Publications by authors named "Ashkar S"

Purpose: Pediatric trauma education remains expensive and available only to a few providers worldwide. Innovative educational technologies like virtual reality (VR) can be key to decentralizing trauma education. This preliminary validation study evaluates the face and content validity of a VR software designed to enhance pediatric trauma skills.

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The interaction between menin and histone-lysine N-methyltransferase 2A (KMT2A) is a critical dependency for KMT2A- or nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1)-altered leukemias and an emerging opportunity for therapeutic development. JNJ-75276617 (bleximenib) is a novel, orally bioavailable, potent, and selective protein-protein interaction inhibitor of the binding between menin and KMT2A. In KMT2A-rearranged (KMT2A-r) and NPM1-mutant (NPM1c) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells, JNJ-75276617 inhibited the association of the menin-KMT2A complex with chromatin at target gene promoters, resulting in reduced expression of several menin-KMT2A target genes, including MEIS1 and FLT3.

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In recent years, endovascular aneurysm repair has become the predominant method of managing abdominal aortic and common iliac artery aneurysms. Off-label use of different endovascular devices has allowed them to remain a viable option in many cases of atypical anatomy. Some studies have reported the use of iliac devices in an upside-down configuration when the common iliac artery aneurysm has a reverse-tapered morphology.

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The engineering of a new type of trifunctional biopolymer-based nanosponges polymerized by cross-linking beta-cyclodextrin ethylene diamine (βCD-EDA) with bifunctional hairy nanocellulose (BHNC) is reported herein. We refer to the highly cross-linked polymerized BHNC-βCD-EDA network as BBE. βCD-EDA and BHNC were cross-linked at various ratios with the help of DMTMM (4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium) as a green activator in deionized water as a solvent, which resulted in different morphological shapes of BBE.

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The eye has anatomical structures that function as robust static and dynamic barriers, limiting the penetration, residence time, and bioavailability of medications administered topically. The development of polymeric nano-based drug-delivery systems (DDS) could be the solution to these challenges: it can pass through ocular barriers, offering higher bioavailability of administered drugs to targeted tissues that are otherwise inaccessible; it can stay in ocular tissues for longer periods of time, requiring fewer drug administrations; and it can be made up of polymers that are biodegradable and nano-sized, minimizing the undesirable effects of the administered molecules. Therefore, therapeutic innovations in polymeric nano-based DDS have been widely explored for ophthalmic drug-delivery applications.

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The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the physicochemical properties and antibacterial activity of three calcium silicate cements. Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA Biorep “BR”), Biodentine (BD) and Well-Root PT (WR) materials were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) at 24, 72 and 168 h of immersion in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis (E.

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Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV) infects BALB/c mice and induces T-cell lymphoma in mice. Retroviral integration is mediated by the interaction of the MLV integrase (IN) with members of the bromodomain and extraterminal motif (BET) protein family (BRD2, BRD3, and BRD4). The introduction of the W390A mutation into MLV IN abolishes the BET interaction.

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Rifampin (RMP), a very potent inhibitor of the (MTB) RNA polymerase (RNAP), remains a keystone in the treatment of tuberculosis since its introduction in 1965. However, rifamycins suffer from serious drawbacks, including 3- to 9-month treatment times, Cyp450 induction (particularly problematic for HIV-MTB coinfection), and resistant mutations within RNAP that yield RIF-resistant (RIF) MTB strains. There is a clear and pressing need for improved TB therapies.

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Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most significant world health problems, responsible for 1.5 M deaths in 2020, and yet, current treatments rely largely on 40 year old paradigms. Although the rifamycins (RIFs), best exemplified by the drug rifampin (RMP), represent a well-studied and therapeutically effective chemotype that targets the bacterial RNA polymerase (RNAP), these agents still suffer from serious drawbacks including the following: 3-9 month treatment times; cytochrome P450 (Cyp450) induction [particularly problematic for human immunodeficiency virus- (MTB) co-infection]; and the existence of RIF-resistant (RIF) MTB strains.

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HDGF-related protein 2 (HRP-2) is a member of the Hepatoma-Derived Growth Factor-related protein family that harbors the structured PWWP and Integrase Binding Domain, known to associate with methylated histone tails or cellular and viral proteins, respectively. Interestingly, HRP-2 is a paralog of Lens Epithelium Derived Growth Factor p75 (LEDGF/p75), which is essential for -rearranged (-r) leukemia but dispensable for hematopoiesis. Sequel to these findings, we investigated the role of HRP-2 in hematopoiesis and -r leukemia.

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Background: Domestic violence (DV) damages health and requires a global public health response and engagement of clinical services. Recent surveys show that 27% of married Palestinian women experienced some form of violence from their husbands over a 12 months' period, but only 5% had sought formal help, and rarely from health services. Across the globe, barriers to disclosure of DV have been recorded, including self-blame, fear of the consequences and lack of knowledge of services.

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Article Synopsis
  • LEDGF/p75 is a protein that helps other proteins attach to genes and is important for some diseases like HIV and mixed-lineage leukemia (MLL).
  • Researchers discovered how LEDGF/p75 interacts with other proteins to understand its role better, including a new partner called MED1.
  • They found out that tiny changes in the structure of these interactions can be controlled and are important for MLL, suggesting that targeting these changes might help treat leukemia.
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Mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) represents a genetically distinct and aggressive subset of human acute leukemia carrying chromosomal translocations of the gene. These translocations result in oncogenic fusions that mediate aberrant recruitment of the transcription machinery to MLL target genes. The N-terminus of MLL and MLL-fusions form a complex with lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75; encoded by the gene) and MENIN.

