Research Profile - College of Medicine and Health Science - United ...

Department of Pharmacology
of the projects performed included; drug
utilization and rational use of antibiotics and
analgesics in health care centers and
community, developing Sickness Impact Profile
for studying quality of life in infertile patients,
studying views of medical students and
physicians of clinical skills teaching at the
medical colleges and surveying patient’s
attitudes towards students involvement in
medical practice.
Dr. Salim Bastaki
Gastroenterology: Gastrointestinal diseases
have increased in recent years. Work stress,
alcohol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDS) strong tea or coffees have contributed
to the pathology. Our research is based on
gastrointestinal secretion and the mechanism
of action of PPIs and other acid inhibitors on acid
secretion. In the early years, Histamine H2-
receptor antagonist, Sucralfate and Muscarinic
receptor antagonists were used more often.
But with the introduction of the proton pump
inhibitors (PPIs) their use has declined owing
to the potent anti-secretory and anti-ulcer
activity of the PPIs. Recently we published the
work on new proton pump inhibitor,
esomeprazole, Astra-Zeneca (accepted for
publication [2008]). At present we are studying
the interactions of aspirin in combination with
ibuprofen on gastric acid and ulcer formation in
the rat in vivo and in vitro (manuscript in
preparation). In the near future we are planning
to study the effect of stress on the mucosa of FSL
and FRL rats and the healing rate of alcohol-and
indomethacin-induced ulcers in the same rats.
Teratology: Epilepsy affects approximately 1% of
the world’s population and it is the second most
common neurologic disorder after stroke. It is a
heterogeneous symptom complex a chronic
disorder characterized by chronic seizures.
Approximately 0.5% of all pregnancies occur in
women with epilepsy. It is known that epileptic
women demonstrate a higher liability to obstetric
complication than non-epileptic females and
congenital malformations are more common in
their offspring than those of women who do not
take anti-epileptic drugs.
Pharmacogenetics: Oxidation by enzymes
encoded at the CYP2D6 locus is the main route
of elimination for a large number of drugs
including many commonly prescribed in
psychiatric practice such as antidepressants and
neuroleptics. The CYP2D6 locus is highly
polymorphic and numerous mutant CYP2D6
alleles are currently known including defective
alleles which yield no functional protein product
and duplicated active alleles which cause
ultrarapid oxidation. Two CYP2D6 oxidation
phenotypes EM (extensive metabolisers) and PM
(poor metabolisers) are commonly recognized.
These phenotypes can be accurately predicted
by genotyping. The clinical implications of the
CYP2D6 polymorphism are of potential
importance to psychiatric practice in the UAE
since tricyclic antidepressants are widely
prescribed for treatment of depression. These
drugs have a small therapeutic index and
unpleasant side-effects or therapeutic failure is
commonly encountered when fixed dose
regimens are used. There are only very few and
conflicting data concerning the distribution of
CYP2D6 phenotypes in Arab populations and no
genotyping studies have ever been carried out.
We aim to determine the frequency of the most
common CYP2D6 alleles in the local population
using allele specific PCR methodology and to
assess the relevance of the CYP2D6
polymorphism to psychiatric practice in the UAE.
Dr. Murat Ahmed Oz
Research interest of Dr. Oz focuses on the
identification of ion channels and neuronal
networks upon which neuropharmacologically
active agents act to modulate neuronal
excitability. To this end, actions of neuropeptides
such as vasopressin, angiotensin, and
cholecystokinin on the spinal cord preparations
and the effects of bioactive lipids such as
endocannabinoids on the functions of ion
channels are the major research topics
investigated in his laboratory.
Dr. Samir Attoub
Cancer research
My research is focused on the role of
PI3K/Akt/NFKB‚ pathway as a driving force behind
lung and colon cancer progression (apoptosis,
invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis) using
siRNA technology and in parallel screening of
potential anti-cancer drugs.
1. Identification of Akt isoforms involved in
colon cancer survival and invasion
The PI3K/Akt/NFKB signaling cascade is
constitutively activated in cancers. Akt is linked
to the transforming activity of c-src, c-kit, c-met
oncogenes and growth factors, such as EGF and
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