Hazem Khalaf

Articles in journals

• Omer, A. , Kumar, S. , Selegård, R. , Bengtsson, T. & Khalaf, H. (2025). Characterization of Novel Plantaricin-Derived Antiviral Peptides Against Flaviviruses.  International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26 (3). [BibTeX]
• Zattarin, E. , Sotra, Z. , Wiman, E. , Bas, Y. , Rakar, J. , Berglund, L. , Starkenberg, A. , Björk, E. M. & et al. (2025). Controlled release of antimicrobial peptides from nanocellulose wound dressings for treatment of wound infections.  Materials today. Bio, 32. [BibTeX]
• Eskilson, O. , Wiman, E. , Reustle, N. , Langwagen, J. , Sotra, Z. , Svärd, A. , Selegård, R. , Baş, Y. & et al. (2025). Nanocellulose Wound Dressings with Integrated Protease Sensors for Detection of Wound Pathogens.  ACS Sensors. [BibTeX]
• Omer, A. A. M. , Kumar, S. , Söderquist, B. , Melik, W. , Bengtsson, T. & Khalaf, H. (2024). PLNC8 αβ Potently Inhibits the Flavivirus Kunjin and Modulates Inflammatory and Intracellular Signaling Responses of Alveolar Epithelial Cells.  Viruses, 16 (11). [BibTeX]
• Wiman, E. , Zattarin, E. , Aili, D. , Bengtsson, T. , Selegård, R. & Khalaf, H. (2023). Development of novel broad-spectrum antimicrobial lipopeptides derived from plantaricin NC8 β.  Scientific Reports, 13 (1). [BibTeX]
• Eskilson, O. , Zattarin, E. , Berglund, L. , Oksman, K. , Hanna, K. , Rakar, J. , Sivlér, P. , Skog, M. & et al. (2023). Nanocellulose composite wound dressings for real-time pH wound monitoring.  Materials today. Bio, 19. [BibTeX]
• Omer, A. A. M. , Hinkula, J. , Tran, P. T. H. , Melik, W. , Zattarin, E. , Aili, D. , Selegård, R. , Bengtsson, T. & et al. (2022). Plantaricin NC8 αβ rapidly and efficiently inhibits flaviviruses and SARS-CoV-2 by disrupting their envelopes.  PLOS ONE, 17 (11). [BibTeX]
• Squinca, P. , Berglund, L. , Hanna, K. , Rakar, J. , Junker, J. , Khalaf, H. , Farinas, C. S. & Oksman, K. (2021). Multifunctional Ginger Nanofiber Hydrogels with Tunable Absorption: The Potential for Advanced Wound Dressing Applications.  Biomacromolecules, 22 (8), 3202-3215. [BibTeX]
• Musa, A. , Wiman, E. , Selegård, R. , Aili, D. , Bengtsson, T. & Khalaf, H. (2021). Plantaricin NC8 αβ prevents Staphylococcus aureus-mediated cytotoxicity and inflammatory responses of human keratinocytes.  Scientific Reports, 11 (1). [BibTeX]
• Davies, J. R. , Kad, T. , Neilands, J. , Kinnby, B. , Prgomet, Z. , Bengtsson, T. , Khalaf, H. & Svensäter, G. (2021). Polymicrobial synergy stimulates Porphyromonas gingivalis survival and gingipain expression in a multi-species subgingival community.  BMC Oral Health, 21 (1). [BibTeX]
• Bengtsson, T. , Selegård, R. , Musa, A. , Hultenby, K. , Utterström, J. , Sivlér, P. , Skog, M. , Nayeri, F. & et al. (2020). Author Correction: Plantaricin NC8 αβ exerts potent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus spp. and enhances the effects of antibiotics.  Scientific Reports, 10 (1). [BibTeX]
• Bengtsson, T. , Selegård, R. , Musa, A. , Hultenby, K. , Utterström, J. , Sivlér, P. , Skog, M. , Nayeri, F. & et al. (2020). Plantaricin NC8 αβ exerts potent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus spp. and enhances the effects of antibiotics.  Scientific Reports, 10 (1). [BibTeX]
• Eskilson, O. , Lindström, S. B. , Sepulveda, B. , Shahjamali, M. M. , Güell-Grau, P. , Sivlér, P. , Skog, M. , Aronsson, C. & et al. (2020). Self-Assembly of Mechanoplasmonic Bacterial Cellulose-Metal Nanoparticle Composites.  Advanced Functional Materials, 30 (40). [BibTeX]
• Selegård, R. , Musa, A. , Nyström, P. , Aili, D. , Bengtsson, T. & Khalaf, H. (2019). Plantaricins markedly enhance the effects of traditional antibiotics against Staphylococcus epidermidis.  Future Microbiology, 14 (3), 195-206. [BibTeX]
