Bell Eapen MD, PhD.

Psoriasis is essentially a proliferative disorder like Lamellar ichthyosis mentioned below. One of the most effective drugs in psoriasis is methotrexate (MTX). Though traditionally we see MTX as an antifolate drug, this does not fully explain its anti psoriatic effect. Various genetic polymorphisms and its effect on MTX cellular pharmacology are described. Can the Bioinformatics study of MTX polymorphisms and its effect on cell division in relation to mutations in Lamellar Ichthyosis (Which are very well characterized unlike Psoriasis) be useful? Post your thoughts here and contact me http://www.gulfdoctor.net/research.htm if you interested in exploring this together.

Lamellar Ichthyosis
Today a gentleman from UK came to me with photographs of his cousin with a rare autosomal recessive condition called ‘Lamellar Ichthyosis’ which I have posted in my Dermatology Blog. A review of literature shows that patients with lamellar ichthyosis have accelerated epidermal turnover with proliferative hyperkeratosis, in contrast to retention hyperkeratosis which is more common. This involves a mutation in the gene for transglutaminase 1 (TGM1). The transglutaminase 1 enzyme is involved in the formation of the cornified cell envelope. Please comment on the scope of exploring the TGM1 mutations with respect to this rare form of proliferative hyperkeratosis.

Welcome to BioBlog @ GulfDoctor.net

I have designed three web applications for the bioinformatics community.

• First is an application to manage online resources for bioinformatics. You can add your links and invite others to see your links. You can maintain a list of your favourite links. There is a comprehensive search facility too. The database already contains more than 500 links.
• Second is an application to discuss a particular topic in bioinformatics. You can invite others to view your discussion and opine. You can also post related sequences and do blast search directly from the site.
  Both applications are combined under a single login here.
• Third is a bulletin board for bioinformatics where you can post a sequence along with a message and annotate a particular region.

Visit my Group Research Page!