User:Prof. Dr.

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Prof. Dr. (an artistic interpretation)

• Prof. Dr. Abdel Omri
• Laurentian University
• Director of Drug and Vaccine Delivery Systems Facility
• Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Laurentian University
• 935 Ramsey Lake Road,
• Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, P3E 2C6

Education

• 1995, PhD in Pharmacology, Faculty of Medecine, Université de Montréal. Québec, Canada
• 1992, MS in Pharmacology, Faculty of Medecine, Université de Montréal. Québec, Canada
• 1983, BS in Pharmacy, Institute

Research interests

Lipid-Based Drug & Vaccine Delivery Systems Liposomes are one of the most versatile biochemical tools. They are microscopic, spherical closed vesicles composed of one or more lipid bilayer that form when phospholipids are hydrated. Hydrophilic molecules can be incorporated into the aqueous compartment and lipophilic molecules can be encapsulated in the lipid bilayers. Liposomes by themselves are considered nonimmunogenic, biodegradable and nontoxic. They have been utilized in numerous biomedical applications including gene therapy, for delivery of drugs and vaccines, cancer imaging agents and cosmetics. Liposomes have the capability to incorporate selected bioactive biologicals and adjuvant molecules and potentiate their efficacy and minimize their toxicity. They do this by beneficially altering the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of the molecule in the body following its administra-tion through various routes of delivery.

My research program is centered on the design, formulation, development and characterization of drug and vaccine delivery systems; particularly those based on liposomes. A special focus on the site-specific targeting controlled release, drug resistance, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, metabolism and toxicity of free and liposome-encapsulated biological active agents.

Liposomal Delivery of Antisense Oligonucleotides Effect on P-glycoprotein function in multidrug resistant cells in vitro and in vivo studies. Cationic liposome formulations are used to promote the penetration of antisense oligonucleotides into the cell membrane and protect them from enzymatic degradation (nucleases).

Liposomal Formulations of Drugs and Vaccines for Oral Administration Liposomes are used to protect the encapsulated agents from the harsh gastrointestinal milieu (low pH, phospholipases, and bile salts) and to enhance their absorption to the systemic circulation and to increase the efficacy of these agents while minimizing their frequency of administration. Special liposomal formulation will be prepared, characterized and assayed for their efficacy in vitro and in animal models.

Liposomal Delivery of Antimicrobial Agents toward Resistant Bacteria Pulmonary and systemic infections. Construction of liposomes with high encapsulation efficiency, favorable antimicrobial release profile and enhanced bactericidal activity, to overcome the problem of bacterial resistance caused by low permeability of the bacterial cell envelope and by production of antimicrobial-inactivating enzymes.

Liposomal Delivery of Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress The production of novel antioxidant carriers with increased retention profile and enhanced cellular uptake. The formulations examined in vitro protect hepatocytes from reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced injury and have increased biodistribution and pharmacokinetics in healthy rodent models.

Publications

<biblio> Efficacy of Liposomal Bismuth-Ethanedithiol Loaded Tobramycin after Intratracheal Administration in Rats with Pulmonary Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection. Alhariri M, Omri A. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2012 Nov 12.

Liposomal encapsulation of vancomycin improves killing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a murine infection model. Sande L, Sanchez M, Montes J, Wolf AJ, Morgan MA, Omri A, Liu GY. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2012 Sep;67(9):2191-4. doi: 10.1093/jac/dks212. Epub 2012 Jun 2.

Ginseng aqueous extract attenuates the production of virulence factors, stimulates twitching and adhesion, and eradicates biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Alipour M, Omri A, Suntres ZE. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2011 Jun;89(6):419-27. doi: 10.1139/y11-057. PMID: 21815782 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Related citations

7. Bismuth-ethanedithiol incorporated in a liposome-loaded tobramycin formulation modulates the alginate levels in mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Alipour M, Dorval C, Suntres ZE, Omri A. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2011 Aug;63(8):999-1007. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-7158.2011.01304.x. Epub 2011 Jun 15. PMID: 21718282 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Related citations

