Mohamed Osman 2019

Mohamed Osman

Dr Mohamed Osman

University of York, UK

Identification of Leishmania donovani and Mycobacterium tuberculosis- derived proteins on the surface of infected macrophages that are associated with ADCC induction (VALIDATE funded pump-priming project)

 

Poster Abstract

Leishmaniasis and tuberculosis (TB) are globally important infectious diseases, with a major impact on human health. They are caused by pathogens that have adopted an intracellular lifestyle, living within cells of the immune system called phagocytes. Both diseases have a negative prognosis when associated with HIV infection. No effective vaccines are available, despite intense effort, particularly in the case of TB. Drugs treatment regimens are prolonged which may result in patient non-adherence and increased toxicity, and the emergence of drug resistance and / or an increase in treatment failures is a major threat.

Our understanding of what constitutes protective immunity in TB or leishmaniasis is incomplete and indeed it is possible that immune responses not normally provoked during infection may prove more amenable to manipulation and have greater efficacy than those induced during natural infection. We propose to investigate the potential for a form of immunity which involves the production of antibodies against pathogen-derived molecules expressed on the surface of infected cells and their recognition by “killer cells”. Our hypothesis is that these antibodies will be able to help the killer cells to remove Leishmania and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-infected cells from the body. In this proposal, we will identify pathogen-derived molecules expressed on the surface of infected phagocytes and determine whether they are recognised by pathogen-specific antibodies. This is a critical first step to evaluating whether enhancing this mechanism of immunity will help control disease. This project has the potential to provide new candidate molecules for vaccine development and to promote the development of novel recombinant antibodies that can be used to treat patients. Hence, this proposal seeks to generate new tools for the fight against leishmaniasis and TB.

 

Biography

Vaccine clinical trials:

  • -  Phase IIb leishmania vaccine clinical trial using adenovirus vectors: site Sudan and UK
  • -  Phase I Leishmania vaccine clinical trial, site United Kingdom
  • -  Phase IIb CMV vaccine clinical trial in organ transplant patients, site United Kingdom.

Strong background in immunology, infectious diseases, clinical trials, and medical biotechnology. In-depth knowledge of immunology, infectious diseases and biotechnology both at theoretical and practical levels. Considerable research, teaching, and supervisory experience at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels:

  • Cellular and Immunology techniques:
    Extensive tissue culture primary and cell lines; Generation of DCs, NK and T cells; CTL and proliferation assay; FACS analysis; ELISA; Elispot; Intracellular cytokine staining; Antigen specific tetramers; Generation of stem cells from mouse bone marrow; Confocal microscopy
  • Working experience with category-3 pathogens:
    Propagating and maintenance of Neisseria meningitidis (Nm); Use of Nm to infect human dendritic cells; Separating and preparing PBMCs from HIV infected individuals; Use of HIV based vector to express genes and infect primary cells
  • Molecular biology techniques:
    RNA sequencing; MicroRNA profiling; Retrovirus and lentivirus generation and cloning; Generation of recombinant viruses. e.g. MVA; DNA Transfections; Protein purification and functional assay; Plasmid purification; RT-PCR; RNAi assays
  • Animal model for infectious diseases