"SALEH A. NASER, Ph.D."

Crohn's Disease And Drug Discovery


This page is last updated on 05/01/2003
Dr. Saleh Naser
Associate Professor
Mycobacteriology
Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology
Biomolecular Research CenterCD3 home page
College of Health and Public Affair COHPA home page
e-mail saleh naser

"CURRENT RESEARCH AREA"


1) MOLECULAR PATHOGENESIS OF CROHN'S DISEASE
2) IDENTIFICATION OF NEW DRUGS EFFECTIVE AGAINST multiple drug resistant pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and other Pathogens.

"RESEARCH AGENDA"


The overall objectives of our research investigation is:
I) to confirm the role of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis (MAP) in the etiology of Crohn’s disease, a chronic debilitating intestinal disorder that affects more than two million people, using molecular, microbiologic and immunologic techniques. Our approach for this federally funded project is by investigating:
a) the humoral immune response of CD patients against recombinant antigens of MAP
b) the cellular immune response in full thickness surgical tissue and immune cells from CD aptients for possible defect in PMN's and other cell-mediated involved cells and
c) the presence/absence of MAP in full thickness surgical tissue and breast milk samples from CD patients by culture, FISH and RT-PCR.
Ultimately, we anticipate that the outcome of this study will provide new information toward better and cost-effective diagnostic and treatment protocols of this disease.
2) to develop new therapeutics or combinations of drugs to combat mycobacterial infections especially mutiple drug resistance strains. Our approach for this project is by in vitro evaluation of synthetic and natuarally occuring biocompounds against mycobacterial pathogens.

"Research Updates As Noted By Others"


for update link to:
"Crohn's Blood Test"

Press Release 04/30/98"Update"

Press Release 05/18/98"Update"

Press Release 05/31/99"Update"

Press Release 06/01/99"Update"

Press Release 06/01/99"Update"

Press Release 06/09/99"Update"

CCFA Story 07/23/99"Update"

Nicotine Might Play Good Guy Role. June 20, 2001".


Research Funded"April-2002"

"RECENT PUBLICATIONS"


PubMed, 10/01/2002 "Update"


"GENBANK DATA BASE AND PATENTS"

To View the Sequences: Click here, then click on Retrieve 3 documents
1) AF048899: Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis p36 antigen gene, complete cds gi|2935498| gb|AF048899.1| AF048899 [2935498]

2) AR016306: Sequence 1 from patent US 5776692 gi|3972583| gb|AR016306.1| AR016306 [3972583]

3) U15989: Mycobacterium paratuberculosis 65 kDa heat shock protein PTB65K gene, complete cds gi|559802| gb|U15989.1| MPU15989 [559802]

"ARTICLES"

 1. Naser, S.A., C.M. McCarthy, G.B. Smith and A.K. Tupponce. 1993. Low Temperature Protocol for Efficient Transformation of Mycobacterium smegmatis Spheroplasts. Current Microbiology. 27:153-156.

2. El-zaatari, F.A.K., S.A. Naser, L. Engstrand, C. Hachem and D.Y. Graham. 1994. Identification and Characterization of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis Recombinant Proteins Expressed in E. coli. Current Microbiology. 29:177-184.

3. El-Zaatari, F.A.K., S.A. Naser, L. Engstrand, P.E. Burch, D.L. Whipple, C. Hachem and D.Y. Graham. 1995. Nucleotide Sequence and Seroreactivities of the 65K Heat Shock Protein from Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology. 2(6):657-664.

4. El-Zaatari, F.A.K., S.A. Naser, D.C. Markesich, D.C. Kalter, L. Engstand and D.Y Graham. 1996. Identification of Mycobacterium avium complex in Sarcoidosis. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 34(9):2240-2245.

5. El-Zaatari, F.A.K., S.A. Naser and D.Y. Graham. 1997. Characterization and Seroractivity of Specific Mycobacterium paratuberculosis Clone Expressing a 35K Antigen with Clinical and Subclinical Johne’s Disease. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 35(7):1794-1799.

1998
6. Naser, S.A., R. Gillespie, and F.A.K. El-Zaatari. 1998. Effect of IS900 Gene of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis on Mycobacterium smegmatis Current Microbiology. 37(6), page 373-379.

1999
7. Naser, S., I. Shafran and FAK. El-Zaatari. 1999.Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in Crohn's Disease
Is Serologically Positive. Clinical and Diagnostic Laboratory Immunology. 6:(2). page 282.

8. El-Zaatari, F.A.K., S.A. Naser, K. Hulten, P. Burch and D. Graham. 1999. Chracterization of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis p36 Antigen and its seroreactivities in Crohn's disease. Current Microbiology. 39(2):115-119

9. Naser, S.A., J. Felix, H. Liping, C. Romero, N. Naser, A. Walsh and W. Safranek. 1999. Occurrence Of The IS900 Gene In Mycobacterium avium Complexderived From HIV Patients. Molecular and Cellular Probes. 13(5):367-372

2000
10. Naser, S. A. 2000. Gut Inflamation. ASM News. 66, No. 5 (May). Page 323

11. Hulten K., Karttunen T.J., El-Zimaity H.M.T,. Naser S.A., Almashhrawi, A. Graham D.Y., El-Zaatari F.A.K. 2000. In situ hybridization method for studies of cell wall deficient M. avium subsp paratuberculosis in tissue samples. Veterinary Microbiology. Dec. 20; 77(3-4):513-518

12. Hulten K, Karttunen TJ, El-Zimaity HMT, Naser SA, Collins MT, Graham DY, El-Zaatari FAK. 2000. Identification of cell wall deficient forms of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis in paraffin embedded tissues from animals with Johne's disease by in situ hybridization. J. Microbiological Methods. 42:185-195