• Fürsatz, M. , Skog, M. , Sivlér, P. , Palm, E. , Aronsson, C. , Skallberg, A. , Greczynski, G. , Khalaf, H. & et al. (2018). Functionalization of bacterial cellulose wound dressings with the antimicrobial peptide ε-poly-L-Lysine.  Biomedical Materials, 13. [BibTeX]
• Jayaprakash, K. , Demirel, I. , Khalaf, H. & Bengtsson, T. (2018). Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced inflammatory responses in THP1 cells are altered by native and modified low-density lipoproteins in a strain-dependent manner.  Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica (APMIS), 126 (8), 667-677. [BibTeX]
• Bengtsson, T. , Lönn, J. , Khalaf, H. & Palm, E. (2018). The lantibiotic gallidermin acts bactericidal against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus and antagonizes the bacteria-induced proinflammatory responses in dermal fibroblasts.  MicrobiologyOpen, 7 (6). [BibTeX]
• Bengtsson, T. , Zhang, B. , Selegård, R. , Wiman, E. , Aili, D. & Khalaf, H. (2017). Dual action of bacteriocin PLNC8 alpha beta through inhibition of Porphyromonas gingivalis infection and promotion of cell proliferation.  Pathogens and Disease, 75 (5). [BibTeX]
• Jayaprakash, K. , Demirel, I. , Gunaltay, S. , Khalaf, H. & Bengtsson, T. (2017). PKC, ERK/p38 MAP kinases and NF-B targeted signalling play a role in the expression and release of IL-1β  and CXCL8 in Porphyromonas gingivalis-infected THP1 cells.  Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica (APMIS), 125 (7), 623-633. [BibTeX]
• Palm, E. , Demirel, I. , Bengtsson, T. & Khalaf, H. (2017). The role of toll-like and protease-activated receptors and associated intracellular signaling in Porphyromonas gingivalis-infected gingival fibroblasts.  Acta Pathologica, Microbiologica et Immunologica Scandinavica (APMIS), 125 (2), 157-169. [BibTeX]
• Khalaf, H. , Nakka, S. S. , Sandén, C. , Svärd, A. , Hultenby, K. , Scherbak, N. , Aili, D. & Bengtsson, T. (2016). Antibacterial effects of Lactobacillus and bacteriocin PLNC8 αβ on the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis.  BMC Microbiology, 16 (1). [BibTeX]
• Wickham, A. , Vagin, M. , Khalaf, H. , Bertazzo, S. , Hodder, P. , Dånmark, S. , Bengtsson, T. , Altimiras, J. & et al. (2016). Electroactive biomimetic collagen-silver nanowire composite scaffolds.  Nanoscale, 8 (29), 14146-14155. [BibTeX]
• Zhang, B. , Sirsjö, A. , Khalaf, H. & Bengtsson, T. (2016). Transcriptional profiling of human smooth muscle cells infected with gingipain and fimbriae mutants of Porphyromonas gingivalis.  Scientific Reports, 6. [BibTeX]
• Zhang, B. , Khalaf, H. , Sirsjö, A. & Bengtsson, T. (2015). Gingipains from the Periodontal Pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis Play a Significant Role in Regulation of Angiopoietin 1 and Angiopoietin 2 in Human Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells.  Infection and Immunity, 83 (11), 4256-4265. [BibTeX]
• Bengtsson, T. , Khalaf, A. & Khalaf, H. (2015). Secreted gingipains from Porphyromonas gingivalis colonies exert potent immunomodulatory effects on human gingival fibroblasts.  Microbiological Research, 178, 18-26. [BibTeX]
• Palm, E. , Khalaf, H. & Bengtsson, T. (2015). Suppression of inflammatory responses of human gingival fibroblasts by gingipains from Porphyromonas gingivalis.  Molecular Oral Microbiology, 30 (1), 74-85. [BibTeX]
• Jayaprakash, K. , Demirel, I. , Khalaf, H. & Bengtsson, T. (2015). The role of phagocytosis, oxidative burst and neutrophil extracellular traps in the interaction between neutrophils and the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis.  Molecular Oral Microbiology, 30 (5), 361-375. [BibTeX]
• Klarström-Engström, K. , Khalaf, H. , Kälvegren, H. & Bengtsson, T. (2015). The role of Porphyromonas gingivalis gingipains in platelet activation and innate immune modulation.  Molecular Oral Microbiology, 30 (1), 62-73. [BibTeX]
