Mohammad A. Khanfar
Mohammad A. Khanfar
Assistant professor
  • +96265355000
    • :0096265300250

Faculty of Pharmacy
University of Jordan
Amman - Jordan

Education

 

Biography

I am an assistant professor in the Faculty of Pharmacy at University of Jordan since October 2011. I received my undergraduate degree with first class honors in Pharmacy at the Universityof Jordan. I received my Ph.D. in 2010 from the University of Louisiana at Monroe working on the computer-assisted design and discovery of actin polymerization and GSK-3β inhibitors based on marine natural products. I completed postdoctoral research atCenter of Molecular Innovation and Drug Discovery (CMIDD), Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, IL where I conducted research in the laboratory of Richard B. Silverman (the inventor of the blockbuster drug LyricaTM) on the design and synthesis of potential new therapeutics for the treatment of the neurodegenerative disorder Huntington’s disease. My research is currently funded by several national grants and I have been a recipient of several awards and distinctions for my work on drug design and discovery.

My research involves the use of state of the art organic and medicinal chemistry techniques combined with chemical biology approaches to design, synthesize and evaluate new molecules for the treatment of human disease and to probe biological systems with a particular emphasis on cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

My research also focuses on computational and theoretical approaches tounderstanding protein-ligand interactions using ligand- and structure-based drug design and discovery. My research team uses the many existing methodsof computer-aided drug design, such as multidimensional QSAR, docking, conformationalanalysis, and pharmacophore modeling forunderstanding drug action and to design and discover new therapeutics, e.g., inhibitors ofglycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK-3β), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin-2.My research group aims to improve human health through improved understanding of existingdrug action and design of new drugs against cancer, and neuronal diseases.

Research Interest

My research involves the use of state of the art organic and medicinal chemistry techniques combined with chemical biology approaches to design, synthesize and evaluate new molecules for the treatment of human disease and to probe biological systems with a particular emphasis on cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

My research also focuses on computational and theoretical approaches to understanding protein-ligand interactions using ligand- and structure-based drug design and discovery. My research team uses the many existing methods of computer-aided drug design, such as multidimensional QSAR, docking, conformational analysis, and pharmacophore modeling for understanding drug action and to design and discover new therapeutics, e.g., inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK-3β), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin-2. My research group aims to improve human health through improved understanding of existing drug action and design of new drugs against cancer, and neuronal diseases.

Professional Activities:

Awards

  1. American Chemical Society (ACS), Travel Award from the Division of Biological Chemistry to attend Anaheim ACS National meeting, Anaheim, CA, 2011.
  2. Outstanding Graduate Student Award, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana at Monroe, 2011.
  3. American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS), Graduate Student Symposium Awards in Drug Design and Discovery, New Orleans, LA, 2010.
  4. ULM 9th Annual Student Research Symposium, April 21, 2009, Monroe, LA. Third place winner, graduate student seminar.
  5. ULM 8th Annual Student Research Symposium, April 30, 2008, Monroe, LA. Third place winner, graduate student poster.

Member in Professional Organizations

  • American Chemical Society (ACS).
  • American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS).
  • Jordan Pharmaceutical Association.
  • Bioequivalence committee in Jordanian Food and Drug Administration (JFDA).
  • Quality Control committee in Jordanian Food and Drug Administration (JFDA).

Teaching Experience

  1. Medicinal Chemistry I.
  2. Medicinal Chemistry II
  3. Medicinal Chemistry III
  4. Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry.
  5. Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry.
  6. Pharmaceutical Instrumental Analysis.

 