13. Naser S.A., Hulten K., Shafran I., Graham D.Y., El-Zaatari F.A.K. 2000. Specific seroreactivity of Crohn's disease patients against P35 and P36 antigens of M. avium subsp paratuberculosis. Veterinary Microbiology. Dec. 20; 77(3-4):497-504

14. Saleh A. Naser, Ira Shafran, Deidre Schwartz. 2000. Isolation of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis from Breast Milk of Crohn's Disease Patients. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 95(4):1094-1095

15. Schwartz, D., I. Shafran, , C. Romero, N. Naser, C. Piromalli, J. Biggerstaff, W. Chamberlinand S.A. Naser. 2000. Use of Short-Term Culture for Identification of Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis in Tissue from Crohn's Disease Patients. Clinical Microbiology and Infection. 6:303-307.

2001
16. Chamberlin, W. Graham D.Y. Hulten K. El-Zimaity H.M.T. Schwartz M.R. Naser S.A. Shafran I. El-Zaatari F.A.K. 2001. Review article: Mycobacterium avium subsp paratuberculosis as one cause of crohn’s disease. Aliment Pharmacology Therapy. March 6; 15(3):337-346.

17. Naser S.A. and Ghobrial, G. 2001. Smoking and IBD. ASM News. 67, No. 10, Oct. 489-490.

18. Naser, S.A., Ghobrial, G. and Miles, H. 2001. Effect of Nicotine on Inflammatory Bowel disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 96 (12). Dec. 3455-3457.

2002
19. Shafran, I., Kuqler, L., El-Zaatari, F.A., Naser, S.A., Sandoval, J. 2002. Open Clinical Trial of Rifabutin and Clarithromycin in therapy in Crohn’s Disease. Digestive and Liver Disease Journal. 34(1):22-28.


20. Naser, S,A. Shafran, I, Schwartz, D, El-Zaatari, F.A.K. and Biggerstaff, J. 2002. In Situ Identification of Mycobacteria in Crohn’s Disease Patient Tissue using Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy. Molecular and Cellular Probes Journal. 16(1):41-48.

21.Guo, H., Naser, S.A., Ghobrial, G. and Phanstiel, Otto IV. 2002Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of New Citrate-Based Siderophores as Potential Delivery Vectors for Antimycobacterial Agents. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. May 9;54(10):2056-2063.

22. Ghobrial G, Naser SA, Sweeney M, White R. 2002. Identification and Characterization of the Allergenic Proteins of Bahia Grass (Paspalum notatum) Pollen. Int Arch Allergy Immunol. 2002 Aug;128(4):304-9.

23. Shafran I, Piromalli C, Decker JW, Sandoval J, Naser S, El-Zaatari FA. 2002. Seroreactivities against Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis p35 and p36 antigens in Crohn's disease patients. Digestive Disease and Sciences. Sep; 47(9)2079-2081.

2003
24. Motiwala, A.S., Strother, M., Amonsin, A., Byrum, B., Naser, S.A., Stabel, J.R., Shulaw, W.P., Bannantine, J.B., Kapur, V. and Sreevatsan, S. 2003. Molecular Epidemiology of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis: Evidence for limited strain diversity, strain sharing, and identification of unique targets for diagnosis. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. May; 41(5)2015-2026.

"PROCEEDINGS"

 1) El-Zaatari, F.A.K., S.A. Naser, C. Hachem and D.Y. Graham. 1995. Isolation and Characterization of Recombinant Clone Expressing Mycobacterial Antigen Recognized by Antibodies from Crohn’s Disease Patients. In RJ Chiodini et al., (eds). Proceeding of the Fourth International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis. Providence, RI, USA: International Association for Paratuberculosis Inc., pp 297-300.

2) El-Zaatari, F.A.K., S.A. Naser, and D.Y. Graham. 1996. Seroractivity of Specific Mycobacterium paratuberculosis Clone Expressing a 35K Antigen with Clinical and Subclinical Johne’s Disease. In RJ Chiodini et al., (eds). Proceeding of the Fifth International Colloquium on Paratuberculosis. Providence, RI, USA: International Association for Paratuberculosis Inc., pp 38-42.

3) Hulten K, Karttunen TJ, Naser SA, Graham DY, El-Zaatari FAK. Detection of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis spheroplasts in parafin embedded tissues by in situ hybridization. . In: Procedings of the Sixth International Colloquium on paratuberculosis: Public Health Issues, 1999, Melbourne, Australia. Manning EJB, Collins MT, eds, pp.531-534, IAP, inc. Madison, Wis. 1999.

4) Naser SA, Hulten K, Shafran I, Graham DY, El-Zaatari FAK. Specific seroreactivity of Crohn’s disease patients against P35 and P36 antigens of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis. In: Procedings of the Sixth International Colloquium on paratuberculosis: Public Health Issues, 1999, Melbourne, Australia. Manning EJB, Collins MT, eds, pp.525-530, IAP, inc. Madison, Wis. 1999.

5) J. DeCarolis, S. Hong, J. Taylor, and S. Naser, “Correlation of Various Operating Conditions to the Removal Efficiency of Solid, Organic and Microbial Contaminants Using a Small Scale Pilot Ultrafiltration Water Treatment System”, Proceedings of 2000 Florida Water Resources Conference, April 16 – 19, 2000, Tampa, Florida.

"BOOKS"

 Clinical Chemistry: Laboratory Manual. 1998 by Mosby Year book, inc. To View the book: