About
Many of this department’s projects pertaining to cellular behavior in health and disease are supported through intramural and extramural funding, including diabetes, retinopathy, and xenotransplantation research. For diabetes research, the Department of Cell Biology has developed many techniques investigating diet-induced metabolic syndrome and diabetes in animal models, including the use of Caenorhabditis elegans for examining lipid metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction. They also study the role of Immunoglobulin A in innate immunity. The retinopathy program examines the development of diabetes retinopathy in the AKITA mouse model in which insulin receptor 1 is mutated. The xenotransplantation program is exploring the potential of using animal organs as discordant xenografts, examining heterotopic xenotransplantation from different species under various immunological conditions. This program also investigates decellularizing and then recellularizing animal hearts using neonatal cardiac myocytes and embryonic stem cells.
Research Activities
Sections
The Department has developed many techniques investigating diet-induced metabolic syndrome and diabetes in animal models.
This research program studies the possibility of using animal organs as discordant xenograft in different species. The program involved heterotopic xenotrasnpantation from different species under various immunological conditions. In addition the program involves projects in which animal hearts are decellularized then recellularized using neonatal cardiac myocytes and embryonic stem cells.
The section is involved in three areas of research and development:
The department Mission is to seek, search and advance the scientific knowledge of environmentally induced respiratory allergic diseases and to provide support for diagnosis, treatment and/or prevention of such diseases.
They have been monitoring and analyzing various asthma and allergy causing biological agents (allergens) in the different region of Saudi Arabia. As a result we have published many original articles on the subject and indigenous allergens. To help people take precautions and prevention, we would help them by identifying allergens in their homes and ambient environment.
In addition, we have now completed logistics and clinical trials for providing indigenous in vivo diagnostic kits for allergy and asthma. This diagnostic approached will be complemented by a therapeutic regime of immunotherapy vaccines for those identified to be positive with regional allergens.