Publications

  1. Alzweiri, M., Khanfar, M. A., Al-Hiari, Y. (2015): Variation in GC-MS responses between analytes and deuterated analogues. Chromatographia, 78, 251–258.
  2. Taha, M. O., Khanfar, M. A. (2015): Oleuropein Potently Inhibits Mammalian Target of Rapamycin: Possible Involvement of Tandem Anomeric Hyperconjugation–Michael Reaction. Medicinal Chemistry Research. 24, 616-623..
  3. Taha, M. O., A.Al-Sha'er, M., Khanfar, M. A. (2014): Discovery of Nanomolar Phosphoinositide 3-kinase gamma (PI3Kγ) Inhibitors Using Ligand-Based Modelling and Virtual Screening followed by In Vitro Analysis. European journal of medicinal chemistry 84, 454–465
  4. Taha, M. O., Habash, M., Khanfar, M. A. (2014): The use of docking-based comparative intermolecular contacts analysis to identify optimal docking conditions within glucokinase and to discover of new GK activators. Journal of computer-aided molecular design 28, 509-547.
  5. Khanfar, M. A., Quinti, L., Wang, H., Choi, S. H., Kazantsev, A. G., Silverman, R. B. (2014): Development and characterization of 3-(benzylsulfonamido)benzamides as potent and selective SIRT2 inhibitors. European journal of medicinal chemistry 76, 414-426.
  6. Al-Sha'er, M. A., Khanfar, M. A., Taha, M. O., (2014): Discovery of novel urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) inhibitors using ligand-based modeling and virtual screening followed by in vitro analysis. Journal of molecular modeling 20, 2080.
  7. Abulateefeh, S. R., Khanfar, M. A., Al Bakain, R. Z., Taha, M. O. (2014): Synthesis and characterization of new derivatives of alginic acid and evaluation of their iron(III)-crosslinked beads as potential controlled release matrices. Pharmaceutical development and technology 19, 856-867.
  8. Khanfar, M. A., Taha, M. O. (2013): Elaborate ligand-based modeling coupled with multiple linear regression and k nearest neighbor QSAR analyses unveiled new nanomolar mTOR inhibitors. Journal of chemical information and modeling 53, 2587-2612.
  9. Alzweiri, M., Tarawneh, R., Khanfar, M. A. (2013): Gas chromatography/trace analysis of derivatized azelaic acid as a stability marker. Journal of separation science 36, 3200-3205.
  10. Eterovic, V. A., Del Valle-Rodriguez, A., Perez, D., Carrasco, M., Khanfar, M. A., El Sayed, K. A., Ferchmin PA (2013): Protective activity of (1S,2E,4R,6R,7E,11E)-2,7,11-cembratriene-4,6-diol analogues against diisopropylfluorophosphate neurotoxicity: preliminary structure-activity relationship and pharmacophore modeling. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry 21 (15):4678-4686.
  11. Khanfar, M. A., AbuKhader, M. M., Alqtaishat, S., Taha, M. O. (2013): Pharmacophore modeling, homology modeling, and in silico screening reveal mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitory activities for sotalol, glyburide, metipranolol, sulfamethizole, glipizide, and pioglitazone. Journal of molecular graphics & modelling 42:39-49.
  12. Khanfar, M. A., El Sayed, K. A. (2013): The Veratrum alkaloids jervine, veratramine, and their analogues as prostate cancer migration and proliferation inhibitors: biological valuation and pharmacophore modeling. Medicinal Chemistry Research 22: 4775-4786.
  13. Hassan, H. M., Elnagar, A. Y., Khanfar, M. A., Sallam, A. A., Mohammed, R., Shaala, L. A., Youssef, D. T., Hifnawy, M. S., El Sayed, K. A. (2011) Design of semisynthetic analogues and 3D-QSAR study of eunicellin-based diterpenoids as prostate cancer migration and invasion inhibitors. European journal of medicinal chemistry 46:1122-1130.
  14. Baraka, H. N., Khanfar, M. A., Williams, J. C., El-Giar, E. M., El Sayed, K. A. (2011): Bioactive natural, biocatalytic, and semisynthetic tobacco cembranoids. Planta medica 77:467-476.
  15. Mudit, M., Khanfar, M., Shah, G. V., Sayed, K. A. (2011): Methods for evaluation of structural and biological properties of antiinvasive natural products. In: Methods in Molecular Biology. Drug Design and Discovery, Ed. Satyanarayanajois, S, D. (Humana Press) 55-71.
  16. Abraham, I., Jain, S., Wu, C. P., Khanfar, M. A., Kuang, Y., Dai, C. L., Shi, Z., Chen, X., Fu, L., Ambudkar, S. V., El Sayed, K., Chen, Z. S. (2010): Marine sponge-derived sipholane triterpenoids reverse P-glycoprotein (ABCB1)-mediated multidrug resistance in cancer cells. Biochemical pharmacology 80:1497-1506.
  17. Khanfar, M. A., Hill, R. A., Kaddoumi, A., El Sayed, K. A. (2010): Discovery of novel GSK-3beta inhibitors with potent in vitro and in vivo activities and excellent brain permeability using combined ligand- and structure-based virtual screening. Journal of medicinal chemistry 53:8534-8545.
  18. Khanfar, M. A., El Sayed, K. A. (2010): Phenylmethylene hydantoins as prostate cancer invasion and migration inhibitors. CoMFA approach and QSAR analysis. European journal of medicinal chemistry 45:5397-5405.
  19. Khanfar, M. A., Youssef, D. T., El Sayed, K. A. (2010): 3D-QSAR studies of latrunculin-based actin polymerization inhibitors using CoMFA and CoMSIA approaches. European journal of medicinal chemistry 45:3662-3668.
  20. Hassan, H. M., Khanfar, M. A., Elnagar, A. Y., Mohammed, R., Shaala, L. A., Youssef, D. T., Hifnawy, M. S., El Sayed, K. A. (2010): Pachycladins A-E, prostate cancer invasion and migration inhibitory Eunicellin-based diterpenoids from the red sea soft coral Cladiella pachyclados. Journal of natural products 73:848-853.
  21. Abdel Bar, F. M., Khanfar, M. A., Elnagar, A. Y., Badria, F. A., Zaghloul, A. M., Ahmad, K. F., Sylvester, P. W., El Sayed, K. A. (2010): Design and pharmacophore modeling of biaryl methyl eugenol analogs as breast cancer invasion inhibitors. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry 18:496-507.
  22. Khanfar, M. A., Youssef, D. T., El Sayed, K. A. (2010): Semisynthetic latrunculin derivatives as inhibitors of metastatic breast cancer: biological evaluations, preliminary structure-activity relationship and molecular modeling studies. ChemMedChem 5:274-285.
  23. Bar F. M., Khanfar, M. A., Elnagar, A. Y., Liu, H., Zaghloul, A. M., Badria, F. A., Sylvester, P. W., Ahmad, K. F., Raisch, K. P., El Sayed, K. A. (2009): Rational design and semisynthesis of betulinic acid analogues as potent topoisomerase inhibitors. Journal of natural products 72:1643-1650.
  24. Khanfar, M. A., Asal, B. A., Mudit, M., Kaddoumi, A., El Sayed, K. A. (2009): The marine natural-derived inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta phenylmethylene hydantoins: In vitro and in vivo activities and pharmacophore modeling. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry 17:6032-6039.
  25. Shah, G. V., Muralidharan, A., Thomas, S., Gokulgandhi, M., Mudit, M., Khanfar, M., El Sayed, K. (2009): Identification of a small molecule class to enhance cell-cell adhesion and attenuate prostate tumor growth and metastasis. Molecular cancer therapeutics 8:509-520.
  26. Mudit, M., Khanfar, M., Muralidharan, A., Thomas, S., Shah, G. V., van Soest, R. W., El Sayed, K. A. (2009): Discovery, design, and synthesis of anti-metastatic lead phenylmethylene hydantoins inspired by marine natural products. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry 17:1731-1738.
  27. El Sayed, K. A., Khanfar, M. A., Shallal, H. M., Muralidharan, A., Awate, B., Youssef, D. T., Liu, Y., Zhou, Y. D., Nagle, D. G., Shah, G. (2008): Latrunculin A and its C-17-O-carbamates inhibit prostate tumor cell invasion and HIF-1 activation in breast tumor cells. Journal of natural products 71:396-402.

