Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa

Qatar University, College of Medicine, Faculty Member

McGill University, Oncology, Faculty Member

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Dr. Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa is a professor at the College of Medicine and an associate member of the BRC of Qatar University, he is also still affiliated with his previous institution, the Oncology Department of McGill University, as an adjunct professor. Dr. Al Moustafa has been a cancer scientist since completing his PhD in 1992 at the University of Paris XIII, Paris, France. He did his training as a postdoctoral fellow in Montreal, Canada. Afterward, Dr. Al Moustafa held a position as a PI and an Assistant Professor at the Lady Davis Institute (LDI) for Medical Research of JGH and the Oncology Dept. of McGill University, respectively. He also was the founder and the scientific director of the first Research Cancer Centre in Aleppo-Syria. Dr. Al Moustafa has published more than one hundred forty papers, books, and book chapters on different aspects of human cancer including oncogene cooperation, cDNA and tissue microarray, HPVs, and EBV. During his career, Dr. Al Moustafa obtained numerous grants from highly respected organizations in France, Canada, and Qatar such as the French Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Cancer Research Society, and the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada as well as QNRF and Qatar University.

On the other hand, Dr. Al Moustafa founded the Middle-Eastern Association for Cancer Research (MEACR), and its official scientific peer-reviewed journal, the Clinical Cancer Investigation Journal (CCIJ). Dr. Al Moustafa is the principal organizer of the annual meetings of the MEACR and serves as the editor-in-chief of the CCIJ since their establishment in 2009 and 2011, respectively.

Dr. Al Moustafa’s main research focuses on the roles of several oncogenes, gene cooperation, and oncoviruses in human carcinogenesis and metastasis. He is also interested in cancer drug discovery and delivery using nanoparticles.

Pubmed publication list: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Ala-Eddin+Al+Moustafa+and%2For+Al+Moustafa+AE+and%2For+Almoustafa+AE
Google Scholar page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=25s5dVIAAAAJ&hl=en

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Papers by Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa

Oncoproteins E6/E7 of the Human Papillomavirus Types 16 & 18 Cooperate in Modulating Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Proteins in Colorectal Cancer

Background This study presents a novel analysis of the oncogenes and tumor suppressor proteins di... more Background This study presents a novel analysis of the oncogenes and tumor suppressor proteins directly modulated by E6/E7 of high-risk HPV types 16 and 18, in two mutational cell models of colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods Two distinct mutational cell models of colorectal cancer, HCT 116 (KRAS mutant) & HT-29 (TP53 mutant) were transfected with E6/E7 of HPV16 and HPV18, individually and in combination (co-transfection), via lipofection. Further, we utilized a liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) approach to analyze and compare the proteomes of KRAS mutant HCT 116 and TP53 mutant HT-29 cell models of CRC, expressing E6/E7 of HPVs type 16 and 18, both, individually and in combination.Results We generated six stably transfected cell lines, namely, HCT 116 HPV16+, HCT 116 HPV18+, HCT 116 HPV16+/18+, HT-29 HPV16+, HT-29 HPV18+, HT-29 HPV16+/18+. Our proteomics data revealed a significantly higher, HPV-induced, modulation of oncogenes and tumor suppressor proteins in the TP53...

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Metformin and HER2-positive breast cancer: Mechanisms and therapeutic implications

Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Jun 1, 2023

Quantification of the growth suppression of HER2+ breast cancer colonies under the effect of trastuzumab and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor

Frontiers in Oncology

IntroductionImmune checkpoint blockade (ICB)-based therapy is revolutionizing cancer treatment by... more IntroductionImmune checkpoint blockade (ICB)-based therapy is revolutionizing cancer treatment by fostering successful immune surveillance and effector cell responses against various types of cancers. However, patients with HER2+ cancers are yet to benefit from this therapeutic strategy. Precisely, several questions regarding the right combination of drugs, drug modality, and effective dose recommendations pertaining to the use of ICB-based therapy for HER2+ patients remain unanswered.MethodsIn this study, we use a mathematical modeling-based approach to quantify the growth inhibition of HER2+ breast cancer (BC) cell colonies (ZR75) when treated with anti-HER2; trastuzumab (TZ) and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 (BMS-202) agents.Results and discussionOur data show that a combination therapy of TZ and BMS-202 can significantly reduce the viability of ZR75 cells and trigger several morphological changes. The combination decreased the cell’s invasiveness along with altering several key pathways, such...

