School of Medicine

Research interest

Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Not the primary tumor, but metastasis are the major cause for this mortality. My group is currently analyzing different proteins for their involvement in the development and progression of colon cancer. Cancer development and progression involves a variety of different molecular changes leading to dedifferentiation, unlimited proliferation potential, EMT and niche formation. At the moment we are specifically looking at the proteins periostin and GCIP.

1. Periostin is an extracellular matrix protein that has been shown to be involved in cancer development as well as inflammation. There exist different isoforms that are differentially expressed in different tissues. We are using cell culture techniques as well as working with human tissue and animal models to elucidate the function of periostin in tumor progression.

2. GCIP is a maternal transcribed HLH-protein that has been shown to be mutated in a variety of different cancer types. We have created a knock-out mouse for GCIP that shows enhanced incidences of hepatocellular carcinomas. In other circumstances, however, these mice show a delay in the entry into cell cycle. Again using cell culture, human tissue as well as th knock-out mice we are trying to elucidate the exact function of GCIP in cell cycle progression and cancer development.

Additionally I have collaborations with other researchers in Kazakhstan and internationally working on other types of cancer as well as Inflammatory Bowl Disease and microbiome/virome analysis.