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Ahmed Lotfy Elshahaat

Dr. Ahmed Lotfy

Biography

Ahmed Lotfy, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at the University of West Florida. His research focuses on stem cell biology, regenerative medicine, and immunology, with particular expertise in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and MSC-derived exosomes as potential therapies for autoimmune and degenerative diseases. Dr. Lotfy’s work spans both in vitro and in vivo studies, including genetic engineering of MSCs, mouse models, immunosuppression assays, and tissue regeneration strategies.

He has extensive experience in translational research, having worked across institutions in the USA, UK, Japan, and Egypt, and has contributed to advancing stem cell-based therapies from bench to clinical relevance. Dr. Lotfy has published numerous articles, presented at international conferences, and served as an editor and reviewer for multiple scientific journals.

Dr. Lotfy is deeply committed to mentoring students, guiding hands-on research, scientific writing, and critical thinking. He encourages them to publish research articles, helping to build confidence, foster scholarly engagement, and promote professional growth at an early in their careers.

Degrees & Institutions

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Medical University of South Carolina
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Nagoya City University
  • Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Zagazig University
  • M.S. in Biochemistry, Port Said University
  • B.S. in Biochemistry, Mansoura University

Research

Dr. Ahmed Lotfy’s research focuses on stem cell biology, regenerative medicine, and immunology, with particular expertise in mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) and MSC-derived exosomes/ EVs as potential therapies for autoimmune and degenerative diseases. His work investigates the mechanisms of MSC-mediated immunomodulation, tissue repair, and cell-free therapeutic strategies, combining in vitro studies, in vivo disease models, and biomaterials-based approaches.

Current projects include genetically engineering MSCs and their exosomes to enhance therapeutic efficacy, optimizing exosome delivery for targeted treatment, and studying immune cell interactions in autoimmune conditions such as type 1 diabetes and autoimmune hepatitis. Other research interests include the translational applications of stem cell therapies, which aim to bridge fundamental research with clinical potential. His research integrates advanced cell biology techniques, flow cytometry, molecular assays, and tissue engineering strategies to advance the field of regenerative medicine.

Dr. Lotfy is also involved in drug screening for cancer therapy, applying cellular and molecular techniques to identify potential therapeutic candidates.

Current Courses

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology Lab
  • Biology I Lab

Publications

Peer-Reviewed original research Publications
(* denotes under/graduate author, ** denotes corresponding author)

1. Ohno Y, Nakajima C*, Ajioka I, Muraoka T, Yaguchi A, Fujioka T, Akimoto S, Matsuo M, Lotfy A, Nakamura S, Herranz-Pérez V. Amphiphilic peptide-tagged N-cadherin forms radial glial-like fibers that enhance neuronal migration in injured brain and promote sensorimotor recovery. Biomaterials. 2023 Jan 17:122003.

2. El-Gendy*, H., Hawass, S. E. D., Awad, M., Mohsen, M. A., Amin, M., Abdalla, H. A. & Lotfy, A**. (2020). Comparative study between human mesenchymal stem cells and etanercept as immunomodulatory agents in rat model of rheumatoid arthritis. Immunologic Research, 68(5), 255-268.

3. Cuthbert, R. J., Jones, E., Sanjurjo-Rodríguez, C., Lotfy, A., Ganguly, P., Churchman, S. M., & Giannoudis, P. V. (2020). Regulation of Angiogenesis Discriminates Tissue Resident MSCs from Effective and Defective Osteogenic Environments. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 9(6), 1628.

4. Shiha, G., Nabil, A., Lotfy, A., Soliman, R., Hassan, A.A., Ali, I.S., Gad, D.F. and Zahran, F., (2020): Antifibrotic Effect of Combination of Nilotinib and Stem Cell-Conditioned Media on CCl4-Induced Liver Fibrosis. Stem Cells International.

5. Koura S*, Salama M, Elhussieny M, Lotfy A, Sobh M (2019): Fluoxetine causes direct inhibitory effect on mesenchymal stem cells derived osteoprogenitor cells independent of serotonin concentration. Molecular medicine report; 2611-2619.

6. Salama, M, Sobh M, Emam, M, Lotfy A, Shalash A, Mohamed WM (2017): Effect of intranasal stem cell administration on the nigrostriatal system in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. Exp Ther Med ;13(3):976-982.

