Dr Abdel Omri

 

Professor

 


Ph.D. (University of Montréal)

Office: S-416

Lab: S-414

 

Mailing Address

Dr. A. Omri
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Laurentian University
Sudbury, ON
P3E 2C6

 

Tel: (705) 675-1151, ext 2190

Fax: (705) 675-4844

 

Internet:

aomri@laurentian.ca

 

Click here for personal webpage

 

Lipid-based drug and 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.

 

Research Interests

 

1. 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).


2. Liposomal delivery of antimicrobial agents towards resistant bacterial pathogens: 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.


3. Liposomal formulations of drugs and vaccine for oral delivery. 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.

 

Selected Publications:

 

Note: An Asterisk Star (*) indicates a graduate student. A double Asterisk (**) indicates an undergraduate student.

 

M. Alipour*, A. Omri, ZE. Suntres. Ginseng aqueous extract attenuates the production of virulence factors, stimulates twitching and adhesion, and eradicates biofilms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 2011; 89(6):419-27. [Pubmed].

M. Alipour*, C. Dorval**, ZE. Suntres, A. Omri. Bismuth-ethanedithiol incorporated in a liposome-loaded tobramycin formulation modulates the alginate levels in mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. 2011; 63 (8):999-1007. [Pubmed].

C. Buonocore*, M. Alipour*, A. Omri, K. Pucaj, MG. Smith. ZE. Suntres. Treatment of ricin A-chain-induced hepatotoxicity with liposome-encapsulated N-acetylcysteine. Journal of Drug Targeting. 2011 May 26. [Epub ahead of print], DOI: 10.3109/1061186X.2011.582645. [Pubmed].

M. Heney*, M. Alipour*, D. Vergidis*, A. Omri, C. Mugabe*, J. Th'ng, ZE. Suntres. Effectiveness of liposomal paclitaxel against MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 2010; 88(12):1172-80. [Pubmed].

M. Alipour*, Z. Suntres, RM Lafrenie, A Omri. Attenuation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence Factors and Biofilms by Co-encapsulation of Bismuth-ethanedithiol with Tobramycin in Liposomes. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2010; 65: 684-693. [Pubmed]

 

Y. Jia*, H. Joly, A. Omri. Characterization of the interaction between liposomal formulations and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Journal of Liposome Research. 2010; 20 (2): 134–146. [Pubmed]

 

Y. Jia*, H. Joly, D. Leek, Demetzos, C. Demetzos, A. Omri. The Effect of Aminoglycoside Antibiotics on the Thermodynamic Properties of Liposomal Vesicles. Journal of Liposome Research. 2010; 20 (1): 84–96. [Pubmed]

 M. Alipour*, Z. E. Suntres, M., Ali O. Azghani, A. Omri. Activity and Interactions of liposomal Antibiotics in Presence of Polyanions and Sputum of Patients with Cystic Fibrosis. PlosOne. 2009. 4(5): e5724. [Pubmed]

 

M.R. Mozafari, A. Pardakhty, S. Azarmi, J.A. Jazayeri, A. Nokhodchi, A. Omri. Role of nanocarrier systems in cancer nanotherapy. Journal of Liposome Research. 2009; 19: 310-321. [Pubmed]

 

M. Alipour*, Z. E. Suntres, A. Omri. Importance of DNase and alginate lyase for enhancing free and liposome encapsulated aminoglycoside activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2009; 64: 317–325. [Pubmed]

 

M. Halwani*, S. Hebert**, Z. Suntres, R. Lafrenie, A. Azghani, A. Omri. Bismuth-thiol incorporation enhances biological activities of liposomal tobramycin against bacterial biofilm and quorum sensing molecules production by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2009; 373: 141-146. [Pubmed]


M. Halwani*, B. Yebio**, Z.E. Suntres, M. Alipour*, Ali O. Azghani, A.  Omri. Co-encapsulation of gallium with gentamicin in liposomes enhances antimicrobial activity of gentamicin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2008; 62, 1291–1297. [Pubmed]

Mitsopoulos P*, Omri A, Alipour M*,  Vermeulen N*, Smith MG, Suntres ZE. Effectiveness of liposomal-N-acetylcysteine against LPS-induced lung injuries in rodents. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2008; 363:106-11. [Pubmed]

M. Halwani*, S. Blomme* Z.E. Suntres, M. Alipour*, Ali O. Azghani, A. Kumar, A.  Omri. Liposomal Bismuth-Ethanedithiol Formulation Enhances Antimicrobial Activity of Tobramycin. International Journal of Pharmaceutics.2008; 358: 278–284. [Pubmed]

 Y. Jia*, H. Joly, A. Omri. Liposomes as a Carrier for Gentamicin Delivery: Development and Evaluation of the Physicochemical Properties. International Journal of Pharmaceutics.2008; 359: 254–263. [Pubmed]

M Alipour*, M. Halwani*, A. Omri, Z. E. Suntres. Antimicrobial effectiveness of liposomal polymyxin B against resistant Gram-negative bacterial strains. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2008;  355: 293–298. [Pubmed]

M. Alipour*, A. Omri, M. G. Smith, Z. E. Suntres Prophylactic effect of liposomal N-acetylcysteine against LPS-induced liver injuries. Journal of Endotoxin Research. 2007;13(5):297-304. [Pubmed]

 H. Halwani*, C. Mugabe*, A.O. Azghani, R.M. Lafrenie, A. Kumar, A. Omri. Bactericidal efficacy of liposomal aminoglycosides against Burkholderia cenocepacia. Journal of Antimicrobial Agents. 2007;  60, 760–769. [Pubmed]

J-C Colas, W. Shi, V.S.N. Malleswara Rao, A. Omri, M. R. Mozafari, H. Singh. Microscopical investigations of nisin-loaded nanoliposomes prepared by Mozafari method and their bacterial targeting. Micron. 2007; 38: 841–847. [Pubmed]

M. R. Mozafari, A. Omri. Importance of divalent cations in nanolipoplex gene delivery.  Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 2007; 96(8):1955-66. [Pubmed]

 

Journal Editorial Boards
 

1.     Recent Patents on Drug Delivery & Formulation
            http://www.bentham.org/ddf/EBM.htm

2.     Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery         

            http://informahealthcare.com/page/EditorialAdvisoryBoard?journalCode=edd

3.     Current Nanoscience
            http://www.bentham.org/cnano/EBM.htm

4.     Advances in Pharmacological Sciences
            http://www.hindawi.com/journals/aps/editors.html

5.     Journal of Drug Delivery
            http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jdd/editors.html

6.     Recent Patents on Anti-Infective Drug Discovery
            http://www.bentham.org/pri/EBM.htm

7.     The Open Antimicrobial Agents Journal
            http://www.bentham.org/open/toantimj/EBM.htm

8.     Mediterranean Journal of Science & Technology
            http://jscitech.mersin.edu.tr/

9.     European Journal of Chemistry
            http://www.eurjchem.com/index.php/eurjchem/about/editorialTeam

10.   Journal of Pharmacology Research, Editor-in-Chief,

            http://www.bioinfo.in/contents.php?id=59&page=editorial 

11.   International Journal of Pharmaceuticals Analysis, Associate Editor  

            http://www.bioinfo.in/contents.php?id=30&page=editorial

12. The Natural Products Journal 

            http://www.bentham.org/npj/EBM.htm
 
 
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