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STAFF PROFILE
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration, Finance and Planning)
Professor, Faculty of Applied Health and Sciences
PHOTO
Name
Awadh Amir Binhazim
Education
Ph.D.
M.S.
D.V.M.
1992
1987
1983
Comparative Pathology
Pathology and Microbiology
Vet Medicine
Contact Information
Office Location:
Phone: 0412492222
E-mail: [email protected]
Campus Mail address:
Technical University of Mombasa
Tom Mboya Street
P.O. Box 90420-80100,
Mombasa – Kenya.
University of Georgia, Georgia, USA
University of Nairobi, Kenya
King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia
Research Specialty
Prostate cancer, breast cancer, tumorigenesis, infectious diseases, leishmaniasis, SIV
Research Description
My research interests span over three areas of work and scientific themes that include Cancer,
Reproductive biology and Infectious diseases.
In cancer studies, my research interests in prostate cancer involve identifying the pathologic
lesions in genetically modified animal models of human prostate cancer. This cancer is one of the
most common cancer of elderly men and can be life threatening. It is driven by aberrant
regulations of multiple pathways involving many tumor suppressors and oncogenes. PTEN
(phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) is frequently mutated and deleted
in human cancers including prostate cancer. Working closely with Dr. Chen (Meharry Medical
College, Nashville, TN, USA), studies were conducted to identify mechanisms that regulate
SLUG/E-Cadherin pathway, which remain poorly understood, especially during tumorigenesis.
SLUG represses E-Cadherin to promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in various
cancers. In breast cancer, my research interests are to study biochemical markers of tumor
metastasis. Using knockout animal models established by Professor Ochieng (Meharry Medical
College, Nashville, TN, USA), we have shown that fetuin A, a serum protein is a potent stimulator
of growth of Lewis Lung Carcinoma and possibly other metastatic cells in the liver, lungs, and
other regions of the body. The mechanism(s) suggested by our data is a novel growth signaling
pathway mediated by fetuin-A and Ca2+ ions. This mechanism involves the PI3 kinase/Akt
signaling and is likely to be one of the major growth pathways in tumor cells both in vitro and in
vivo. Fetuin-A is a serum glycoprotein in the cystatin family associated with the regulation of soft
tissue calcification. The function of fetuin-A in the body was determined by gene knockout
technology in mice. Our research tested the role of systemic fetuin in tumor cell growth and
metastasis by injecting Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells in animal models of human diseases.
We demonstrated that fetuin-A promotes cell attachment & colonization in lung & liver cancers.
In reproductive biology studies, working collaboratively with Prof. Al-Hendy, my research interests
are in the pathology of ovarian failure. We examined whether bone marrow transplantation
restores follicular maturation and steroid hormones production in a mouse model for primary
ovarian failure. Recent studies suggest that bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) are promising
grafts to treat a variety of diseases, including reproductive dysfunction. Primary ovarian failure is
characterized by amenorrhea and infertility in a normal karyotype female, with an elevated serum
level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and a decrease level of estrogen caused by a mutation
in FSH receptor (FSHR) gene. Currently, there is no effective treatment for this condition. The
phenotype of FSHR (-/-) mouse, FORKO (follitropin receptor knockout), is a suitable model to
study ovarian failure in humans. Female FORKO mice have elevated FSH, decreased estrogen
levels, are sterile because of the absence of folliculogenesis, and display thin uteri and small
nonfunctional ovaries.
In Infectious diseases, my research expertise is medical protozoology. Studies conducted while
at the Institute of Primate Research, The University of Georgia and as part of the Tropical
Diseases Research program of the World Health Organization, animal model studies in old world
nonhuman primates tested to determine their suitability as Leishmania vaccine candidates.
Testing in nonhuman primates is done on the basis of their phylogenetic closeness to humans.
Results obtained paved the way to several other studies in which nonhuman primates were used
as models of leishmaniasis. At the University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, I carried
out studies in retroviruses and used Severe Combined Immunodeficient mice (SCID)
reconstituted with rhesus hematopoietic organs. The objective was to establish models to study
HIV. These immunologically reconstituted animals were successfully challenged with Simian
Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) infection. Working with SCID models, we intend to study
emerging infectious diseases such as Ehrlichia chaffeenesis infection, the causative agent of
human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis (HME). A humanized SCID model is used to characterize the
susceptibility, immunologic, and pathologic responses of this model to E. chaffeenesis. This will
be an important contribution to differentiate the human cellular immune responses against tickborne infection with Gram negative E. chaffeenesis,
Research Keywords
Prostate cancer, mammary cancer, ovarian failure, leishmaniasis, SIV, SCID, Ehrlichia
Publications
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Githure, J.I., Reid, G.D., Binhazim, A.A., Anjili, C.O., Shatry, A.M., and Hendricks,
L.D. Leishmania major: The suitability of East African nonhuman primates as animal
models for cutaneous leishmaniasis. Experimental Parasitology 64:438-447, 1987
Binhazim, A.A., Githure, J., Muchemi, G., and Reid, G.D. The isolation of Leishmania
major from a naturally infected vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops) caught in
Kiambu district, Kenya. Journal of Parasitology 73:1278-1279, 1987
Binhazim, A.A., Tarara, R.P. and Suleman, M.A. Spontaneous external
endometriosis in a De Brazza's monkey. Journal of Comparative Pathology 101:471474, 1989.
