Robert Adamu SheyUniversity of Buea · Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB)
Robert Adamu Shey
PhD (Molecular Biology)
Lecturer at the University of Buea l Onchocerciasis diagnostics l Onchocerciasis vaccines l Immunoinformatics l
About
41
Publications
175,659
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435
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Introduction
Currently, I am working on the immunological assessment of two rationally-designed vaccine candidates for onchocerciasis. Vaccine candidates were designed based on the correlates for immune protection reported for onchocerciasis. Also working with a group of 8 Ph.D. and M.Sc. students interested in the design of vaccine candidates for other neglected tropical diseases.
I have a keen interest in acquiring vaccine-related computational skills: protein-protein docking, MDS, and immune simulation.
Additional affiliations
January 2020 - present
January 2020 - December 2020
European Vaccine Initiative
Position
- WHO/TDR Clinical Research and Development Felllow
Description
- I undertook training in various aspects of clinical research particularly in project management for vaccine development projects. I was also trained in other administrative aspects of clinical research like financial/personnel management, consortium agreements, business development, regulatory and ethical aspects of vaccine development amongst others. I was also the project manager for a pre-clinical vaccine project with partners in the US, Europe and Asia.
January 2019 - January 2020
Education
November 2013 - December 2018
October 2010 - December 2012
October 2007 - December 2010
Publications
Publications (41)
Onchocerciasis is an infectious disease of public health and socio-economic importance in most parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the suspension of implementation activities towards combating onchocerciasis in the Bandjoun and Massangam health districts in the West Region of Cameroon as a consequ...
Background:
The double burden of malaria and helminthiasis in children poses an obvious public health challenge, particularly in terms of anemia morbidity. While both diseases frequently geographically overlap, most studies focus on mono-infection and general prevalence surveys without molecular analysis. The current study investigated the epidemi...
In low- and middle-income countries, undernutrition often co-exists with intestinal parasites, especially Soil Transmitted Helminth (STH) infections in children. The collective impact of both conditions result in undernutrition and can exacerbate the general poor health status of children. A cross-sectional survey of 422 mother-child (12–59 months...
Almost a decade ago, it was recognized that the global elimination of onchocerciasis by 2030 will not be feasible without, at least, an effective prophylactic and/or therapeutic vaccine to complement chemotherapy and vector control strategies. Recent advances in computational immunology (immunoinformatics) have seen the design of novel multi-epitop...
![Predicted ligand binding sites [11].](publication/364247402/figure/fig3/AS:11431281088711028@1665278418574/Predicted-ligand-binding-sites-11_Q320.jpg)
Given its global morbidity and mortality rates, malaria continues to be a major public health concern. Despite significant progress in the fight against malaria, efforts to control and eradicate the disease globally are in jeopardy due to lack of a universal vaccine. The conserved short peptide sequences found in Domain I of Plasmodium falciparum a...
Background
The double burden of malaria and helminthiasis in children poses an obvious public health challenge particularly in terms of anemia morbidity. While both diseases geographically overlap, most studies focus on mono-infection and general prevalence surveys without molecular analysis. The current study investigated the epidemiological deter...
Onchocerciasis is a Neglected Tropical Disease that has a significant socioeconomic impact, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Numerous reports indicate that the Expanded Special Project for the Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases needs novel diagnostic tools before achieving its goal of successful elimination of onchocerciasis in Africa. The...
The current serological test for human onchocerciasis relies on IgG4 reactivity against the parasite Ov-16 antigen, with reported sensitivities of only 60–80%. As control programs move from control to elimination, it is imperative to identify novel molecules that could improve the serodiagnosis reliability of this disease. In this study we compared...
Abstract Background The Mount Cameroon area has experienced a 57.2% decline in confirmed malaria cases between 2006 and 2013 with the implementation of different control measures but, the disease is still of public health concern. The objective of the study was to assess the burden of asymptomatic and sub-microscopic Plasmodium infection, altitudin...
One of the most debilitating consequences of aging is the progressive decline in immune function, known as immunosenescence. This phenomenon is characterized by a shift in T-cell phenotypes, with a manifest decrease of naive T-cells—dealing with newly encountered antigens—and a concomitant accumulation of senescent and regulatory T-cells, leading t...
Background: The Mount Cameroon area has experienced a 57.2% decline in confirmed malaria cases between 2006 and 2013 with the implementation of different control measures but, the disease is still of public health concern. The objective of the study was to assess the burden of asymptomatic and sub-microscopic Plasmodium infection, altitudinal influ...
: Onchocerciasis is a skin and eye disease that exerts a heavy socio-economic burden, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, a region which harbours greater than 96% of either infected or at-risk populations. The elimination plan for the disease is currently challenged by many factors including amongst others; the potential emergence of resistance to...
A computational approach to design more potent vaccines for onchocerciasis
The enormity of the public health burden of onchocerciasis motivated the creation of various large-scale control programs that have depended principally on mass treatment of endemic communities with ivermectin for the elimination of the disease. Parasitological evaluation of Onchocerca species in the West Region of Cameroon indicates significant pr...
The public health goal of onchocerciasis in Africa has advanced from control to elimination. In this light, accurate diagnosis is necessary to determine treatment endpoints and confirm elimination, as well as to conduct surveillance for the identification of any possible recrudescence of the disease. Currently, the monitoring of onchocerciasis elim...
Onchocerca volvulus is the nematode pathogen responsible for human onchocerciasis also known as "River blindness", a neglected tropical disease that affects up to 18 million people worldwide. Helminths Excretory Secretory Products (ESPs) constitute a rich repertoire of molecules that can be exploited for host-parasite relationship, diagnosis and va...