• Palm, E. , Demirel, I. , Bengtsson, T. & Khalaf, H. (2015). The role of toll-like and protease-activated receptors in the expression of cytokines by gingival fibroblasts stimulated with the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis.  Cytokine, 76 (2), 424-432. [BibTeX]
• Elmarghani, A. , Pradhan, A. , Seyoum, A. , Khalaf, H. , Ros, T. , Forsberg, L. , Nermark, T. , Osterman, L. & et al. (2014). Contribution of pharmaceuticals, fecal bacteria and endotoxin to the inflammatory responses to inland waters.  Science of the Total Environment, 488-489, 228-235. [BibTeX]
• Khalaf, H. , Lönn, J. & Bengtsson, T. (2014). Cytokines and chemokines are differentially expressed in patients with periodontitis: Possible role for TGF-beta 1 as a marker for disease progression.  Cytokine, 67 (1), 29-35. [BibTeX]
• Jayaprakash, K. , Khalaf, H. & Bengtsson, T. (2014). Gingipains from Porphyromonas gingivalis play a significant role in induction and regulation of CXCL8 in THP-1 cells.  BMC Microbiology, 14. [BibTeX]
• Kling, P. , Modig, C. , Mujahed, H. , Khalaf, H. , von Hofsten, J. & Olsson, P. (2013). Differential regulation of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) MT-A gene by nuclear factor interleukin-6 and activator protein-1.  BMC Molecular Biology, 14 (1), 28. [BibTeX]
• Palm, E. , Khalaf, H. & Bengtsson, T. (2013). Porphyromonas gingivalis downregulates the immune response of fibroblasts.  BMC Microbiology, 13, 155. [BibTeX]
• Khalaf, H. , Demirel, I. & Bengtsson, T. (2013). Suppression of inflammatory gene expression in T cells by Porphyromonas gingivalis is mediated by targeting MAPK signaling.  Cellular & Molecular Immunology, 10 (5), 413-422. [BibTeX]
• Zhang, B. , Elmabsout, A. A. , Khalaf, H. , Basic, V. T. , Jayaprakash, K. , Kruse, R. , Bengtsson, T. & Sirsjö, A. (2013). The periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis changes the gene expression in vascular smooth muscle cells involving the TGFbeta/Notch signalling pathway and increased cell proliferation.  BMC Genomics, 14, 770. [BibTeX]
• Khalaf, H. , Jass, J. & Olsson, P. (2013). The role of calcium, NF-κB and NFAT in the regulation of CXCL8 and IL-6 expression in Jurkat T-cells.  International Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 4 (3), 150-156. [BibTeX]
• Pradhan, A. , Khalaf, H. , Ochsner, S. A. , Sreenivasan, R. , Koskinen, J. , Karlsson, M. , Karlsson, J. , McKenna, N. J. & et al. (2012). Activation of NF-kappa B Protein Prevents the Transition from Juvenile Ovary to Testis and Promotes Ovarian Development in Zebrafish.  Journal of Biological Chemistry, 287 (45), 37926-37938. [BibTeX]
• Khalaf, H. & Bengtsson, T. (2012). Altered T-cell responses by the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis.  PLOS ONE, 7 (9). [BibTeX]
• Karlsson, M. , Scherbak, N. , Khalaf, H. , Olsson, P. & Jass, J. (2012). Substances released from probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 potentiate NF-κB activity in Escherichia coli-stimulated urinary bladder cells.  FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology, 66 (2), 147-156. [BibTeX]
• Khalaf, H. , Jass, J. & Olsson, P. (2010). Differential cytokine regulation by NF-κB and AP-1 in Jurkat T-cells.  BMC Immunology, 11. [BibTeX]
• Khalaf, H. , Larsson, A. , Berg, H. , McCrindle, R. , Arsenault, G. & Olsson, P. (2009). Diastereomers of the Brominated Flame Retardant 1,2-dibromo-4-(1,2 dibromoethyl)cyclohexane Induce Androgen Receptor Activation in the HepG2 Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Line and the LNCaP Prostate Cancer Cell Line.  Journal of Environmental Health Perspectives, 117 (12), 1853-1859. [BibTeX]
• Khalaf, H. , Salste, L. , Karlsson, P. , Ivarsson, P. , Jass, J. & Olsson, P. (2009). In vitro analysis of inflammatory responses following environmental exposure to pharmaceuticals and inland waters.  Science of the Total Environment, 407 (4), 1452-1460. [BibTeX]