7. Marei N, El-Sherbiny I, Lotfy A, El-Badawy A, El-badri N (2016): Mesenchymal stem cells growth and proliferation enhancement using PLA vs PCL based nanofibrous scaffolds. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 93, 9-19.

8. Lotfy A**, Sheashaa H, Elhusseini F, Baiomy A, Awad A, Alsayed A, El-Gilany A, Mahmoud K, Sarhan A, Sobh M (2016): Protective Effect of Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell on Acute Kidney Injury Induced by Ischemia/ Reperfusion in Sprague-Dawley Rats. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine.11:1573-1580.

9. Lotfy A**, Salama M, Zahran F, Jones E, Badawy A, Sobh M (2014): Characterization of mesenchymal stem cells derived from rat bone marrow and adipose tissue: A comparative study. Int J Stem Cells 7:135- 142.

10. El-Atta HM, El-Bakary AA, Attia AM, Lotfy A, Khater SS, Elsamanoudy AZ, Abdalla HA (2014): DNA Fragmentation, Caspase 3 and Prostate-Specific Antigen Genes Expression Induced by Arsenic, Cadmium, and Chromium on Nontumorigenic Human Prostate Cells. Biol Trace Elem Res: 1-11.

Peer-Reviewed Review Publications
(* denotes undergraduate author, ** denotes corresponding author)

1. Abbas SEM*, Maged G*, Wang H, Lotfy A**. Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Microencapsulation for Cell Therapy. Cells. 2025; 14(3):149.

2. Maged, G*, Abdelsamed, M.A*, Wang H, Lotfy A**. The potency of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells: does donor sex matter? Stem Cell Res Ther 15, 112 (2024).

3. Lotfy A**, AboQuella N*, Wang H. Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cell (MSC)-Derived Exosomes in Clinical Trials. Stem Cell Research & Therapy. Stem Cell Res Ther 14, 66 (2023).

4. Lotfy A, Reinwald Y, Kobayashi J, El-Jawhari JJ. Multipotent stromal cells and the microenvironment of tissue healing. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 2023 Jan 5.

5. Lotfy A**, Wang H. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Combination Therapy Might Offer a Promising Treatment Option for Cancer. Stem Cell Rev and Rep (2022).

6. Elkhenany H., El-Derby, A., Abd Elkodous, M. Lotfy A, El-Badri N. Applications of the amniotic membrane in tissue engineering and regeneration: the hundred-year challenge. Stem Cell Res Ther 13, 8 (2022).

7. Bakry N*, Abdelgawad M*, Abdel-Latif A, Lotfy A**. Mesenchymal stromal cells coated with anti-ACE2 might improve efficacy against COVID-19. (2021) Human Cell.

8. Abdelgawad M*, Bakry N*, Farghali A, Abdel-Latif A, Lotfy A**. (2021) Mesenchymal stem cell-based therapy and exosomes in COVID-19: Current trends and prospects. Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 12(1), 1-20.

9. Lotfy A**, Elgamal A, Burdzinska A, Swelum A, Hassan A, Shiha G. (2021) Stem Cell Therapies for Autoimmune Hepatitis. Stem Cell Res Ther 12, 386.

10. Lotfy A**, Salama, M (2020): Mesenchymal stem cells as a treatment for Multiple sclerosis: A focus on Experimental Animal Studies. Reviews in the Neurosciences, 31(2), 161-179.

Please visit the publication list to see more of Dr. Lotfy’s research articles on his Google Scholar website above. 

Keywords: Stem cell biology, Mesenchymal stem cells, MSCs, MSC-derived exosomes, Regenerative medicine, Tissue regeneration, Cell therapy, Exosome therapy, Autoimmune disease therapy, Degenerative disease therapy, Translational research, In vitro models, In vivo models, Genetic engineering of stem cells, Immunomodulation assays, Flow cytometry, Molecular biology techniques, Biomaterials for tissue engineering, Cell-free therapies, Drug screening, Preclinical models, Translational medicine, Stem cell-based therapeutics, Immunology research, Tissue engineering, Stem cell therapy development, Autoimmune disease research, Cancer therapy research, Scientific mentoring, Research publications, Stem cell conferences