Binhazim, A.A., Chapman, W.L., and Isaac, W. Multiple spontaneous lesions in an
aged spider monkey. Laboratory Animal Science 39:355-357, 1989.
Otto, C.M., Mahaffey, M., Jacobs, C., and Binhazim, A.A. Cor triatrium dexter with
Budd-Chiari syndrome and a review of ascites in young dogs. Journal of Small Anim
Practice 31:385-389, 1990.
Binhazim, A.A., Chapman, W.L., Latimer, K.S., Styles, M., and Comer, K. Canine
leishmaniasis in two Labrador retrievers. Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic
Investigation 4:299-305, 1992.
Binhazim, A.A., Harmon, B.G., Roberson, E.L., and Boener, M. Hydatid disease in a
horse. JAVMA 200:958-960, 1992.
Binhazim, A.A., Shin, S.S., Chapman, W.L., and Olobo, J. Comparative susceptibility
of the African green monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops) to experimental infection with
Leishmania leishmania infantum and Leishmania leishmania donovani. Laboratory
Animal Science 43:37-47, 1993.
Binhazim, A.A., Chapman, W.L., Shin, S.S., and Hanson, W.L. Experimental
infection of hamsters and dogs with Leishmania leishmania infantum of canine origin.
Amer Journal of Vet Research 54:113-121, 1993.
Binhazim, A.A., and Buchl, S.J., Hydranencephaly in two rhesus monkeys (Macaca
mulatta). Journal of Medical Primatology 23:312-313, 1994.
Binhazim, A.A., Coghlan, L.G., and Walker, C. Hemangiosarcoma in the tail of a
long-evans rat bearing the Eker mutation. Laboratory Animal Science 44:191-194,
1994.
Binhazim, A.A., Alford, P., and Miller, M. Ventricular Septal Defect in an Infant
Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes). Journal of Medical Primatology 23:362-364, 1994.
Alford, P.L., Lee, R. L., Binhazim, A. A., Hubbard, G. B., and Matherne, C. Naturally
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acquired leprosy in two wild- born chimpanzees. Laboratory Animal Science 46:341346, 1996.
Binhazim, A. A., Rizvi, T., Coghlan, L. G., Schmidt, R., Lew, K., and Wong, P. K. Y.
Rhesus thymic/liver xenografts in severe combined immunodefecient mice:
Immunologic reconstitution and intrathymic infection with simian immunodeficiency
virus. Laboratory Investigation 75:339-348, 1996.
Wrona T.J., Johnston, D., Binhazim, A.A., and Dudley, J.P. Mutational and functional
analysis of the C-terminal region of the C3H MMTV. Journal of Virology. 72:47464755, 1996.
Binhazim, A.A., Lee, D.R., Bernacky, B.J., and Rizvi, T.A. Spontaneous anaplastic
large cell lymphoma in a chimp: A clinicopathological and immunohistochemical study.
Journal of Medical Primatology 26:260-266, 1997
Hassenbusch, S., Gradert, T, Satterfield, W., Binhazim, A.A., and Payne, R.
Preclinical toxicity study of intrathecal administration of the pain-relievers dextrophan,
dextromethorphan and memantine in the sheep model. Neuromodulation. 4:401-415,
1999.
Hubbard, G.B., Lee, D. R., Steele, K. E. Lee, S., Binhazim, A. A., and Brasky, K. M.,
Spontaneous Amyloidosis in Twelve Chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes. Journal of
Medical Primatology. 30:260-267, 2001
Kundranda, M.N., Henderson, M., Carter, K.J., Gorden, L., Binhazim, A., Ray S.,
Baptiste, T., Shokrani M., Leite-Browning, M.L., Jahnen-Dechent, W., Matrisian, L.M.,
and Ochieng, J. The Serum glycoprotein Fetuin-A promotes Lewis lung carcinoma
tumorigenesis via adhesive-dependent and adhesive-independent mechanisms.
Cancer Research. 65: (2) 499-507, 2005.
