Research
Dr Abi Nader’s main research interests relate to fetal medicine and female urinary incontinence.
During his training in the UK, he had an extensive research experience in the field of prenatal gene and stem cell therapy using clinically applicable methods such as ultrasound-guided gene delivery methods and open fetal surgery. His principle project involved gene therapy to the uterine arteries of pregnant sheep with an aim to increase uterine artery blood flow and ultimately, treat placental insufficiency which is a major potentially treatable cause of fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia . The encouraging results which are now fully published in scientific journals (see publications below) were presented in prestigious scientific meetings, collected first award winning prizes, and have been featured in The Times and the BBC. Based on these studies, a large multicenter trial is currently being conducted to test this new therapy in pregnant women.read more
After returning to Beirut, Dr Abi Nader was determined to perform high-level research despite the known barriers. In 2012, he obtained a research grant (principal investigator) from the National Council for Scientific Research to study the use of stem cells in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence. The aim of the project is to investigate the use of amniotic fluid derived mesenchymal stem cells (AFMSCs) in the regeneration of the damaged urethral sphincter and treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in a rat model. The long-term aim remains to translate AFMSC therapy for SUI into the clinic where it may replace the current surgical approaches in affected women. Success of the study means that the possibility exists for the use of a directly available source of stem cells in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence, a condition affecting the quality of life of millions of women around the world.
Please see below the scientific publications of Dr Khalil Abi Nader in peer-reviewed journals as indexed by the US National Library of Medicine :
Mehta V, Abi-Nader KN, Shangaris P, Shaw SW, Filippi E, Benjamin E, Boyd M, Peebles DM, Martin J, Zachary I, David AL. Local over-expression of VEGF-DΔNΔC in the uterine arteries of pregnant sheep results in long-term changes in uterine artery contractility and angiogenesis. PLoS One. 2014 Jun 30;9(6):e100021
Kubba T, Khalil A, Abu-Rustum R, Aoun A, Scott R, Abi-Nader K, Pandya P. Prenatal diagnosis of pentalogy of Cantrell at 11-13 weeks: Evidence for a hexalogy. J Obstet Gynaecol. 2013 Jan;33(1):85-6.
Mehta V, Abi-Nader KN, Carr D, Wallace J, Coutelle C, Waddington SN, Peebles D, David AL. Monitoring for potential adverse effects of prenatal gene therapy: use of large animal models with relevance to human application. Methods in Molecular Biology 2012;891:291-328.
Abi-Nader KN, Boyd M, Flake AW, Mehta V, Peebles D, David AL. Animal models for prenatal gene therapy: the sheep model. Methods in Molecular Biology 2012;891:219-48.
Nassar AH, Masrouha KZ, Itani H, Nader KA, Usta IM. Effects of Sildenafil in Nω-Nitro-l-Arginine Methyl Ester-Induced Intrauterine Growth Restriction in a Rat Model. American Journal of Perinatology 2012;29(6):429-34. (Please check full-Text for correct author name)
Mehta V¶*, Abi-Nader KN¶*, Peebles DM, Benjamin E, Wigley V, Torondel B, Filippi E, Shaw SW, Boyd M, Martin J, Zachary I, David AL. Long-term increase in uterine blood flow is achieved by local overexpression of VEGF-A(165) in the uterine arteries of pregnant sheep. Gene Therapy, October 2011 [Epub ahead of print]. ¶ Equal contribution.
Mehta V, Abi Nader KN, Waddington S, David AL. Organ targeted fetal gene therapy: How close are we? Prenatal Diagnosis 2011;31(7):720-34
Abi-Nader KN*, Mehta V, Shaw SS, Bellamy T, Smith N, Laverick B, Filippi E, Boyd M, Peebles DM, David AL. Telemetric monitoring of fetal blood pressure and heart rate in the freely moving pregnant sheep: A feasibility study. Laboratory Animals 2011;45(1):50-4.