Book Chapter

Mudit, M., Khanfar, M., Shah, G. V., Sayed, K. A. (2011): Methods for evaluation of structural and biological properties of antiinvasive natural products. In: Methods in Molecular Biology. Drug Design and Discovery, Ed. Satyanarayanajois, S, D. (Humana Press) 55-71.

Podium Presentation

  1. Mudit, M. Mohammad Khanfar, Bhushan Awate, Girish Shah, Khalid El Sayed. Novel marine -derived leads for metastatic prostate cancer. 8th Annual Student Research Symposium, ULM, Monroe, LA, April 30, 2008.
  2. Mohammad A. Khanfar, Diaa T. A. Youssef, and Khalid A. El Sayed. Latruculin A and its C-17-O-Carbamates as Potent Anti-invasive Prostae Cancer Leads. The 35th Annual MALTO Medicinal Chemistry-Pharmacognosy Meeting, May 18-20, 2008, Little Rock, AR.
  3. Mudit M, Khanfar M, Awate B, Shah GV, El Sayed KA. Novel marine-derived leads for metastatic prostate cancer. The 35th Annual MALTO Medicinal Chemistry-Pharmacognosy Meeting, May 18-20, 2008, Little Rock, AR.
  4. Mohammad A. Khanfar, Diaa T. A. Youssef, and Khalid A. El Sayed. Rationale Design of Semisynthetic Latrunculin Analogs as Inhibitors for Metastatic Breast Cancer, Preliminary Structure Activity Relationship, and Three- Dimensional Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (3D QSAR) Studies. The 36th Annual MALTO Medicinal Chemistry-Pharmacognosy Meeting, May 17-19, 2009, Memphis, TN.
  5. Mudit M, Khanfar M, Muralidharan A, Thomas S, Shah GV, El Sayed KA. Phenylmethylene hydantoin analogues: Promising leads for the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. ULM 9th Annual Research Symposium, Apr 21, 2009, Monroe, LA.
  6. Mohammad A. Khanfar, Diaa T. A. Youssef and Khalid A. El Sayed. Rationale Design of Semisynthetic Latrunculin Analogs as Inhibitors for Metastatic Breast Cancer, Preliminary Structure-Activity Relationship, and Three- Dimensional Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (3D QSAR) Studies. ULM 9th Annual Research Symposium, Apr 21, 2009, Monroe, LA.
  7. Mudit M, Khanfar M, Muralidharan A, Thomas S, Shah GV, El Sayed KA. Phenylmethylene hydantoins and their anti-metastatic potential against advanced prostate cancer. The 36th Annual MALTO Medicinal Chemistry-Pharmacognosy Meeting, May 17-19, 2009, Memphis, TN.
  8. Mudit M, Khanfar M, Muralidharan A, Thomas S, Shah GV, El Sayed KA. Discovery, design, and synthesis of anti-metastatic lead phenylmethylene hydantoins. American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition, Nov 8-12, 2009, Los Angeles, CA.
  9. Mohammad Khanfar, Ronald Hill, Amal Kaddoumi, Khalid El Sayed. Computer-Assisted Discovery, Design, Synthesis, In Vitro, and In Vivo Evaluations of Highly Potent and Selective Inhibitors of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β. American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition, Nov 13-18, 2010, New Orleans, LA.

