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Abdelwahab Omri

Abdelwahab Omri

Full Professor, School of Natural Sciences
School of Natural Sciences
Science, Engineering and Architecture
S-416, Science Building
705.675.1151 ext +1 (705) 6751151 ext 2190 aomri@laurentian.ca

Biography

Dr Omri is currently a Full Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry with a cross appointment to the Department of Biology, the Biomolecular Sciences PhD Programme, School of Rural and Northern Health PhD. He has been active in the vaccine and drug delivery field for over 20 years, and has made important contributions to the development of liposomes and nanomedicines for anti-infective drugs. He has over 150 peer-reviewed publications and is an inventor on 3 patents. He is frequently an invited speaker at national and international conferences. In addition to research, Dr. Omri is actively involved in the research training of both undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Omri has served in administrative capacities in several national and international scientific societies. He has served on a number of Editorial Boards and Granting Agencies in Canada and abroad. He was an Academic Colleague to the Council of Ontario Universities for 2 terms.

Education

  • Pharm B
  • MSc
  • PhD

On The Web

http://omripharm.webs.com/
Download vCard aomri@laurentian.ca 705.675.1151 ext +1 (705) 6751151 ext 2190 Abdelwahab Omri

Research

Lipid-based drug and vaccine delivery systems

 Liposomes are one of the most versatile biochemical tools. They are microscopic, spherical closed vesicles composed of one or more lipid bilayer that form when phospholipids are hydrated. Hydrophilic molecules can be incorporated into the aqueous compartment and lipophilic molecules can be encapsulated in the lipid bilayers. Liposomes by themselves are considered nonimmunogenic, biodegradable and nontoxic. They have been utilized in numerous biomedical applications including gene therapy, for delivery of drugs and vaccines, cancer imaging agents and cosmetics. Liposomes have the capability to incorporate selected bioactive biologicals and adjuvant molecules and potentiate their efficacy and minimize their toxicity. They do this by beneficially altering the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of the molecule in the body following its administra-tion through various routes of delivery.

My research program is centered on the design, formulation, development and characterization of drug and vaccine delivery systems; particularly those based on liposomes. A special focus on the site-specific targeting, controlled release, drug resistance, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, metabolism and toxicity of free and liposome-encapsulated biological active agents.

Research Interests

1. Liposomal delivery of antisense oligonucleotides. Effect on P-glycoprotein function in multidrug resistant cells in vitro and in vivo studies. Cationic liposome formulations are used to promote the penetration of antisense oligonucleotides into the cell membrane and protect them from enzymatic degradation (nucleases).

2. Liposomal delivery of antimicrobial agents towards resistant bacterial pathogens: pulmonary and systemic infections. Construction of liposomes with high encapsulation efficiency, favorable antimicrobial release profile and enhanced bactericidal activity, to overcome the problem of bacterial resistance caused by low permeability of the bacterial cell envelope and by production of antimicrobial-inactivating enzymes.

3. Liposomal formulations of drugs and vaccine for oral delivery. Liposomes are used to protect the encapsulated agents from the harsh gastrointestinal milieu (low pH, phospholipases, and bile salts) and to enhance their absorption to the systemic circulation and to increase the efficacy of these agents while minimizing their frequency of administration. Special liposomal formulation will be prepared, characterized and assayed for their efficacy in vitro and in animal models.

Awards

  • Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery
  •  Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy
  •  Molecules MDPI
  • Pharmaceuticals MDPI
  • Materials MDPI
  • Antibiotics MDPI
  • PLOS ONE
  •  BioMed Research International
  • Journal of Nanomaterials
  • European Journal of Chemistry
  • The Natural Products Journal
  • Journal of Pharmaceutical Technology Drug Research
  • Oriental Journal of Chemistry
  • Recent Advances in Drug Delivery and Formulation
  • Drug Delivery

Teaching

  • ​CHMI 3226 FL  Biochimie II – Biochimie métabolique
  • CHMI 3226 EL  Biochemistry II – Metabolic Biochemistry
  • CHMI 3217 FL Biochimie des acides nucléiques
  • CHMI 3257 EL Principles of  Pharmcology 
  • CHMI 4287/5287 EL Biochemical Toxicology
  • CHMI-4446 EL Drug Design and Development


Courses taught:

  • CHMI 2227 EL Biochemistry I- Structural Biochemistry
  • CHMI 2227 FL Biochimie I- Biochimie structurale
  • CHMI 3217 EL Biochemistry of Nucleic Acids
  • CHMI 3217 FL Biochimie des acides nucléiques
  • CHMI 3226 FL  Biochimie II – Biochimie métabolique
  • CHMI 3226 EL  Biochemistry II – Metabolic Biochemistry
  • CHMI 3257 EL Principles of  Pharmcology 
  • CHMI 4216 EL Advanced Biochemistry (Molecular biology)
  • CHMI 4216 FL Biochmie avancée (Biologie moléculaire)
  • CHMI 4236 FL Biotechnologie pharmaceutique
  • CHMI 4287/5287 EL Biochemical Toxicology
  • CHMI 4297 EL Biochemistry-immune system 
  • CHMI 4615 EL Seminars (4th year thesis coordinator)
  • CHMI 4615 FL Seminars (4th year thesis coordinator)-
  • CHMI 5606 EL Seminars (Master coordinator)
  • CHMI 5606 FL Seminars (Master coordinator)
  • BMOL 6106 EL Adv. Topics in Cell Regulation (PhD. course coordinator)
  • MIDW 2406 EL Pharmacotherapy
  • SFEM 2406 FL Pharmacologie & Thérapeutique 



