Hamed Laroui

PhD in nano- and micro-bioengineering and biomaterial, Nancy, France

In my research, my 2 Ph.D. students and I are in the process of characterizing the role of the CD98 receptor in non-alcoholic fatty liver induced by a highly fatty diet. To accomplish this we use our group’s expertise (improvement of nanovesicles from fruits) to load siRNA and other bioactive compounds for delivery to the liver or to the colon. In my current projects, funded by a K01 grant entitled, “Role of CD98 Glycoprotein in Intestinal Inflammation”, I am assessing the functional role of CD98 during experimental colitis in mice induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). Results from these studies suggest that attenuation/downregulation of CD98 expression ameliorates experimental colitis through reduced inflammatory transduction process. During the study, we observed that hepatocyte and Kupffer cells were over expressing CD98 during this mild inflammation. Thus, I decided to pursue and consolidate this line of investigation to provide a basis for his eventual R01 application. I am directly supervising an in vitro study utilizing intestinal and hepatic epithelial cells. I have already generated a transgenic mouse line and the “hepatic CD98-targeted” KO mice (using albumin Cre system) that will be the control in this project.