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Retroviral vectors have shown their curative potential in clinical trials correcting monogenetic disorders. However, therapeutic benefits were compromised due to vector-induced dysregulation of cellular genes and leukemia development in a subset of patients. Bromodomain and extraterminal domain (BET) proteins act as cellular cofactors that tether the murine leukemia virus (MLV) pre-integration complex to host chromatin via interaction with the MLV integrase (IN) and thereby define the typical gammaretroviral integration distribution.

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In recent years, the increased use of macrolides was linked with the emergence of resistance Streptococcus pneumoniae worldwide. The main aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of S. pneumoniae resistant to macrolides and to identify the macrolide resistance genotypes among clinical isolates collected in North Lebanon.

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Mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) fusion-driven acute leukemias represent a genetically distinct subset of leukemias with poor prognosis. MLL forms a ternary complex with the lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75) and MENIN. LEDGF/p75, a chromatin reader recognizing H3K36me3 marks, contributes to the association of the MLL multiprotein complex to chromatin.

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Stable integration in the host genome renders murine leukemia virus (MLV)-derived vectors attractive tools for gene therapy. Adverse events in otherwise successful clinical trials caused by proto-oncogene activation due to vector integration hamper their application. MLV and MLV-based vectors integrate near strong enhancers, active promoters, and transcription start sites (TSS) through specific interaction of MLV integrase (IN) with the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) family of proteins, accounting for insertional mutagenesis.

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A hallmark of retroviral replication is integration of the viral genome into host cell DNA. This characteristic makes retrovirus-based vectors attractive delivery vehicles for gene therapy. However, adverse events in gene therapeutic trials, caused by activation of proto-oncogenes due to murine leukemia virus (MLV)-derived vector integration, hamper their application.

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A series of novel azo-disperse dyes containing alkylhydrazonopyridinone structures were synthesized. 4-Methyl-2,6-dioxo-1-propyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine-3-carbonitrile (8) is synthesized by one-pot synthesis using ethyl cyanoacetate, propylamine, and ethyl acetoacetate. Compound 8 is then coupled with aromatic and heteroaromatic diazonium salts to afford the corresponding aryl- and heteroaryl-4-methyl-2,6-dioxo-1-propyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine-3-carbonitriles 12a,b and 13a-c.

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It has been emphasized that one of the most valuable treatment objectives in dental practice is to afford the patient a pain-free treatment. By the evolution of the laser applications, the dental committee aimed to achieve this goal without analgesic drugs and painful methods. Orthodontic treatment is one of these concerns, that one of the major components of patient to reject this treatment is the pain accompanied during the different treatment phases.

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Injury to the ocular surface induces the production of the corneal epithelial-derived 12-hydroxyeicosatetrienoic acid (12-HETrE), which exhibits stereospecific potent inflammatory and angiogenic properties and is formed by a cytochrome P450 (P450) enzyme, CYP4B1. We have cloned the rabbit corneal CYP4B1 into the expression plasmid pIRES2-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and examined the effect of CYP4B1 overexpression on corneal inflammation in vivo and limbal vessel sprouting ex vivo. Cultured rabbit corneal epithelial cells transfected with pIRES2-EGFP-CYP4B1 metabolized arachidonic acid to 12-HETrE at a rate five times higher than that of pIRES2-EGFP-transfected cells (3.

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Hypoxic injury to the ocular surface provokes an inflammatory response that is mediated, in part, by corneal epithelial-derived 12-hydroxyeicosanoids. Recent studies indicate that a cytochrome P450 (CYP) monooxygenase, identified as CYP4B1, is involved in the production of these eicosanoids which exhibit potent inflammatory and angiogenic properties. We have isolated and cloned a corneal epithelial CYP4B1 full-length cDNA and demonstrated that the CYP4B1 mRNA is induced by hypoxia in vitro and in vivo.

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Injury to the ocular surface provokes an inflammatory response that is mediated, at least in part, by corneal epithelial derived 12-hydroxyeicosanoids (HETEs) including 12-HETE and 12-HETrE; both metabolites exhibit potent inflammatory and angiogenic properties and are formed by a cytochrome P450 (CYP) 4B1. Retinoids are known to mediate wound-healing processes in many tissues and, as such, are integral components of the inflammatory response. We studied the effect of various retinoids on corneal synthesis of 12-hydroxyeicosanoids and on activation of CYP4B1 gene expression.

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Background: The use of immunization assessment and referral (A/R) in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has been shown to produce dramatic improvements in vaccination coverage when coupled with parental incentive; however, data are lacking to support the use of A/R alone.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of A/R in increasing immunization coverage among WIC participants.

Design: Participating WIC centers were assigned to1 of 3 interventions that delivered A/R of varying frequency or a control group.

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Neutrophil-independent macrophage responses are a prominent part of delayed-type immune and healing processes and depend on T cell-secreted cytokines. An important mediator in this setting is the phosphoprotein osteopontin, whose secretion by activated T cells confers resistance to infection by several intracellular pathogens through recruitment and activation of macrophages. Here, we analyze the structural basis of this activity following cleavage of the phosphoprotein by thrombin into two fragments.

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