Publications

  1. Parab A, Kumar Bhatt L, Omri A. Targeting Epigenetic Mechanisms: A Boon for Cancer Immunotherapy. Biomedicines. 2023; 11(1):169. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines1101016
  2. Mehta, Kunal, Mihir Khambete, Arundhati Abhyankar, and Abdelwahab Omri. 2023. "Anti-Tuberculosis Mur Inhibitors: Structural Insights and the Way Ahead for Development of Novel Agents" Pharmaceuticals 16, no. 3: 377.  doi.org/10.3390/ph16030377
  3. Nadar S, Khan T, Omri A. Reemergence of monkeypox: prevention and management. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2022 Nov;20(11):1425-1433. doi: 10.1080/14787210.2022.2128763. Epub 2022 Sep 30.
  4. Singh P, Waghambare P, Khan TA, Omri A. Colorectal cancer management: strategies in drug delivery. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2022 Jun;19(6):653-670. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2022.2084531. Epub 2022 Jun 13.
  5. Debnath SK, Debnath M, Srivastava R, Omri A. Drugs repurposing for SARS-CoV-2: new insight of COVID-19 druggability. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2022 Sep;20(9):1187-1204. doi: 10.1080/14787210.2022.2082944. Epub 2022 Jun 6.
  6. Muddineti OS, Omri A. Current trends in PLGA based long-acting injectable products: The industry perspective. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2022 May;19(5):559-576. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2022.2075845. Epub 2022 May 22.
  7. Hossain Z, Reza AHMM, Qasem WA, Friel JK, Omri A. Development of the immune system in the human embryo. Pediatr Res. 2022 Oct;92(4):951-955. doi: 10.1038/s41390-022-01940-0. Epub 2022 Jan 18.
  8. Gbian DL, Omri A. Lipid-Based Drug Delivery Systems for Diseases Managements. Biomedicines. 2022; 10(9):2137. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10092137
  9. Suvarna V, Nair A, Mallya R, Khan T, Omri A. Antimicrobial Nanomaterials for Food Packaging. Antibiotics. 2022; 11(6):729. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics11060729
  10. Jethva P, Momin M, Khan T, Omri A. Lanthanide-Doped Upconversion Luminescent Nanoparticles—Evolving Role in Bioimaging, Biosensing, and Drug Delivery. Materials. 2022; 15(7):2374. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15072374
  11. Nadar S, Khan T, Patching SG, Omri A. Development of Antibiofilm Therapeutics Strategies to Overcome Antimicrobial Drug Resistance. Microorganisms. 2022; 10(2):303. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10020303
  12. Nair A, Mallya R, Suvarna V, Khan TA, Momin M, Omri A. Nanoparticles—Attractive Carriers of Antimicrobial Essential Oils. Antibiotics. 2022; 11(1):108. https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics11010108
  13. Jahan H, Tumpa IJ, Qasem WA, Moniruzzaman M, Pervin MA, Akter R, Omri A, Min T, Hossain Z. Evaluation of the Partial Replacement of Dietary Fish Meal With Fermented or Untreated Soybean Meal in Juvenile Silver Barb, Barbonymus gonionotus. Front Nutr. 2021 Nov 1;8:733402. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.733402. eCollection 2021.
  14. Hossain Z, Hossain MS, Ema NS, Omri A. Heliyon. 2021 Oct 28;7(11):e08285. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08285. eCollection 2021 Nov. Heavy metal toxicity in Buriganga river alters the immunology of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L).
  15. Momin M, Mishra V, Gharat S, Omri A. Recent advancements in cellulose-based biomaterials for management of infected wounds. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2021 Nov;18(11):1741-1760. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2021.1989407. Epub 2021 Oct 12.
  16. Debnath SK, Debnath M, Srivastava R, Omri A. Intervention of 3D printing in health care: transformation for sustainable development. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2021 Nov;18(11):1659-1672. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2021.1981287. Epub 2021 Sep 21.
  17.  Hossain Z, Qasem WA, Friel JK, Omri A. Effects of Total Enteral Nutrition on Early Growth, Immunity, and Neuronal Development of Preterm Infants. Nutrients. 2021 Aug 11;13(8):2755. doi: 10.3390/nu13082755.
  18. Debnath SK, Srivastava R, Debnath M, Omri A. Status of inhalable antimicrobial agents for lung infection: progress and prospects. Expert Rev Respir Med. 2021 Oct;15(10):1251-1270. doi: 10.1080/17476348.2021.1919514. Epub 2021 May 4.
  19. Gbian DL, Omri A. Current and novel therapeutic strategies for the management of cystic fibrosis. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2021 May;18(5):535-552. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2021.1874343. Epub 2021 Jan 22.
  20. Gupta B, Mishra V, Gharat S, Momin M, Omri A. Cellulosic Polymers for Enhancing Drug Bioavailability in Ocular Drug Delivery Systems. Pharmaceuticals. 2021; 14(11):1201. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph14111201