Mohsen Ghadami, Ebtehal El-Demerdash, Dong Zhang, Memmy H. Hassan, Manubai
Nagamani, Awadh A. Binhazim , Anthony E. Archibong , Xinlei Chen, Billy R.
Ballard, M. Ram Sairam, Ayman Al-Hendy - Bone marrow transplantation restores
ovarian folliculogenesis and steroid hormones production in an ovarian failure mouse
model. Molecular Therapy, 16:S359, 2008.
Mohsen Ghadami, Ebtehal El-Demerdash, Dong Zhang, Memmy H. Hassan, Manubai
Nagamani, Awadh A. Binhazim, Anthony E. Archibong, Xinlei Chen, Billy R. Ballard,
M. Ram Sairam, Ayman Al-Hendy - An adenovirus expressing human FSH receptor
restores folliculogenesis in FSHR knock out mouse. Molecular Therapy, 16:S27, 2008.
Ghadami M, El-Demerdash E, Salama S , Binhazim A, Archibong A, Chen X, Ballard
B, Sairam R, Al-Hendy A. Toward Gene Therapy of Premature Ovarian Failure:
Intraovarian Injection of Adenovirus Expressing Human FSH receptor Restores
Folliculogenesis in FSHR (-/-) FORKO Mice. Mol Hum Reprod. 16 (4): 241-50, 2010
Guillory B, Sakwe A, Saria M, Thompson P, Adhiambo C, Koumangoye R, Ballard B,
Binhazim A, Cone C, Jahanen-Dechent W, and Ochineg J. Lack of fetuin-A (α2HSglycoprotein) reduces mammary tumor incidence and prolongs tumor latency via TGFβ signaling pathway in a mouse model for breast cancer. American Journal of
Pathology. 137: (5) 2635-2644, 2010
Ghadami M, El-Demerdash E, Zhang D, Salama S , Binhazim A, Archibong A, Chen
X, Ballard B, Sairam R, Al-Hendy A. Bone marrow transplantation restores follicular
maturation and steroid hormones production in a mouse model for primary ovarian
failure. PLoS ONE; In press. 2014
Chen Z, Lu W, Shenji L, Li B, Adhiambo C, Yang Q, Binhazim A, Matusik R, SKP2
Contributes to H3K4me3 through Regulation of Lysine 63-linked Ubiquitination of
JARID1B in Pten Loss Prostate Tumorigenesis. Molecular Oncology (2014),
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.molonc.2014.05.006:
Message from the Deputy Vice Chancellor – Administration, Finance and Planning
In looking back at my upbringing and schooling in Lamu and Mombasa, the foundational
years of my life were humble beginnings. This has shaped my worldview and my passion
of assisting underserved and underprivileged communities. The formative years of my
academic and intellectual pathway was molded at three institutions of higher learning. My
university life started at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia, continued at the
University of Nairobi and later at The University of Georgia in the USA. The academic
corridor that I followed at The University of Texas and Meharry Medical College in
Tennessee took me to the highest echelon of academia. I left the United States as Full
Professor and chose to return to my homeland of Kenya to help shape academic
institutions in our nation. I was privileged to have worked with brand name academic
institutions while in the United States, a country regarded by experts as the leading
academic giant of the modern world. Coming from this international experience, I bring
to the Technical University of Mombasa a world of ideas. TUM is undoubtedly the oldest
institution of higher learning in Kenya and when initially established as MIOME, it
represented a quantum leap for the coastal people. It has undergone remarkable
transformation and has evolved to be a national institution with potential of bringing to the
region and the nation at large excellence in teaching, research, and service. We have an
opportunity to establish a university that will produce graduates who are critical thinkers
and globally competent.
As the DVC – AFP, my objectives are to support TUM’s vision and mission. Much is
required to improve TUM’s administrative system and the infrastructure in academics,
research, and other services are all in dire need of upgrading. But good facilities alone
do not bring excellence. They must be complimented by the recruitment of qualified
academicians and skilled personnel that are enthusiastic and are ready for change.
These individuals essentially bring new ideas of a shared vision in growth and
excellence. Our institution has numerous international partners and my office intends to
strengthen international cooperation with our academic partner and to create outstanding
conditions for young scholars and scientists to teach and do research as well as enhance
the international appeal of TUM. Also within TUM, we will need to deepen cooperation
between disciplines and various departments and remain open to transformation. The
milieu in which this institution is being shaped is an amalgamation of ideas that will
synergistically grow by each one of our contributions as we steer this university to great
heights. To do so we must be open to new frontiers. We live in an interconnected world
and I hope that you will share with me your viewpoints and thoughts as we advance this
institution to be a University of global excellence. Please bring your ideas and lets talk!