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Research Studies

Hematologic Oncology, Hematological, Bleeding & Thrombotic Disorders research

 

 

Thalassemia Research program:

 Thalassemia is a genetic disease carried by 3 to 4% of the Lebanese population. Sufferers produce low levels of hemoglobin- the oxygen carrying protein in red blood cells- leading to anemia. Scientists distinguish between 3 variations of the disease based on its severity: Thalassemia minor, Thalassemia Intermedia and Thalassemia Major. Patients with β-thalassemia major (TM) suffer from severe anemia in the first years of life, and subsequently require regular blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy for survival. Patients with β-thalassemia intermedia (TI) present to medical attention in later childhood, sustain more favorable hemoglobin levels, and remain largely non- or only occasionally-transfused. Preliminary studies by our group observed that transfusion-independent patients with TI experience a clinical complications profile that is different from that in patients with β-thalassemia major. It is important to note that without treatment, the disease can be fatal.

The mission of our research program is to explore these various clinical morbidities and determine their associations with the underlying disease pathophysiology and risk factors so that effective treatments can be developed.

 

Ongoing benign hematology research studies include:

PI Dr. Ali Taher: 

• Quality of life measures in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A systematic review

 

• 2021 Update on Clinical Trials in β-Thalassemia

 

• Luspatercept for β-thalassemia: beyond red blood cell transfusions

 

• Effect of Spirituality on Quality of Life in a Thalassemia population.

 

• Aging and Hemophilia

 

• Thalassemia and autoimmune diseases: absence of evidence or evidence of absence?

 

• Mental Health and Sexual Function in Transfusions-Dependent (TDT) and Non-Transfusions-Dependent (NTDT) Thalassemia patients in Lebanon

 

• Evaluating the effect of Iron Overload on QT interval in Patients with Beta Thalassemia

 

• Significant variances in the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients with myeloproliferative disorders: a real-life experience from a tertiary care center

 

• EHA recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of methemoglobinemia

 

• Anemia in elderly: Prevalence, work up and management

 

• Improving outcomes and quality of life for patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia: recommendations for best clinical practice and the use of novel treatment strategies

 

• Erythropoiesis in Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Beta Thalassemia

 

• Primary HBB gene mutation severity and long-term outcomes in β-thalassemia: novel findings with clinical and research implications

 

 

Ongoing malignant hematology research studies include:

PI: Dr. Iman Abou Dalle:

• Impact of disease burden on clinical outcomes of AML patients receiving allogeneic stem cell transplantation

 

• Impact of insurance status, and distance from treatment center on clinical outcomes of patients with hematologic malignancies

 

• Physical, psychological and social effects on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation survivors

 

• Red cell Width distribution (RDW) as a predictor of acute graft versus host disease in alloSCT recipients

 

• First biochemical relapse outcomes in multiple myeloma

 

• Characteristics, treatment and outcomes of patients diagnosed with primary mediastinal large B cell lymphoma

 

• Management of AML relapse post allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

 

• Pharmacologic prophylaxis interventions for AML post allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation

 

• Clinical utility of next generation sequencing in myeloid malignancies

 

• Clinical and Pathologic prospective registry and repository for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms

 

PI: Dr. Jean El Sheikh:

• Comparing allogenic transplant outcomes between patients diagnosed and treated at AUBMC vs referred to AUBMC only for transplant

 

• Echocardiographic and clinical characteristics of patients receiving bone marrow transplantation at AUBMC

 

• Retrospective analysis of Diagnosis, Treatment patterns and Cost of illness of AML in Middle East Countries

 

• The Impact of the Traveled Distance to the Transplant Center on the Clinical Outcome of Allogenic Bone Marrow Transplant Patients

 

• Factors affecting CMV viral load in patients post Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell transplant in Lebanon: A retrospective study

 

• Impact of the Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation on the Cardiac Function in Patients with Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma: A Single Center Experience

 

• Impact of the Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation on the Cardiac Function in Patients with Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma: A Single Center Experience

 

• Outcomes of Haplo-Identical Transplant Activity in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: A Multicentric Study

 

• Comprehensive Assessment of Complications and Infection Risks in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Single-Center Study

 

PI: Dr. Ali Bazarbachi:

• IM.AB.40/BIO-2017-0607: Characterization of changes in bone marrow niche in multiple myeloma patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation: A translational study

 

• Harnessing PML Nuclear Bodies for Leukemia Therapy (PML-THERAPY) INSERM) / European Research Council (2019)

 

• Targeting interleukin-10 (IL-10) in adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL)

 

• Retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide as targeted therapy of acute myeloid leukemia with nucleophosmin-1 mutation

 

• Targeted Therapy of Lymphoma by Agents other than DNA-Damaging Chemotherapeutic Agent

 

• Eradication of leukemia initiating cells in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma

 

• Targeted therapy of adult T cell leukemia: role of the viral regulatory proteins Tax and HBZ and role of the innate and adaptive immunity

• Changes in the gut microbiota of patients undergoing stem cell transplantation

 

• Characterization of changes in bone marrow niche in multiple myeloma patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation: a translational approach

 

• Prospective observational study of patients newly diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma with severe renal failure eligible for transplant

 

• Imatinib Mesylate (Glivec) as maintenance therapy after cytogenetic response with Nilotinib (AMN107, Tasigna) first line in newly diagnosed Chronic Mylogenous Leukemia

 

• Targeted therapy using arsenic trioxide (As) and all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in acute myeloid leukeima (AML) patients with Nucleophosmin (NPM1) mutation

 

• Safety and efficacy of Brentuximab and/or Bendamustine in relapsed/refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma

 

• Trends of Allogenic Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at AUBMC

 

• Adult Acute Leukemia: AUB Experience

 

• Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Hodgkin Lymphoma: AUBMC Experience

 

• The role of genetic polymorphism of drug metabolizing enzymes and transporters in the interaction between voriconazole and cyclosporine in patients undergoing allogenic stem cell transplantation: A pilot study

 

• Predictive value of FDG-PET for clinical outcome in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma prior to and after autologous stem cell transplant