  21. Hossain Z, Qasem WA, Friel JK, Omri A. Effects of Total Enteral Nutrition on Early Growth, Immunity, and Neuronal Development of Preterm Infants. Nutrients. 2021; 13(8):2755. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082755
  22.  Chauhan A, Khan T, Omri A. Design and Encapsulation of Immunomodulators onto Gold Nanoparticles in Cancer Immunotherapy. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021; 22(15):8037. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22158037
  23. Shringarpure M, Gharat S, Momin M, Omri A. Management of epileptic disorders using nanotechnology-based strategies for nose-to-brain drug delivery. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2021 Feb;18(2):169-185. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2021.1823965. Epub 2020 Sep 29.
  24. Gbian DL, Omri A. The Impact of an Efflux Pump Inhibitor on the Activity of Free and Liposomal Antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pharmaceutics. 2021 Apr 18;13(4):577. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13040577.
  25. Debnath SK, Srivastava R, Debnath M, Omri A. Status of inhalable antimicrobial agents for lung infection: progress and prospects. Expert Rev Respir Med. 2021 Apr 17. doi: 10.1080/17476348.2021.1919514. Online ahead of print.
  26. Neha Desai, Momin M, Khan T, Gharat S, Ningthoujam RS, Omri A. Metallic nanoparticles as drug delivery system for the treatment of cancer. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2021 Apr 14:1-30. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2021.1912008. Online ahead of print.
  27. Jhaveri J, Raichura Z, Khan T, Momin M, Omri A. Chitosan Nanoparticles-Insight into Properties, Functionalization and Applications in Drug Delivery and Theranostics. Molecules. 2021 Jan 7;26(2):272. doi: 10.3390/molecules26020272.
  28. Gbian DL, Omri A. Current and novel therapeutic strategies for the management of cystic fibrosis. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2021 Jan 22:1-18. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2021.1874343. Online ahead of print.
  29. Debnath SK, Srivastava R, Omri A. Emerging therapeutics for the management of COVID 19. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs. 2020 Sep;25(3):337-351. doi: 10.1080/14728214.2020.1810663. Epub 2020 Sep 8.
  30. Khan T, Mayuresh Patkar M, Momin M, Omri A. Macrophage targeted nanocarrier delivery systems in HIV therapeutics. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2020 Jul;17(7):903-918. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2020.1762565. Epub 2020 May 26.
  31. Pervin MA, Jahan H, Akter R, Omri A, Hossain Z. Appraisal of different levels of soybean meal in diets on growth, digestive enzyme activity, antioxidation, and gut histology of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Fish Physiol Biochem. 2020 Aug;46(4):1397-1407. doi: 10.1007/s10695-020-00798-5. Epub 2020 Mar 28.
  32. Rana H, Dholakia M, Gohel M, Omri A, Thakkar V, Gandhi T. Demonstration of advanced data mining tools for optimization of pellets employing modified extrusion-pelletization technique. Curr Drug Ther. 2020: 15: 1-16. doi: 10.2174/1574885515999201217155123.
  33. Kalubi K, Theriault G, Michael P, Omri A. Low stringency tests revealed differential gene expression in red maple (Acer rubrum) treated with low doses of nickel. Plant Gene. 2020: 24: 100251-16. doi: 10.1016/j.plgene.2020.100251.
  34. Sankhe K, Khan T, Bhavsar C, Momin M, Omri A. Selective drug deposition in lungs through pulmonary drug delivery system for effective management of drug-resistant TB. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2019 Apr 22:1-14. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2019.1609937.
  35. Jorch SK, Surewaard BG, Hossain M, Peiseler M, Deppermann C, Deng J, Bogoslowski A, van der Wal F, Omri A, Hickey MJ, Kubes P. Peritoneal GATA6+ macrophages function as a portal for Staphylococcus aureus dissemination. J Clin Invest. 2019 Nov 1;129(11):4643-4656.
  36. Jadhav M, Khan T, Bhavsar C, Momin M, Omri A. Novel therapeutic approaches for targeting TB and HIV reservoirs prevailing in lungs. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2019 Jul;16(7):687-699.
  37. Gupta S, Kesarla R, Omri A. Approaches for CNS delivery of drugs - nose to brain targeting of antiretroviral agents as a potential attempt for complete elimination of major reservoir site of HIV to aid AIDS treatment. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2019 Mar;16(3):287-300. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2019.1583206.
  38. Hardik B. Rana, Mukesh C. Gohel, Mansi S. Dholakia, Tejal R. Gandhi, Abdelwahab Omri, Vaishali T. Thakkar. Vulnerability of Hydro-Alcoholic Media on In Vitro Drug Release from Galantamine HBr Pellets Comprising of Compritol 888 ATO and Ethocel. Research J. Pharm. and Tech 2019; 12(2):791-798.