Karim Bahmed, PhD

Clinical Interests

• Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and Emphysema

Research Interests

The goal of the Bahmed laboratory is to identify novel potential therapeutic approaches in emphysema and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) – diseases for which there are currently no cures.

Emphysema, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, consists of a unique pattern of alveolar wall destruction. IPF is characterized by a progressive decline in lung function due to scarring of lung tissue.

The Bahmed laboratory isolates primary alveolar type II cells from control lungs and tissue obtained from lung transplants of patients with these diseases to study the mechanism of their dysfunction.

We are particularly interested in understanding the mechanisms leading to the impairment of DNA damage-repair pathways in alveolar type II cells in emphysema and IPF compared to controls. We focus on studying continuous oxidative DNA damage, which contributes to the pathophysiology of emphysema, IPF, and various lung diseases.

Oxidative stress can induce DNA lesions. Alveolar type II cells have efficient mechanisms to repair DNA damage to preserve their genomic integrity. However, if not repaired, DNA damage can lead to double-strand breaks, chromosomal rearrangement, and genetic instability -- which causes cell death and lung tissue damage.

We have identified genes and proteins involved in these processes by RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry analysis, respectively, in alveolar type II cells.  We are also using in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo approaches to elucidate these molecules' function in the maintenance of genomic DNA and cellular survival.

Educational Background

• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, 2013 
• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Department of Molecular Pharmacology, St. Jude Research Hospital, Memphis TN, 2010 
• PhD, Biology, University of Nancy 1, Nancy, France, 2003
• MS, Microbiology-Enzymology and Nutrition, University of Nancy 1, Nancy, France, 1998
• BS, Biochemistry, University of Nancy 1, Nancy, France, 1997

Memberships

• DNA Repair Group

Digital Bibliography

View PubMed Publications

Additional Publications

• Anna Rogojina, Stefan Gajewski, Karim Bahmed, Neil Osheroff, John L. Nitiss, Topoisomerase II Inhibitors: Chemical Biology, In: DNA Topoisomerases and Cancer. Cancer Drug Discovery and Development (Ed. Yves Pommier), 2012, Springer Verlag, pp. 211-243.
• Karim Bahmed, Roger Bonaly, Said Benallaoua and Joel Coulon, 2005, Effect of sub- inhibitory concentrations of amphotericin B on the yeast surface and phagocytic killing activity, Process Biochemistry 40 (2): 759-765.
• Karim Bahmed, Fabienne Quiles, Roger Bonaly, Michel Wathier, Bernard Pucci and Joel Coulon, 2005, Dansyl N-Acetyl Glucosamine as precursor of fluorescent Chitin: Method to analyse chitin Synthase. Process Biochemistry 40 (7): 2523-2529.
• Nadia Maazouzi, Karim Bahmed, Salem Chakir, Fabienne Quiles, Roger Bonaly and Joel Coulon, 2005, Chemical modification and stability of the cell wall phosphopeptidomannans of flocculent and weakly flocculent Kluyveromyces  bulgaricus cells, Process Biochemistry 40 (1): 313-319.