Division of Morphology - (Research Activities)
LABORATORY OF ANATOMY(J. Tsiaoussis) Postdoctoral fellows=1, PhD candidates=2, EDIP=1, ETEP=1 The main focus of the Laboratory’s research activity in the last years is the translational research regarding colorectal cancer. In particular, the ongoing research programs and protocols target the detection and the study of possible biomarkers such as the telomerase activity, the micronuclei frequency, the length of telomeres, and the intestinal microbiota in various patient categories with colorectal cancer. In parallel, the possible association of the observed alterations with the response to treatment (comparison with existing, well-established in clinical practice, prognostic biomarkers in addition to the imaging study of the treatment response which is part of the “routine” follow-up of these patients). Specifically, regarding the intestinal microbiota, its association with the oral and oropharyngeal microbiota is investigated along with its alterations before and after the application of various diagnostic and invasive interventions on the colon and the rectum. - Website: http://anatomy.med.uoc.gr/ |
LABORATORY OF FORENSIC SCIENCE(E. Kranioti) Application of Postmortem Imaging in forensic investigation of death and positive identification. Study of violent deaths in relation to socioeconomic changes of the last decades in Crete. Development of methods for the reconstruction of biological profile (sex, age, stature, origin) from the examination of the skeleton based on morphological, histomorphometric and physicochemical variables. Experimental investigation of trauma mechanisms (blunt force, ballistic) with the application of a load in synthetic surrogates of human anatomical regions (e.g. head). Reconstruction of homicide cases of historical/archaeological interest. - Website: http://histology.med.uoc.gr/ |
LABORATORY OF HISTOLOGY & EMBRYOLOGY(D. Nikitovits-Tzanakaki) Postgraduate students=5, Technicians=1, Postdoctoral investigators=2, EEDIP=1 Study of the roles that the Small Leucine Rich Proteoglycans of the extracellular matrix have in biology. The effects of Decorin on the EGFR-related signaling pathways in human osteosarcoma cells. The actions of Lumican on cell proliferation, migration and chemotaxis of melanoma, osteosarcoma and colon cancer cells. The pericellular matrix of cancer cells. The analysis of the hyaluronan and versican synthesis pathways in fibrosarcoma cells. The regulation of the hyaluronan and versican synthesis by TGFb, FGF and PDGF-BB growth factors. The importance of glycosaminoglycans in cancer. The roles of chondroitin sulfate A on fibrosarcoma cell proliferation, migration and chemotaxis. The effects of chondroitin sulfate A on PDGF signaling pathways in cells of fibroblastic origin. The roles of heparin on colon cancer cells. Membrane proteoglycans. The specific effects of syndecan 1 subdomains on cell proliferation, adhesion and migration. |
PATHOLOGY LABORATORY(E. Stathopoulos, M. Tzardi, A. Kalogeraki) Postdoctoral researchers (1) and Postdoctoral students (7): 8 Scientific interests and Research: Sentinel Lymph Node and Micrometastases in Breast Cancer (prognosis and prediction). Comparative study of mutations, amplification and expression of EGFR and HER-2 in breast and other carcinomas. Molecular Markers in prognosis and prediction of Breast Cancer and molecules-targets of hormonal and targeted therapies [ER (a/b), PR(A/B), HER-2, signal transduction molecules]. Triple negative carcinomas of breast (immunophenotypic and molecular studies). Breast Cancer angiogenesis and molecules involved. Growth factor receptors (EGFR, VEGFR) and mutations of K-Ras in Colorectal Carcinomas (prognosis, prediction and targeting therapy). K-Ras and MET mutations, and ERCC1 expression in Gastric Carcinomas–Research for targets of targeting therapy. Expression of molecules Cyclin-D1, Cyclin E, Cyclin A in correlation with their inhibitors p21, p27 and p16 in colorectal Carcinomas (prognosis and prediction). Cell proliferation and apoptosis of tumor cells in peritoneal effusions. Molecules involved in tumor progression and metastasis (immunophenotypic and molecular studies). Molecular Pathology Techniques, Methods and Tools of research: Immunohistology/Immunocytology and Histochemistry. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). Real Time PCR, RT-PCR. In situ Hybridization. Tumor banks (frozen tissues, cDNA) |
LABORATORY OF TOXICOLOGY(A. Tsatsakis) Ph.D. Candidates =5, Technicians=2, Postdoctoral fellows=3 Among the research interests of the lab, the following fields are included: Assessment of population chronic past or recent exposure to pesticides and environmental pollutants using segmental hair analysis. Correlations between exposure and health complaints, especially those concerning pregnant women, and embryos, as well as those of population suffering from neurological disorders. Assessment of exposure to drugs of abuse, based on laboratory findings from analyses of biological samples like urine, blood and hair, using chromatography-mass spectrometry. Extraction and identification of several xenobiotics and their metabolites from biological samples. Polymorphism studies of PON and CYP genes in population groups with occupational exposure to pesticides. Basic equipment: LC-MS and GC-MS/MS (Shimadzu, Thermo-Finnigan). |