Shaw SS, Bollini S, Nader KA, Gastadello A, Mehta V, Cananzi M, Filippi E, Gaspar B, Qasim W, De Coppi P, David AL. Widespread engraftment after in utero autologous transplantation of amniotic fluid derived mesenchymal stem cells into sheep fetuses. Cell Transplantation 2011;20(7):1015-31 (Please check full-Text for correct author name)
David AL, McIntosh J, Peebles DM , Waddington S, Weisz B, Wigley V, Abi Nader K, Davidoff A, Nathwani A. rAAV mediated in utero gene transfer gives therapeutic
transgene expression in the sheep. Human Gene Therapy 2011 Apr;22(4):419-26
Abi Nader KN*, David AL, Yates R, Pandya P. Fetal diagnosis of a cardiac diverticulum and pericardial effusion; author's reply. Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy. Accepted for publication/March 2010.
Abi Nader KN, David AL. Methods and protocols for gene delivery to the fetal muscles in large animals. Methods in Molecular Biology 2011;709:239-56.
Abi-Nader KN, Hannoun A, Bazi T, Seoud MA, Zreik TG. Arguments for a left lateral predisposition of endometrioma. Fertilily and Sterility 2010;94(1):e27
Kenyon AP, Abi Nader KN, Pandya PP. Preterm pre-labour rupture of membranes and the role of amniocentesis. Fetal and Maternal Medicine Review 2010;21(2):75-88
Abi-Nader KN*, Mehta V, Wigley V, Filippi E, Tezcan B, Boyd M, Peebles DM, David AL. Doppler ultrasonography for the non-invasive measurement of uterine artery volume blood flow through gestation in the pregnant sheep. Reproductive Sciences 2010;17(1):13-9
David AL, Abi-Nader KN*, Weisz B, Shaw SW, Themis M, Cook T, Coutelle C, Rodeck CH, Peebles DM. Ultrasonographic development of the fetal sheep stomach and evaluation of early gestation ultrasound-guided in utero intragastric injection. Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2010;49(1):23-9
Abi Nader K*, Whitten SM, Filippi E, Scott R, Jauniaux E. Dichorionic triamniotic triplet pregnancy complicated by acardius acormus. Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy 2009;26(1):45-9.
Abi Nader K*, David AL, Yates R, Pandya P. Successful outcome after prenatal treatment of a cardiac diverticulum with massive pericardial effusion. Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy 2009;25(1):148-151.
Abi-Nader K, Filippi E, Pandya P, Peregrine E. Bilateral neck cysts as an isolated sonographic finding in the antenatal detection of fetal aneuploidy: a case report. Cases Journal 2009;6(2):8322.
Abi-Nader KN*, Rodeck CH, David AL. Prenatal Gene Therapy for the Early Treatment of Genetic Disorders. Expert Review of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2009;4(1):25-44.
David AL, Torondel B, Zachary I, Wigley V, Abi Nader K, Mehta V, Buckley SM, Cook T, Boyd M, Rodeck CH , Martin J, Peebles DM. Local delivery of VEGF adenovirus to the uterine artery increases vasorelaxation and uterine blood flow in the pregnant sheep. Gene Therapy 2008;15(19):1344-50.
Bazi TM, Hamade RF, Abdallah Hajj Hussein I, Abi Nader K, Jurjus A. Polypropylene midurethral tapes do not have similar biologic and biomechanical performance in the rat. European Urology 2007;51(5):1364-73.
Bazi T, Abi Nader K, Seoud MA, Charafeddine M, Rechdan JB, Zreik TG. Lateral distribution of endometriomas as a function of age. Fertility and Sterility 2007;87(2):419-21.
Baaten PJ, Haddad M, Abi Nader K, Abi-Ghosn A, Al-Kutoubi A, Jurjus AR. Incidence of metopism in the Lebanese population. Clinical Anatomy 2003;16(2):148-51.
*Corresponding author.
Book chapters:
Abi Nader KN, David AL. Prenatal Gene Therapy. In: Reproductive Genetics. Sean Kehoe, Lyn Chitty and Tessa Homfray(Eds). RCOG Press 2009.
Rodeck CH, Deans A. Revised for the Second Edition by Khalil Abi Nader. Red Cell Alloimmunization. In: Fetal Medicine, Basic Science and Clinical Practice. Charles Rodeck and Martin Whittle (Eds). Second Edition. Churchill Livingstone 2009.
Filippi E, Abi Nader K, David AL. Genetic Treatment for fetal pathology. In: Management della gravidanza ad alto rischio. S. Alberico (Ed). Societa Italiana di Medicina Perinatale 2009.
Filippi E, Abi Nader K, Williams D. La gravidanza dopo trapianto d'organo. In: The Annual Book of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy 2008.
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