Research
Epigenetics and chromatin dynamics Lab
The main areas of interest of our laboratory are connected with HMGB1 protein, which performs multiple functions in the nucleus, the cytoplasm and outside the cell as a signalling molecule. Until now, the protein was studied in the following areas:
- DNA binding properties with an emphasis on its ability to bind DNA damaged by the antitumor drug cisplatin
- Post-syntactical modifications of HMGB1
- The role of the acidic C-terminal domain for the properties of the protein
- The expression level of HMGB1 protein and its receptor specific receptor RAGE in human tumors and tumor cell lines
Our current work is focused on functions of the extracellular HMGB1, related to its interaction with various cellular receptors. Thus, the protein activates a number of factors in cell signalling and induces different physiological and pathological changes, including cancer. Tumor progression and response to therapy depend on the balance between apoptosis and autophagy processes. Our latest research will involve tracking the role of HMGB1 as a key regulator determining cell fate under stress in models of lung cancer.
Another area of research involves the use of newly synthesized DNA dyes derived from thiazole orange in quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR). The purpose of these studies is to evaluate the dyes for use in RT-PCR and in other biological applications.
Our interest is also focused on the study of new chemotherapeutics combining several active groups in a single molecule that can modulate various regulatory pathways in the cell and thus exhibit higher efficacy than drugs targeting at only one pathway.
Our group is part of an interdisciplinary scientific research project "The Thracians - genesis and development of the ethnic group, cultural identities, civilizational interactions and heritage from antiquity". This is the first inter-academic project that brings together 27 research units of BAS and is funded by donations. We are working on theme 1 -" The gene pool of the Thracians". Recent advances in technology for DNA sequencing allowed molecular genetics to answer a number of questions that anthropologists are asking about the origin, relationships, history, structure and migration patterns of human populations. We will analyze variations in mitochondrial DNA, Y-chromosome DNA and / or autosomal DNA in ancient samples with a clear background and well-characterized archaeological context.