THE HC-MAMBD The HC-MAMBD Newsletter SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: • Creation of the HC VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 JANUARY 2009 -MAMBD • ASTF Meeting in Creation of The High-Council of Moroccan American Fez, Morocco Medical & Biology Doctors (HC-MAMBD) • Plant & Animal Genome Confer- The High Council of Moroccan Fellow, North Carolina State Uni‐ and networking between Moroc‐ ence American Medical and Biology versity, NC was elected Treasurer can‐Americans in the US, (2) help Doctors (HC‐MAMBD) was cre‐ of the Council. The council’s Board Moroccan Researchers and insti‐ • Tau Immunother- ated and incorporated as non‐ of Directors is also composed of tutions of higher education to tie apy Prevents Cog- profit organization in North Dr. Khalid Meksem, an Associate collaborations with US institu‐ Carolina Since June 6th, 2008 by Professor at the Department of tions, (3), help Moroccan Stu‐ nitive Decline... a group of imminent Moroccan‐ Plant, Soil, and Agricultural Sys‐ dents to find internships and • Dr. Allal Bouta- American researchers and tems, Southern Illinois University, scholarships in the US, and (4) scholars. IL; Dr. Nadia Rachdaoui, a Re‐ help Morocco in the process of jangout & the search Assistant Professor at the strengthening Scientific and HC—MAMBD in The council elected Dr. Allal Department of Medicine, Case Medical Research. The council the Moroccan Boutajangout, a Research Assis‐ Western Reserve University, OH; will also publish a newsletter and Press tant Professor at the Depart‐ Dr. Amina El Ayadi, a Postdoctoral a scientific journal that publishes ment of Psychiatry and Neurol‐ Fellow at the Department of Neu‐ articles in all fields of Medical, ogy, Langone Medical center, roscience and Cell Biology, the Pharmaceutical, and Biological New York University, NY as University of Texas Medical Sciences. For more information INSIDE THIS President. Dr. My Abdelmajid Branch, TX; and Dr. Abdelhafid about the council, please visit: ISSUE: Kassem, an Associate Professor Bendahmane, a Research Director http://www.hc‐mambd.org. at the Department of Natural at the URGV, INRA, France as a Creation of HC- 1 Sciences, Fayetteville State Uni‐ honorary member. Abdelmajid Kassem MAMBD versity, NC was elected as Vice‐ HC­MAMBD Publications Team ASTF Meeting... 2 President. Dr. Noureddine The Council’s goals are to (1) Hamamouch, a Postdoctoral strengthen research collaboration Tau Immunother- 3 Board of Directors: Dr. Noureddine Hama­ mouch; Dr. Nadia Rachdaoui apy Prevents... Treasurer Member at Large Dr. Allal Boutajangout Plant & Animal 4-5 President & Founder Genome Meet- ing... Dr. Khalid Meksem Member at Large Dr. Boutajangout 6-7 & HC—MAMBD Dr. Abdelmajid Kassem in the Moroccan... Dr. Amina El Ayadi Vice­President & Foun­ Dr. Abdelhafid Bendah­ Secretary der Dr. Meksem Pub- 8 mane lished three books... Honorary Member Comics Section! 9 PAGE 2 Arab Science & Technology Foundation ‘s 2008 5th International Congress—Fez, Morocco October 26—30th, 2008 Overview “The 5th Congress of “Scientific Research Outlook in the Arab World: Scientific Innova­ tion and Sustained Development” is comprised of specialized conferences: These are 16 satellite conferences that includes 50 invited sessions, 20 workshops/tutorials, and over 1000 scientific papers/ posters. Such conferences will address specific scientific themes, from one up to three days duration. They were held in two periods: 25th – 28th , and 28th – 30th of October 2008. The Satellite Conferences have keynote sessions, workshops (invited speakers), and sci­ entific papers presented orally and in posters. A main scientific day on 28/10/2008 during which the participants discussed issues of common concern. This day was like a festival for all scientific and technological specializations. The activities of this day in­ cluded the opening ceremony of the conference, presenting awards and launching ini­ tiatives to support the Arab Scientific Performance. It also highlighted the programs and activities of the Arab Science and Technology Foundation.” ASTF Website. HC—MAMBD Publications Team ASTF 5th Annual Congress; Fez, Morocco October 26—30th, 2008 “The Arab Science and Specialized Scientific Satellite Conference eLearning and eResearch in the Arab World 1st Arab Conference for Science Journalism Technology Foundation is an Energy and Renewable Energy Resources Incubation and Technology Parks for Eco‐ independent, Information and Communication Technologies nomic Growth Biotechnology History of Science and Epistemology nongovernmental, non-profit New Materials and Nanotechnology Capacity Building in Effective Communica‐ regional and international Medicine and Pharmacology tions Topics in Electrical Circuits and Systems organization. Scientists and Water and Agriculture For more