Major research projects involve multiple ocular diseases (age-related cataracts, diabetic cataracts, presbyopia, myopia, conjunctivitis), as well as infectious diseases (flavivirus and SARS infections)

Major research projects involve pre-clinical drug programs related to ocular diseases (e.g. age-related cataracts, diabetic cataracts, presbyopia, myopia, conjunctivitis, ...), as well as infectious diseases (flavivirus and SARS infections)

I am currently working on the discovery and optimization of small-molecule compounds for (1) the non-surgical, non-invasive treatment of cataracts that affect billion of people worldwide, and (2) the slow-down progression or reversal of presbyopia

The major research projects involved the development, validation and manufacturing of safe therapeutic products as defense tools against multiple types of infection caused by viruses, bacteria and fungi pathogens.

Main Research Projects: (1) Investigate the roles of Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the coagulopathy and inflammation of sepsis induced by Gram-negative and Gram positive pathogens. This project also seeks to identify the individual MMPs that mediate the protective effects of a broad spectrum MMP inhibitor in sepsis arising from infection with Salmonella Typhimurium (ST). Use the humanized model of Sepsis in mice including route of ST infection, drug delivery, blood/organ collection and further analysis.(2) Determine both the cleavage preference and the substrate specificity of the 23 individual members of the MMPs family using bioinformatic computational analysis (e.g. substrate phage display, next-generation sequencing) and proteomics (N-terminomics analysis of proteome/secretome using isobaric tandem mass tagging) approaches.

Main Research Projects: (1) in Development of Therapeutic Tools Applicable to Cancer Biology: (a) Evaluate and validate safe and effective novel reagents that targets the active site of the pro-tumorigenic and pro-invasive MT1-MMP for the imaging, the quantitative assessment and the eradication of the cancer cells in micro-metastases in order to develop novel drug delivery strategy applicable to post-surgery cancer patient. (b) Identify and optimize potent small-molecule inhibitors that impair the MT1-MMP dimerization to design novel therapeutic tolls to prevent tumor growth, invasion and metastatic dissemination of cancer cells expressing MT1-MMP. (c) Design, evaluate and validate safe and effective fully human recombinant monoclonal antibody that targets specifically the MT1-MMP-expressing cancer cells, and in the follow-on translation of the lead antibody into the drug prototype for the pharmacological treatment of the cancer patients.(2) in Development of Therapeutic Tools Applicable to Inflammatory & Infectious Diseases: (a) Determine the substrate specificity of MMPs expressed by Bacteroides fragilis, their host cell-surface receptors and their role in the chronic inflammatory processes leading to the colorectal tumor formation. (b) Design, optimize, evaluate and validate safe and effective specific inhibitors of furin and furin-like proprotein convertases involved in viral/bacterial infectious diseases.(3) in Neurodegenerative Diseases: (a) Shed light on the role of MT1-MMP [a membrane-tethered member of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) family] and MMP-9/TIMP-1 axis in peripheral nerve degeneration/regeneration, and investigate the contribution of the cryptic myelin basic protein fragment [released post-nerve trauma (e.g. injury or neurodegenerative diseases)] in chronic pain status. (b) Design, optimize and validate ELISA methodologies for the detection of neurodegeneration/demyelination markers in experimental and clinical samples.

The main Research Projects are the same as the ones described in the above "Staff Scientist" section and also include:(a) Rationally design highly sensitive genetically-encoded or soluble protease biosensors (FRET and quenched cleavable-activated peptide sensors) using novel computation methodologies applicable to cell and chemistry biology to follow specific protease-mediated pathways (including MT1-MMP and furin) in a single cell live and to detect, assess and quantify the activity of specific proteases in tumor samples patients.(b) Determine the role of the specific tissue inhibitor of MMPs, TIMP-2, in the non-proteolytic function of MT1-MMP to stimulate the invasion-promoting MEK/ERK pathway signaling in cancer cells. Development of an ELISA methodology to assess the "non-conventionnal" binding of TIMP-2 to MT1-MMP.(c) Investigate a comparative study of the substrate cleavage preference of furin and related furin-like proprotein convertases (PCs) and teh follow-on targeting of host cell furin and PCs as a therapeutic strategy against bacterial toxins and viral pathogens.(d) Investigate the inflammatory PCs-MMPs axis in the proteolytic pathway in antigen-presenting cells as a step to autoimmune multiple sclerosis.

Research Project:Investigate the cellular trafficking of MT1-MMP, a key proteinase involved in cell migration: endocytosis pathways and identification of intracellular partners.