8. Treatment of ricin A-chain-induced hepatotoxicity with liposome-encapsulated N-acetylcysteine. Buonocore C, Alipour M, Omri A, Pucaj K, Smith MG, Suntres ZE. J Drug Target. 2011 Nov;19(9):821-9. doi: 10.3109/1061186X.2011.582645. Epub 2011 May 26. PMID: 21615215 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Related citations

9. Effectiveness of liposomal paclitaxel against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Heney M, Alipour M, Vergidis D, Omri A, Mugabe C, Th'ng J, Suntres Z. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2010 Dec;88(12):1172-80. doi: 10.1139/Y10-097. PMID: 21164564 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Related citations

10. Rosmarinus officinalis polyphenols activate cholinergic activities in PC12 cells through phosphorylation of ERK1/2. El Omri A, Han J, Yamada P, Kawada K, Ben Abdrabbah M, Isoda H. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010 Sep 15;131(2):451-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2010.07.006. Epub 2010 Jul 13. PMID: 20633629 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Related citations

11. Attenuation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factors and biofilms by co-encapsulation of bismuth-ethanedithiol with tobramycin in liposomes. Alipour M, Suntres ZE, Lafrenie RM, Omri A. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2010 Apr;65(4):684-93. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkq036. Epub 2010 Feb 15. PMID: 20159770 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Free Article Related citations

12. Role of nanocarrier systems in cancer nanotherapy. Mozafari MR, Pardakhty A, Azarmi S, Jazayeri JA, Nokhodchi A, Omri A. J Liposome Res. 2009;19(4):310-21. doi: 10.3109/08982100902913204. Review. PMID: 19863166 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Related citations

13. Characterization of the interaction between liposomal formulations and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Jia Y, Joly H, Omri A. J Liposome Res. 2010 Jun;20(2):134-46. doi: 10.3109/08982100903218892. PMID: 19831502 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Related citations

14. Effect of Tunisian Capparis spinosa L. extract on melanogenesis in B16 murine melanoma cells. Matsuyama K, Villareal MO, El Omri A, Han J, Kchouk ME, Isoda H. J Nat Med. 2009 Oct;63(4):468-72. doi: 10.1007/s11418-009-0355-3. Epub 2009 Aug 15. PMID: 19685105 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Related citations

15. Characterization of human septic sera induced gene expression modulation in human myocytes. Hussein S, Michael P, Brabant D, Omri A, Narain R, Passi K, Ramana CV, Parrillo JE, Kumar A, Parissenti A, Kumar A. Int J Clin Exp Med. 2009 Jun 5;2(2):131-48. PMID: 19684886 [PubMed] Free PMC Article Related citations

16. The effect of aminoglycoside antibiotics on the thermodynamic properties of liposomal vesicles. Jia Y, Joly H, Leek DM, Demetzos C, Omri A. J Liposome Res. 2010 Mar;20(1):84-96. doi: 10.3109/08982100903103896. PMID: 19621992 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Related citations

17. Activity and interactions of liposomal antibiotics in presence of polyanions and sputum of patients with cystic fibrosis. Alipour M, Suntres ZE, Halwani M, Azghani AO, Omri A. PLoS One. 2009 May 28;4(5):e5724. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005724. PMID: 19479000 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Free PMC Article Related citations

18. Importance of DNase and alginate lyase for enhancing free and liposome encapsulated aminoglycoside activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Alipour M, Suntres ZE, Omri A. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2009 Aug;64(2):317-25. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkp165. Epub 2009 May 22. PMID: 19465435 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Free Article Related citations

19. Bismuth-thiol incorporation enhances biological activities of liposomal tobramycin against bacterial biofilm and quorum sensing molecules production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Halwani M, Hebert S, Suntres ZE, Lafrenie RM, Azghani AO, Omri A. Int J Pharm. 2009 May 21;373(1-2):141-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2009.02.001. Epub 2009 Feb 12. PMID: 19429299 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Related citations

20. Co-encapsulation of gallium with gentamicin in liposomes enhances antimicrobial activity of gentamicin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Halwani M, Yebio B, Suntres ZE, Alipour M, Azghani AO, Omri A. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2008 Dec;62(6):1291-7. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkn422. Epub 2008 Oct 18. PMID: 18931388 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Free Article

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