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Role of E2F transcription factor in oral cancer: Recent insight and advancements

Seminars in Cancer Biology

Mesoporous silica coated carbon nanofibers reduce embryotoxicity via ERK and JNK pathways

Materials Science and Engineering: C

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) have been implicated in biomedical applications, yet, they are still con... more Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) have been implicated in biomedical applications, yet, they are still considered as a potential hazard. Conversely, mesoporous silica is a biocompatible compound that has been used in various biomedical applications. In this regard, we recently reported that CNFs induce significant toxicity on the early stage of embryogenesis in addition to the inhibition of its angiogenesis. Thus, we herein use mesoporous silica coating of CNFs (MCNFs) in order to explore their outcome on normal development and angiogenesis using avian embryos at 3 days and its chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) at 6 days of incubation. Our data show that mesoporous silica coating of CNFs significantly reduces embryotoxicity provoked by CNFs. However, MCNFs exhibit slight increase in angiogenesis inhibition in comparison with CNFs. Further investigation revealed that MCNFs slightly deregulate the expression patterns of key controller genes involved in cell proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, and apoptosis as compared to CNFs. We confirmed these data using avian primary normal embryonic fibroblast cells established in our lab. Regarding the molecular pathways, we found that MCNFs downregulate the expression of ERK1/ERK2, p-ERK1/ERK2 and JNK1/JNK2/JNK3, thus indicating a protective role of MCNFs via ERK and JNK pathways. Our data suggest that coating CNFs with a layer of mesoporous silica can overcome their toxicity making them suitable for use in biomedical applications. Nevertheless, further investigations are required to evaluate the effects of MCNFs and their mechanisms using different in vitro and in vivo models.

Developmental Toxicity of Surface-Modified Gold Nanorods in the Zebrafish Model

ACS Omega

Haematococcus pluvialis Microalgae Extract Inhibits Proliferation, Invasion, and Induces Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells

Frontiers in Nutrition

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant cancer in females worldwide. Drug resistance, tox... more Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignant cancer in females worldwide. Drug resistance, toxicity, and the failure of current therapies to completely cure BC has challenged conventional medicine. Consequently, complementary alternative medicine has become popular due to its safety and efficacy. Haematococcus pluvialis (H. pulvialis) is a green microalga living in fresh water, and its crude extract is rich of bioactives, including carotenoids, known to inhibit cancer cell growth. In the present study, we investigated the effects of a methanol crude extract called “T1” of H. pulvialis on cell growth and migration/invasion of the BC cell line MDA-MB-231 in comparison to the fibroblast control cells. TI significantly suppressed BC cell growth, inhibited migration and invasion and induced apoptosis. Interestingly, apoptosis was mediated by a significant loss of mutant p53 protein, and increased Bax/Bcl2 ratio. Our findings support our hypothesis that T1 exerts its anti-cancer effect...

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Background

Series in BioEngineering, Nov 1, 2020

Radiotherapy Models

Series in BioEngineering, Nov 1, 2020

section of the journal Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

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Oncogènes viraux chez l'embryon d'oiseau. : Transformation et coopération in vivo. : Expression étudiée à l'aide du gêne reporter lacZ. : Isolement et caractérisation de lignées hématopoiétiques transformées

Nous avons etabli que l'oncogene nucleaire v-myc de mc29 transforme les myoblastes cardiaques... more Nous avons etabli que l'oncogene nucleaire v-myc de mc29 transforme les myoblastes cardiaques chez l'embryon d'oiseau, et les cellules epidermiques quand l'injection est realisee entre e1 et e5. Nous avons egalement etudie l'effet de l'association de v-myc a d'autres oncogenes; de telles combinaisons oncogeniques ont permis de deceler de nouvelles cibles de la transformation. Ainsi le virus mh2 qui comporte les oncogenes v-myc et v-mil et code pour la proteine nucleaire myc, et une serine threonine kinase cytoplasmique, provoque chez l'embryon de caille et de poulet, en plus des rhabdomyomes cardiaques, des tumeurs endotheliales quand il est injecte a e3. En induisant la formation de tumeurs secondaires, mh2 est responsable in vivo d'un phenomene de cooperation entre un oncogene nucleaire et un autre cytoplasmique. Un autre type de cooperation a ete demontre grâce a une construction retrovirale nommee MHE226 et qui associe trois oncogenes nucleair...