Chapters in books

• Khalaf, H. , Palm, E. & Bengtsson, T. (2017). Cellular Response Mechanisms in Porphyromonas gingivalis Infection. In: Pachiappan Arjunan, Periodontitis: A Useful Reference (pp. 45-68). . InTech. [BibTeX]
• Olsson, P. , Khalaf, H. & Jass, J. (2011). CXCL8 regulation and function in HIV infections and potential treatment strategies. In: Nancy Dumais, HIV and AIDS: updates on biology, immunology, epidemiology and treatment strategies (pp. 327-344). . InTech. [BibTeX]

Doctoral theses, comprehensive summaries

• Khalaf, H. (2010). Characterization and environmental influences on inflammatory and physiological responses. (Doctoral dissertation). (Comprehensive summary) Örebro: Örebro universitet. [BibTeX]

Manuscripts

• Khalaf, H. , Jass, J. & Olsson, P. Influence of growth conditions on in vitro regulation of NF-κB activity in Jurkat T-cells. [BibTeX]
• Khalaf, H. , Nakka, S. S. , Sandén, C. , Svärd, A. , Hultenby, K. , Scherbak, N. , Aili, D. & Bengtsson, T. Antibacterial effects of lactobacillus and bacteriocin NC8 αβ on the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. [BibTeX]
• Musa, A. , Bengtsson, T. & Khalaf, H. Antimicrobial activity of plantaricin NC8 αβ against ESKAPE pathogens and Escherichia coli : greater specificity against gram-positive bacteria. [BibTeX]
• Nakka, S. S. , Palm, E. , Bengtsson, T. & Khalaf, H. Bacteriocin plantaricin NC8 αβ antagonizes Porphyromonas gingivalis infection and induces proliferation of gingival epithelial cells. [BibTeX]
• Nakka, S. S. , Palm, E. , Nayeri, F. , Bengtsson, T. & Khalaf, H. Effects of plantaricin NC8 αβ and antibodies on gingival epithelial cells infected by Porphyromonas gingivalis. [BibTeX]
• Omer, A. A. M. , Wiman, E. , Bengtsson, T. & Khalaf, H. Evaluation of systemic toxicity and local tolerance of PLNC8 peptides in animal models. [BibTeX]
• El Marghani, A. M. , Khalaf, H. , Jass, J. & Olsson, P. Immune cell activation by sewage treatment plant effluents and inland waters in Sweden. [BibTeX]
• Jayaprakash, K. , Demirel, I. , Gunaltay, S. , Khalaf, H. & Bengtsson, T. PKC, ERK/p38 MAP kinases and NF-κB targeted signalling plays a crucial role in expression and release of IL-1β and CXCL8 in Porphyromonas gingivalis infected monocytes. [BibTeX]
• Jayaprakash, K. , Demirel, I. , Khalaf, H. & Bengtsson, T. Porphyromonas gingivalis induced release of reactive oxygen species and interleukin-1 beta and the effects of low density lipoproteins in monocytes and whole blood. [BibTeX]
• Paramel Varghese, G. , Zhang, B. , Khalaf, H. , Ljungberg, L. U. , Sirsjö, A. , Bengtsson, T. & Fransén, K. Poryphyromonas gingivalis induces IL-1β in aortic smooth muscle cells : possible role of gingipains?. [BibTeX]
• Klarström-Engström, K. , Bengtsson, T. & Khalaf, H. The platelet response to various strains of Porphyromonas gingivalis. [BibTeX]
• Palm, E. , Demirel, I. , Bengtsson, T. & Khalaf, H. The role of toll-like and protease-activated receptors and associated intracellular signalling in Porphyromonas gingivalis-infected gingival fibroblasts. [BibTeX]
• Palm, E. , Demirel, I. , Bengtsson, T. & Khalaf, H. The role of toll-like and protease-activated receptors in the expression of cytokines by gingival fibroblasts stimulated with the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. [BibTeX]
• Zhang, B. , Sirsjö, A. , Khalaf, H. & Bengtsson, T. Transcriptional profiling of human smooth muscle cells infected with gingipain and fimbriae mutants of Porphyromonas gingivalis. [BibTeX]
• Khalaf, H. , Ochsner, S. A. , Koskinen, J. , Karlsson, M. , Karlsson, J. , Sreenivasan, R. , McKenna, N. J. , Orban, L. & et al. Zebrafish feminization in response to heat killed bacterial exposure suggests a function for anti-apoptotic genes in oocyte maintenance. [BibTeX]