Poster Presentations

  1. Mohammad A. Khanfar, Mutasem Taha. Genetic Algorithm-Based K Nearest Neighbour and Multiple Linear Regression QSAR Modelling Coupled with Elaborate Pharmacophore Exploration followed by In Silico Screening Unveiled Low Nanomolar New mTOR Inhibitory Leads. American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition, Nov 10-14, 2013, san Antonio, TX, USA.
  2. Mohammad Khanfar, Mudit Mudit, Bhushan Awate, Girish Shah, Khalid El Sayed. Computer-Assisted Design of Novel Inhibitors for Metastatic Prostate Cancer. 6th Annual Louisiana Biomedical Research Network Meeting. January 25-27, 2008. New Orleans, LA.
  3. Mohammad Khanfar, Mudit Mudit, Bhushan Awate, Girish Shah, Khalid El Sayed. Computer-Assisted Design of Novel Inhibitors for Metastatic Prostate Cancer. 8th Annual Student Research Symposium, ULM, Monroe, LA, April 30, 2008.
  4. Dalia Abdelhalim, Hany Baraka, Mohammad Khanfar, Ahmed Orabi, Girish Shah, Khalid El Sayed. Ratinale-design of anti-invasive 4-O-methyl-2, 7,11- cembratriene-4-6-diol. 8th Annual Student Research Symposium, ULM, Monroe, LA, April 30, 2008.
  5. Mohammad Khanfar, Mudit Mudit, Bhushan Awate, Girish Shah, Khalid El Sayed. Computer-assisted design of novel latrunculin inhibitors for metastatic prostate cancer. Marine Natural Products Gordon Research Conference, February 2008, Ventura, CA.
  6. El Sayed K, Khanfar M. Muralidharan A. Awate B. Youssef D. Girish S. Targeting cytoskeleton signaling in cancer: Rationale design of semisynthetic latrunculin analogs as inhibitors for metastatic prostate cancer. American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, April 12-16, 2008, Los Angeles California.
  7. Mudit M, Khanfar M, Muralidharan A, Thomas S, Shah GV, El Sayed KA. Discovery, design, and synthesis of anti-metastatic lead phenylmethylene hydantoins. American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition, Nov 8-12, 2009, Los Angeles, CA.
  8. Shah GV, Muralidharan A, Shibu T, Mudit M, Khanfar M, El Sayed KA. Identification of a small molecule(s) class to augment cell-cell adhesion and attenuate prostate tumor growth and metastasis. American Association for Cancer Research. 100th Annual Meeting, April 18-22, 2009, Denver, CO.
  9. Mudit M, Khanfar M, Awate B, Shah GV, El Sayed KA. Optimization of novel marine-derived leads as potential treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. 6th Louisiana Biomedical Research Network Meeting, January 25-27, 2008, New Orleans, LA.
  10. El Sayed KA, Khanfar M, Mudit M, Baraka H, Awate B, Shah GV. Discovery, design, synthesis, and development of new leads for treatment of metastatic prostate cancer  inspired by marine natural products. 6th Louisiana Biomedical Research Network Meeting, January 25-27, 2008, New Orleans, LA.
  11. Mohammad Khanfar, Ronald Hill, Amal Kaddoumi, Khanlid El Sayed. Computer-Assisted Discovery, Design, Synthesis, In Vitro, and In Vivo Evaluations of Highly Potent and Selective Inhibitors of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β. American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition, Nov 13-18, 2010, New Orleans, LA.

 

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