Miscellaneous Therapy Models

Hormone Therapy Models

Significant Toxic Effect of Carbon Nanofibers at the Early Stage of Embryogenesis

Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology, 2020

Implementation of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) in biomedical applications have successful outcomes, h... more Implementation of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) in biomedical applications have successful outcomes, however, they are still considered as a potential hazard. We herein used avian embryos at 3 days and its chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) at 6 days of incubation to evaluate the impact of synthesized CNFs on the early stage of embryogenesis and angiogenesis. Our data point out that 50 μg/embryo concentration of CNFs provoke adverse effects as 75% of CNFs-exposed embryos die within 1–5 days after exposure compared with their matched controls. Furthermore, CNFs significantly inhibit angiogenesis of the CAM after 48-hours post-treatment. Additionally, RT-PCR analysis on seven key controller genes responsible for proliferation, survival, angiogenesis, and apoptosis showed that these genes are deregulated in brain, heart, and liver tissues of CNFs-exposed embryos compared to their matched control. Our investigation suggests that CNFs could have a toxic effect on the early stages of embryogenesis...

Waterpipe smoking and women's health: From pregnancy to breast cancer

Clinical Cancer Investigation Journal, 2020

Today, smoking tobacco in waterpipes has increased in popularity worldwide; this is largely based... more Today, smoking tobacco in waterpipes has increased in popularity worldwide; this is largely based on the belief that waterpipe smoking (WPS) is less harmful than cigarette smoking. On the other hand, it was recently pointed out that WPS can have a dramatic effect on women's health from pregnancy to breast cancer initiation and/or progression through targeting two important members of cadherin genes, cadherin-6 type 2 and E-cadherin, which are important regulators of cell migration and invasion. More significantly, it is noted that the deregulation of these two genes as well as others can occur through the Erk1/Erk2 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Herein, we discuss, for the first time, the outcome of WPS and its mechanism on the embryo, at the early stage of its development, as well as breast cancer progression.

Abstract 2243: Cell-phone radiofrequency enhances angiogenesis and stimulates cell invasion of human head and neck cancer cells

Cancer Research, 2018

Today, cell-phone is the most widespread technology globally. It has been suggested that cell-pho... more Today, cell-phone is the most widespread technology globally. It has been suggested that cell-phone radiofrequency (RF) use may increase the risk of human brain and probably head cancers. However, the outcome of cell phone RF on head and neck (HN) cancer progression has not been explored yet. Thus, first we examined the outcome of cell-phone RF on angiogenesis using the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of the chicken embryo as a model. Then we investigated the effect of cell-phone RF on cell invasion and colony formation in soft agar of two human HN cancer cell lines. Our data revealed that cell-phone RF promotes angiogenesis of the CAM. In addition, cell-phone RF enhances cell invasion and colony formation of human HN cancer cells; this is accompanied by a down-regulation of E-cadherin expression. Regarding the mechanism of cell-phone RF on angiogenesis, cell invasion and colony formation, we found that cell-phone RF activates Erk1 and Erk2 in our experimental models which could be t...

Prevalence, harm perception, correlates of favourable harm perception and predictors of waterpipe smoking among University of Ibadan undergraduate students

Tobacco Induced Diseases, 2018

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Cerium Oxide Nanoparticle Incorporated Electrospun Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) Membranes for Diabetic Wound Healing Applications

ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 2019

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Abstract 1873: Water-pipe smoking induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition and enhances cell invasion of human breast cancer cells

Tumor Biology, 2019

Titanium Nanorods Loaded PCL Meshes with Enhanced Blood Vessel Formation and Cell Migration for Wound Dressing Applications

Macromolecular Bioscience, 2019

Proper management of nonhealing wounds is an imperative clinical challenge. For the effective hea... more Proper management of nonhealing wounds is an imperative clinical challenge. For the effective healing of chronic wounds, suitable wound coverage materials with the capability to accelerate cell migration, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and wound healing are required to protect the healing wound bed. Biodegradable polymeric meshes are utilized as effective wound coverage materials to protect the wounds from the external environment and prevent infections. Among them, electrospun biopolymeric meshes have got much attention due to their extracellular matrix mimicking morphology, ability to support cell adhesion, and cell proliferation. Herein, electrospun nanocomposite meshes based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and titanium dioxide nanorods (TNR) are developed. TNR incorporated PCL meshes are fabricated by electrospinning technique and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, and X‐Ray d...

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Oncoproteins E6/E7 of the Human Papillomavirus Types 16 & 18 Cooperate in Modulating Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Proteins in Colorectal Cancer

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Metformin and HER2-positive breast cancer: Mechanisms and therapeutic implications

Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, Jun 1, 2023