May 2023

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – There is a dominant variant in one gene among children with cleft lips or orofacial clefts (Cleft Lip and Palate, CLP) in Surabaya. That gene is CDH1 whose variant is more dominant than mutations in two other genes which are also commonly found in cases of cleft lip, namely IRF6 and TGFβ3. These findings were disclosed in Regina Purnama Dewi Iskandar’s dissertation from the Faculty of Dentistry, Airlangga University (Unair), Surabaya. Regina underwent an Open Doctoral Examination for her dissertation on Monday, May 22, 2023. At that hearing, objectors considered her findings to support early detection and prevention of cases of cleft lip in the future. As quoted from her dissertation, Regina explained that cleft lip is a developmental anomaly that occurs during the pregnancy process, due to failure of the fusion of the lip and palate structures. Until now, the etiology of CLP is not known with certainty, although many studies have been carried out, because it is multifactorial in nature. Including because many genes are involved in its occurrence. In her research, Regina found that CLP patients in Surabaya proved that the IRF6, TGFβ3, and CDH1 gene profiles were different from those in the control or non-CLP group. The dominant genetic variation in CLP sufferers in that city is a mutation in the CDH1 gene (p.Val188Phe). In this variation, the amino acid Valine changes to Phenylalanine at position 188 of the CDH1 gene. “It causes changes in the structure of the Ecadherin protein resulting in failure of the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) process during palatogenesis during pregnancy,” said Regina. Regina studied a population of cleft lip sufferers registered at the Cleft Lip and Palate Center Surabaya Foundation. Criteria for the age of the patient is more than 7 years and does not suffer from systemic disorders. While the control population is people who do not suffer from CLP, and there is no family history of this disorder up to three generations before. During the trial, Regina also revealed that environmental factors contribute to gene mutations (epigenetics) that cause cleft lip which are passed on from parents to their children. These environmental factors, especially air pollution from mining, motorized vehicles, and cigarette smoke, which he said pose a risk of increasing CLP cases. “It is possible that water pollution can cause it, but only a few studies have been conducted in Indonesia,” said the Scholarship Recipient of the Ministry of Education and Culture for the Batch III Major Doctorate Program. This research was conducted at the Institute of Tropical Diseases based on information from ITD researcher Siti Qomariah Picture’s & News Source: tempo.co

The Institute of Tropical Diseases received a visit from a representative from Leiden University. The visit included providing knowledge with the theme “Combining field studies with cutting technologies for scientific and medical breakthroughs” by Prof. Maria Yazdanbakhsh from Cellular Immunology & parasitic infections Universiteit Leiden. This was welcomed by the chairman Prof. Maria Inge Lusida and Secretary Prof. Fedik Abdul Rantam ITD. This event was fully attended by the ITD Academic Community and Airlangga University students. Not only that, after delivering the material, Prof. Maria Yazdanbakhsh visited the majority of laboratories in ITD accompanied by chairperson Prof. Maria Inge Lusida and Secretary Prof. Fedik Abdul Rantam, Dr. Sukmawati Basuki and the board of directors and other researchers. They discussed while looking at the laboratory equipment facilities available at ITD and the research developments that had been carried out. Prof. Maria Yazdanbakhsh gave a good impression seeing the rapid development of research and her collaboration that has reached various countries.

The Research Center on Global Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (RC-GERID), the center of excellence science and technology (PUI-PT) from the Institute of Tropical Diseases, Airlangga University, have successfully held a Bioinformatics workshop “In Pursuit of Pathogen Origins: Integrating Phylogenetics, MCC Trees, and Transmission Insights” on 4 – 5 May 2023.This workshop presented by experienced spokesperson, Mr. Muhammad Fahmi, Ph.D. from the Research Institute of Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, Japan. This workshop also attended by the chairman of ITD, Prof. Maria Inge Lusida, Ph.D and head of RC-GERID, Laura Navika Yamani, S.Sc., M.Sc., PhD This program was held to improve LPT UNAIR researchers knowledge, regarding Bioinformatics analysis using phylogenetic methods/techniques. Further enhancement of this analysis is able to trace the origin of pathogens which can assist in understanding and controlling the spread of infectious diseases. In addition, this workshop also aims to integrate genetic technology and transmission analysis to produce a comprehensive understanding of how pathogens originate and spread. This method combines phylogenetic techniques and MCC (Maximum Clade Credibility) tree construction to estimate the evolutionary history of pathogens and able to analyze epidemiological and social data to learn how pathogens spread and transmit among human populations. Hopefully this bioinformatic analysis can be applied in some research at LPT, UNAIR so that we can develop strategies in preventing and controlling the infectious diseases in the future. By knowing how pathogens originate and spread, we can decide the effective steps to protect human health and prevent the spread of potentially devastating outbreaks.

The Institute of Tropical Diseases held a halal bi halal event and a gathering of the ITD academic community. This event began with remarks from the head of the institution, Prof. Maria Inge Lusida, followed by Figures and Senior Researcher Prof. Puruhito. In their remarks, they hoped that this event could increase brotherhood and cooperation among fellow ITD academics. If the cooperation between fellow academics goes well, the performance of business processes will certainly increase very significantly in the future. after the speech, a prayer was read by one of the researchers, Mas Iswahyudi. Followed by a photo together and shaking hands and warm-hearted. This event was attended by all academic community members with real happiness and togetherness.