information, visit: researchers from inside and Environment and Marine Science http://www.astf.net/site/index.asp Mathematics and Mathematical Physics From the ASTF Website outside the Arab world as well The Economics of Scientific Research as representatives of Arab Arab Scientific Community HC—MAMBD Publications Team and international science Dr. Noureddine Hamamouch, a HC-MAMBD Member, Presents at the ASTF’s 5th Congress centers and organizations in Fez, Morocco have contributed to its Dr. Noureddine Hamamouch, the HC‐MAMBD Treasurer, attended the ASTF’s 5th Congress establishment. It is based in that was held in the Moroccan Capital of knowledge Fez from October 26—30, 2008. Dr. Sarah, UAE, and is seeking to Hamamouch’s oral presentation was entitled: “Functional Analysis of selected soybean cyst set up branches and links in nematode parasitism genes”. His work was done at the North Carolina State University, Ra‐ leigh, NC where he is working as a postdoctoral fellow. His work is mainly focused on the: those Arab and world capitals that have scientific entities 1. Use of biotechnology tools to functionally characterize soybean cyst nematode parasit‐ ism genes willing to participate in its 2. Use of RNA interference strategy as a mean to control nema‐ activities.” tode by blocking the expression on parasitism genes inside the nematode. By Abdelmajid Kassem HC—MAMBD Publications Team Dr. Noureddine Hamamouch THE HC-MAMBD NEWSLETTER VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 PAGE 3 Tau Immunotherapy Prevents Cognitive Decline and Clears Pathological Tau in a Tangle Mouse Model Genetic Mutation Linked to a More that we used in previous study published Abundant Form of Alzheimer’s in 2007 has a lot of Tau aggregates in the Immunotherapies for various Protein spinal cord, brain stem and the hippocam‐ neurodegenerative diseases pus that causes motor impairment, which have recently emerged as a is not something you see in Alzheimer's promising approach for clear‐ Dr. Allal Boutajangout, HC‐MAMBD’s disease. ing pathological protein con‐ President, found that a specific gene formers in these disorders. mutation previously associated with Dr. Boutajangout generated new ideal Tg NYU Langone Medical Center an increase in production of an Alz‐ model that better resemble Alzheimer´s researchers have long been heimer’s disease‐causing protein, tau pathology in its brain distribution. This making important contribu‐ amyloid beta, also promotes the en‐ model would be very useful for studying tions to the understanding of tanglement of another protein, tau, the onset and progression of AD as well as Alzheimer’s disease. They were which also is associated with the for testing therapeutic approaches. This among the first to characterize neurodegenerative disease. Mice model was presented in the International amyloid, the plaque‐forming that produced human types of tau congress of Alzheimer’s disease, July 2008, protein implicated in Alz‐ while expressing the gene mutation Chicago. Furthermore, Dr. Boutajangout heimer’s, and the first to de‐ showed a significant increase in the immunized these Tg model with a Phos‐ scribe a genetic mutation in a harmful form of the tau protein in pho‐Tau peptide that stimulated an familial form of the disease. the brain. The initial model P301L IgG/IgG response and reduced tau aggre‐ gates by 56% in the piriform therapy protocol in older animals by References: cortex in immunized mice. The starting injections at eight months cognitive benefits were ob‐ to see if the treatment can reverse http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/artic served in three different cogni‐ tau pathology and cognitive deficits. les/116285.php tive tests which correlate with The findings support the possibility a reduction of tau aggregates. of an immunotherapy that treats http://www.alzforum.org/new/detail.asp Preliminary data generated Alzheimer’s disease by directly tar‐ ?id=1902 with new vaccine that against geting toxic forms of the tau protein. tau pathology were presented also in ICAD July 2008, Chi‐ Dr. Allal Boutajangout received an cago, showing a remarkable award for his Pilot study from Alz‐ improvement in learning and heimer Disease Center sponsored by Abdelmajid Kassem memory. Dr. Boutajangout has NIH for 2008‐2009. HC—MAMBD Publications Team begun testing their immuno‐ Left: Dr. Allal Bouta- jangout with the Ex- Minister of Interior, Dr. Haddou Shiger in a recent visit to Morocco. Right: Dr. Boutajangout PAGE 4 Heavy Presence of Moroccan Scientists at the Plant & Animal Genome XVII Conference, January 10—14, 2009, San Diego, CA, USA The International Plant and Animal Genome Conference is one of the best con‐ ferences in plant and animal genomics fields. It was ranked among the top ten in‐ ternational conferences by Genome Technology, September