Suleiman A. Igdoura

, PhD

Associate Professor
Pathology and Molecular Medicine

Associate Professor, Biology

McMaster University
335 Life Sciences Building
905-525-9140 ext. 27729
Igdoura@mcmaster.ca

Currently accepting Graduate Students
Currently accepting Post-Doctoral Fellows

Education and Professional Standing

• PhD, Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 1994
• MSc, Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1990
• BSc, Biology, University of Victoria, 1987

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Interests

Research & Clinical Focus

Dr. Igdoura specializes in the molecular genetics of sialidase and its role in monogenic as well as multifactorial diseases.  A deficiency in the sialidase enzyme leads to the pathogenesis of a specific class of monogenic diseases classified as lysosomal storage disorders.  Dr. Igdoura and his research team of one postdoctoral fellow and seven graduate students focus their research on the following lysosomal storage disorders:

• Tay Sachs Disease
• Sialidosis Disease
• Sandhoff Disease

These autosomal recessive genetic disorders typically affect young children of approximately 2-3 years of age, and in their severe form, cause early life fatalities by the age of five.  Dr. Igdoura’s laboratory is interested in the genetic mutations causing such disease and the resulting pathogenic steps that manifest in a patient due to such DNA mutations. The added stress placed on these mutated cells causes them to react within the central nervous system (CNS) and prematurely die.  This triggers an immune response and initiates a molecular cascade where immune cells invade the CNS and cause neuroinflammation.  Dr. Igdoura and his research team are interested in identifying the steps within this cascade process with hope to deregulate harmful molecular effects, leading to the betterment of the patient’s quality of life.

In addition, Dr. Igdoura's group investigates the impact of sialidase on a multifactorial disease: atherosclerosis.  This projects utilizes atherogenic mouse models crossed with a sialidase deficient mouse.  Dr. Igdoura’s lab has discovered that a decrease in cell surface sialidase activity protects from atherosclerosis. They have successfully tested inhibitors for sialidase and can demonstrate how these inhibitors can reduce atherosclerosis. The underlying mechanism for this protection is currently being investigated.

Both projects are funded from CIHR, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and private donations.

Academic Interests

At the graduate level, Dr. Igdoura teaches Human Molecular Genetics (Medical Sciences 749), Cell Biology (Medical Sciences 701) and Molecular Biology (Biology 723). At the undergraduate level, Dr. Igdoura teaches a fourth year Human Genetics course (Mol Biol 4RR3) and a second year Cell Biology (Bio 2B03). Dr. Igdoura also supervises many undergraduate and graduate students including students from other departments: Medicine, Biology and Biochemistry. 

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Team Members

Selected Publications

• Igdoura, SA. 2010. Sialidosis. In: Encyclopedia of Movement Disorders. Kompoliti K, and Verhagen Metman L (eds.) vol. 3, pp.114. Oxford: Academic Press.
• Champigny, M., Mitchell,M., Fox-Robichaud, A., Trigatti, BL andIgdoura, SA. 2009. A point mutation in the neu1 promoter recruits an ectopic repressor, Nkx3.2 and results in a mouse model of sialidase deficiency. Mol. Genet. Metab.97(1):43-52.
• Zhang Y, Ahmed AM, Lin J, McFarlane N, Boreham DR, Igdoura SA, Truant R, and BL Trigatti. 2007.Inhibition of endocytosis affects HDL-lipid uptake mediated by the human scavenger receptor class B type I.Mol. Membr. Biol.24:442-54.
• Zhang Y, A.M. Ahmed, N. McFarlane, C. Capone, D.R. Boreham, R. Truant, S.A. Igdoura, B.L. Trigatti. 2006. Regulation of SR-BI-mediated selective lipid uptake in Chinese hamster ovary-derived cells by protein kinase signaling pathways. J. Lipid Res.48:405-416
• Champigny, M., R. Perry, M. Rudnicki, S.A. Igdoura. 2005. Over-expression of MyoD-inducible sialidase gene inhibits myogenesis in C2C12 Cells. Exp. Cell Res. 311(1):157-66
• Miklyaeva, E.I., W. Dong, A. Bureau, R. Fattahie, Y. Xu,M. Su, G. H. Fick, JQ. Huang, , S.A. Igdoura, N. Hanai and R. A. Gravel. 2004. Late onset Tay-Sachs disease in mice with targeted disruption of the Hexa gene: Behavioral changes and pathology of the central nervous system. Brain Res. 1001:37-50.
• Ha, M.N., F. L. Graham, C. K. D’Souza, W. J. Muller, S. A. Igdoura, and H. E. Schellhorn. 2004. Functional rescue of vitamin C synthesis deficiency in human cells using adenoviral-based expression of murine L-gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase (GLO).Genomics.83: 482-492.
• Pattison, S., M. Pankarican, C.A. Rupar, F. L. Graham and S. A. Igdoura. 2004. Five novel mutations in the lysosomal sialidase gene (Neu1) in type II sialidosis patients and assessment of their impact on enzyme activity and intracellular targeting using adenovirus-mediated expression. Hum. Mutat. 23:32-39.
• Champigny, M.J., M. Johnson and S.A. Igdoura. 2003. Characterization of the mouse lysosomal sialidase promoter. Gene. 319:177-187.