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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 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 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 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 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!