large family sizes, advanced maternal and paternal age, and high level of consanguinity in this area. These diseases have complex pathological presentation with no cure or standard treatment. While many of these conditions are typically rare, in aggregate they account for a considerable morbidity and mortality in the community.\ \ Our research group will follow a systematic approach to characterize rare genetic variations underlying primary immune deficiencies and predisposing to severe infectious disease such as COVID-19. The unknown genetic disorders will undergo series of clinical and experimental studies to describe their phenotype and genotype and to unravel their underlying molecular mechanism. Multi-omics approach will be used to profile and map the immune dysregulation network, to identify diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, and to discover potential therapeutic targets. Precision medicine approach including drug repurposing, nanotechnology and genomics will be applied to find novel treatment for the identified and characterized genetic immune disorder.
The rate of Rare Genetic Disorder in gulf region is one of the highest in the word due to the high level of consanguinity in this area. This already represent a challenge to heath care in UAE given the difficulty in providing the appropriate health care for many of these cases due to unknown genetic predisposition or etiology. For the last 10 years, we have identified several novel genetic disorders circulating in this area of the world again due to increased inter-family marriages. This expertise as well as our wide network of worldwide collaborators around this topic allows us to lead this research area/field in UAE.\ \ The group's main objectives are:
- Identify NOVEL genetic disorders predisposing to immunodeficiency that are circulating in UAE and the gulf area.
- Determine the prevalence of several rare genetic disorders (with special focus on primary immunodeficiency).
- Identification of rare genetic disorders diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers
- Characterize, at the molecular level, the immune dysregulation underlying these rare genetic disorders.
- Identify rare genetic variations predisposing to development of severe infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
- Identify potential therapeutic approaches for such genetic disorders using various tools such as drug repurposing, nanomedicine, gene editing, etc. (Precision medicine).
- Provide genetic screening service for specific patients in collaboration with our local collaborators which may help in their diagnosis and hence insure better healthcare service and treatment plans.
- Characterize the efficiency of preventive as well as therapeutic vaccines on patients with rare genetic disorders (vaccines targeting infectious diseases specifically affecting patients with rare genetic disorders).
Rabih Halwani
Research Group Coordinator
Prof. Qutayba Hamid
Research Group Member
Prof. Rifat Hamoudi
Research Group Member
Ayman El-Hattab
Research Group Memebr
Fatemeh Saheb Sharif-Askari
Research Group Memebr
Narjes Saheb Sharif-Askari
Research Group Memebr
The rate of Rare Genetic Disorder in gulf region is one of the highest in the word due to the high level of consanguinity in this area. This already represent a challenge to heath care in UAE given the difficulty in providing the appropriate health care for many of these cases due to unknown genetic predisposition or etiology. For the last 10 years, we have identified several novel genetic disorders circulating in this area of the world again due to increased inter-family marriages. This expertise as well as our wide network of worldwide collaborators around this topic allows us to lead this research area/field in UAE.\ \ The group's main objectives are:
- Identify NOVEL genetic disorders predisposing to immunodeficiency that are circulating in UAE and the gulf area.
- Determine the prevalence of several rare genetic disorders (with special focus on primary immunodeficiency).
- Identification of rare genetic disorders diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers
- Characterize, at the molecular level, the immune dysregulation underlying these rare genetic disorders.
- Identify rare genetic variations predisposing to development of severe infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
- Identify potential therapeutic approaches for such genetic disorders using various tools such as drug repurposing, nanomedicine, gene editing, etc. (Precision medicine).
- Provide genetic screening service for specific patients in collaboration with our local collaborators which may help in their diagnosis and hence insure better healthcare service and treatment plans.
- Characterize the efficiency of preventive as well as therapeutic vaccines on patients with rare genetic disorders (vaccines targeting infectious diseases specifically affecting patients with rare genetic disorders).
Research Publications
No Record Found
Prof. Jean-Laurent Casanova
He is a professor of immunology and genetics, senior attending physician, and head of the St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases at The Rockefeller University, as well as a visiting professor at the Necker Hospital for Sick Children, University of Paris. \ \
Prof. Suleiman Al-Hammadi
Professor of Pediatrics, Allergy and Clinical Immunology\ Dean of College of Medicine, MBRU, Dubai, UAE. \
Prof Rafick-Pierre Sékaly
Professor of immunology\ Vice-Chair of Translational Medicine\ Department of Pathology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.\
Prof. Saleh Al-Muhsen
Professor of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology\ King Saud University Medical City Chief finance and administrative officer\ Immunology Research laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine and King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.\
Dr. Malak Alghamdi
Associate Professor of Genetics \ Medical Genetics Division, Department of Paediatrics, King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.\
Dr Habiba Alsafar
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering\ Director of the centre of Biotechnology and Assistant Professor in Department of Biotechnology at Khalifa University\