Education | General Research Interest | Selected Research Projects
Selected Publications
TCSVM Faculty 

Akram Da'darah
Research Assistant Professor
Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health
Phone: 508-887-4579
Fax: 508-839-7911
Email:akram.da_darah@tufts.edu 
Dept. URL: http://www.tufts.edu/vet/idgh/
Lab URL: http://vet.tufts.edu/mhl/

Education

PhD - Hamburg University, Germany - 1997
MSc - Yarmouk Univeristy, Jordan - 1992
BSc - Yarmouk University, Jordan - 1990

General Research Interest

  • Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology
  • Drug research and development: For parasitic diseases
  • Immune regulation and vaccine development.

 

Selected Research Projects

  1. Host-Parasite interaction. This project investigates the interactions between schistosome parasites and their host. This will enhance our understanding of the mechanism(s) of the parasites survival in the host for several years, as well as allows us to identify and evaluate novel drug targets for schistosomiasis.
  2. Vaccine development for schistosomiasis. This project will evaluate several novel surface parasites proteins as vaccine candidates against schistosome infections.

Back to the Top

Selected Publications

  1. Grenfell, R. Harn, D.A.  Tundup, S. Da’dara, A. Siqueira, L. Marcos, P. Coelho, Z. (2013) New Approaches with Different Types of Circulating Cathodic Antigen for the Diagnosis of Patients with Low Schistosoma mansoni Load. PLOS Neg. Trop. Dis. 7(2): e2054

  2. Da’dara AA, Faghiri Z, Krautz-Peterson G, Bhardwaj R, Skelly PJ. (2013) Schistosome Na,K-ATPase as a therapeutic target. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 107(2):74-82. Epub 2012. Dec 5.

  3. Da’dara A.A. and Skelly P.J. (2012) RNA Interference as a Tool for Drug Discovery in Parasitic Flatworms. In: Parasitic Helminths—Targets, Screens, Drugs and Vaccines. Vol. 3: 105-120. Edited by: C.R. Caffrey  Wiley Balckwell, Weinheim.

  4. Da'dara A., Krautz-Peterson G., Faghiri Z., Skelly P.J. (2012) Metabolite movement across the schistosome surface. J Helminthol. 2012 Jun;86(2):141-7. Epub 2012 Feb 27.

  5. Da'dara A., Skelly PJ. (2011) Manipulation of vascular function by blood flukes? Blood Rev. Jul;25(4):175-9. Epub 2011 May 4.

  6. Chessler AD, Caradonna KL, Da'dara A., Burleigh BA (2011) Type I interferons increase host susceptibility to Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Infect Immun. May;79(5):2112-9. Epub 2011 Mar 14.

  7. Da’dara A.A. and Harn D.A. (2010) Elimination of helminth infection restores HIV-1C vaccine specific T cell responses independent of helminth-induced IL-10. Vaccine. 28(5):1310-1317. [Epub Nov 23,2009].

  8. Da'dara A.A. , Li Y.S.,  Xiong T., Zhou J.,  Williams G.M.,  McManus D.P.,  Feng Z.,  Yu X.L., Gray D., and Harn D.A. (2008) DNA-based vaccine protects against zoonotic schistosomiasis in water buffalo. Vaccine. 26(29-30):3617-25, Epub: May 19, 2008.

  9. Atochina O., Da’dara A.A., Walker M., and Harn D.A.  (2008)  The immunomodulatory glycan LNFPIII initiates alternative activation of murine macrophages in vivo. Immunol. 125(1):111-121, Epub: March 28, 20008.

  10. Da’dara A.A., Lautsch N., Dudek T., Novitsky V., Lee T.H., Essex M. and Harn D.A. (2006) Helminth infection suppresses T cell immune response to HIV-DNA-based vaccine in mice. Vaccine. 24(24):5211-9. Epub 2006 Apr 18.

  11. Skelly P.J., Da’dara A.A. and Harn D.A. (2003) Suppression of cathepsin B expression in Schistosoma mansoni by RNA interference. Int. J. Parasitol. 33: 363-369.

  12. Da’dara A.A., Skelly P.J., Wang M., and Harn D.A. (2001) Immunization with plasmid DNA encoding the integral membrane protein, Sm23, elicits a protective immune response against schistosome infection in mice. Vaccine. 20, 359-369.

  13. Müller S., Da’dara A.A., Lüersen K., Wrenger C., DasGupta R., Madhubala R., and Walter R.D. (2000) In the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, Polyamines are synthesized by a bifunctional ornithine decarboxylase, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase. J. Biol. Chem. 275(11), 8097-8102.

  14. Da’dara A.A., Mett H., and Walter R.D. (1998) MGBG analogues as potent inhibitors of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase of Onchocerca volvulus. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol., 97, 13-19.

  15. Da’dara A.A., Henkle-Dührsen K. and Walter R.D. (1996) A novel trans-spliced mRNA from Onchocerca volvulus encodes a functional S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase. Biochem. J., 320, 519-530.