Onchocerciasis is a parasitic disease with a high socio-economic burden, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The elimination plan for this disease has faced numerous challenges. A multi-epitope prophylactic/therapeutic vaccine targeting the infective L3 and microfilaria stages of the parasite’s life cycle would be invaluable to achieve the current...
Onchocerciasis is a parasitic disease with high socio-economic burden particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The elimination plan for this disease has faced numerous challenges. A multi-epitope prophylactic/therapeutic vaccine targeting the infective L3 and microfilaria stages of the parasite’s life cycle would be invaluable to achieve the current eli...
Onchocerciasis is a parasitic disease with high socio-economic burden particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The elimination plan for this disease has faced numerous challenges. A multi-epitope prophylactic/therapeutic vaccine targeting the infective L3 and microfilaria stages of the parasite’s life cycle would be invaluable to achieve the current eli...
Ivermectin (IVM) still remains the only safe drug for the mass control of onchocerciasis, and the continued success of control programmes depends on its efficacy. However, the reliance on a single drug for decades might become problematic due to possible development of IVM resistance as has occurred in nematode parasites of livestock and the filari...
Onchocerciasis is a parasitic disease with a high socio-economic burden, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa the elimination plan for this disease has faced numerous challenges. A multi-epitope prophylactic/therapeutic vaccine targeting the infective L3 and microfilaria stages of the parasite’s life cycle would be invaluable to achieve the current e...
Onchocerciasis (river blindness) is a disabling yet neglected tropical disease with enormous socioeconomic burden mostly on 34 affected African countries. The disease is caused by the parasite Onchocerca volvulus and transmitted by blackflies of the genus Simulium. It is the second leading cause of infectious blindness after trachoma worldwide, wit...
Onchocerciasis is a severely debilitating yet neglected tropical disease (NTD) that creates social stigma, generates and perpetuates poverty, and leads ultimately in some cases to irreversible unilateral or bilateral blindness if untreated. Consequently, the disease is a major impediment to socioeconomic development. Many control programs have been...
Increased antigen-specific antibody responses to Ov58GPCR peptide cocktails are associated with onchocerciasis infection.
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Ov58GPCR harbours immunogenic epitopes in its extracellular domain.
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The recombinant extra-cellular domain of Ov58GPCR (Ov58GPCR-ECD) can be found in monomeric and dimeric forms.
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Exposure of host to parasite transmission leads to increased Ov58GPCR-ECD-specific IgG but not IgE response following treatment.
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Increased ivermectin treatment length is associated with decline in IgG subclasses and total IgE responses to Ov58GPCR-ECD.
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Ov58GPCR is a 7-transmembrane protein conserved in related nematodes.
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Ov58GPCR is transcriptionally and translationally activated in larva and adult parasite stages.
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Physicochemical properties of predicted B-epitopes.
(PDF)
Diagnostic accuracy parameters for Ov58GPCR peptides and peptide cocktails.
(PDF)
This poster describes a rational approach to immunodiagnosis for onchocerciasis using linear B-epitopes of a protein that was earlier reported to be important in host-parasite interactions.
Onchocerciasis is a devastating yet neglected tropical disease that creates a remarkable stigma, generates and perpetuates poverty, and is a major impediment to socioeconomic development/progress of affected communities. It is the second leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide, affecting about 15.5 million people including 12.2 million with...
Onchocerciasis is a devastating yet neglected tropical disease that creates a remarkable stigma, generates and perpetuates poverty, and is a major impediment to socioeconomic development/progress of affected communities. It is the second leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide, affecting about 15.5 million people including 12.2 million with...
Onchocerciasis is a devastating yet neglected tropical disease that creates a remarkable stigma, generates and perpetuates poverty, and is a major impediment to socioeconomic development/progress of affected communities. It is the second leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide, affecting about 15.5 million people including 12.2 million with...
Summary of my current interest...
Questions
Questions (79)
There are many different software tools available to visualize and sometimes to edit protein structure files, eg. in PDB format. I am working on a protein with close to 1900 amino acids. I have tried Pymol but it does not display the features visibly. I am using a Windows PC.
We have been trying to purify a chimeric of MW, 31kDa in insect and mammalian cells using the pOET5 and pTT5 vectors respectively. Unfortunately, we can detect very low levels of the protein in the supernatants through Western blot, and any attempts to purify using SEC reveals that the protein is forming aggregates. Can anyone help with a protocol to handle this kind of situation.
I am attempting to extract DNA from clotted, frozen human red blood cells (for eventual RFLP-PCR).
Does anyone have any suggestions for an in-house protocol that works?
Thanks in advance!
So I am working on 3D structure prediction for some proteins and need to validate the structure using amongst others a tool that does Ramachandran plot. Any ideas about possible tools?
We are interested in extracting DNA from clotted blood. Anyone has a simple protocol that works for this?
I am interested in determining some protein structures using bioinformatics. There's been a lot of stories about DeepMind AlphaFold? Anyone has any experience working with it? Is there an online server?
Working on some phylogenetic trees, and wanted to change the scale of the tree from 0.05 to 0.005. Anyone has experience with this?
We are trying to isolate cf-DNA from urine to no avail. Anyone with an in-house protocol that works?
We are trying to isolate DNA from mosquitoes using chelex and saponin to no available. Anyone with an in-house protocol that works?
We will be grateful.
I am doing some work on a couple of gene SNPs that could be involved in susceptibility and resistance to infectious diseases.
Does anyone know any tools that could be used to detect potential SNPs hotspots in gene sequences?
We need to do size exclusion chromatography to improve on the purity of a target protein we purified but we don't have any machines, AKTA, BioRad,... etc and thus we are condemned to do a manual procedure. Anyone has done this before? What was your kit?
Thanks and regards
