ONGOING PROJECTS

CANCER

• A role of pannexins in the development of the astrocytic tumors
• Cloning and initial characterization of the genes representing small signature predicting aggressive behavior of the breast carcinoma
• Non-coding and antisense RNAs as tumor markers
• Tumor markers: the potential of "omics" approach.
• PPAR Ligands as Potential Modifiers of Breast Carcinoma Outcomes
• Co-expression pattern analysis for functional analysis of tumor suppresssor gene KCNRG using Oncomine

GENERAL BIOLOGY

• RNA editing in human cells
• Extracellular DNA
• The prenylation of Francisella tularensis proteins in host cells
• Functional analysis of human KCTD family proteins

MELANOGENESIS IN ADIPOSE

• Ectopic synthesis of melanin in adipose from morbidly obese subjects

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)

• Profiling of the components of miRNA processing machinery and pri-miRNA forms in the adipose tissue of the morbidly obese patients with NASH and normal liver biopsies
• Profiling and validation of reference genes for Real-Time PCR in the chronic conditions related to obesity and metabolic syndrome
• Gastric inflammation in morbid obesity
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) as a part of the Metabolic Syndrome
• IFN/RBV-induced gene expression profiles are related to depression symptoms in HCV patients
• Mitochondrial DNA quantification as biomarker of brown adipose tissue
• Th1/Th2 cytokine imbalance in NAFDL-associated depression
• The role of Vitamin D in NAFLD pathogenesis
• The role of MMP9 in HCV related liver disease

BIOTECHNOLOGY

• DNA baskets for the targeted delivery of siRNA
• Detection of the pathogenic copy number variations by combination of pulse-filed electrophoresis and PCR
• PCR of ultra-short fragments to detect variations in DNA

BIOINFORMATICS

• Tumors as attractor states. Use of the global signatures of tumor expression as diagnostic tools.
• Knowledge-based algorithms (KBAs) of GE data analysis in complex disease
• Identification of the pathogenetic pathways by analysis of the GE variation in diseased and control populations
• De novo prediction of the functional elements in the genomic sequences
• Antisense transription in the eukaryotic genomes
• Machine Learning Approach to derive diagnostic rules from aggregated HIPAA-compliant data

VARIOUS THEORETICAL SPECULATIONS:

• Possible interplay of TZD use with breast carcinoma
• Non-invasive markers for hepatic fibrosis.
• Systematic review: the epidemiology and natural history of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in adults.