| Qualifications and capacity: |
The Department of Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural Biology is one of the most active
institutions in the field of the papain-like cysteine
proteases and their
endogenous inhibitors.
Research interests encompass different aspects of molecular and cellular biology, structural
biology, physiology, and biomedical applications
(cancer, inflammation, immunology).
Boris Turk (PhD) is Head of the Department and Associate Prof. of Biochemistry at University
of Ljubljana. He has expertise in
protease biochemistry and
in apoptosis, where he is involved in
studies of apoptosis resistance of
cancer cells. He is
currently involved in two EU FP6 projects
NANOSAFE2 (NMP2-CT-2005-515843) and CAMP (Chemical Genomics by Activity Monitoring of
Proteases;
LSHG-CT-2006-018830).
Olga Vasiljeva (MD, PhD) has broad experience and knowledge in the field of
proteases
and their inhibitors. She has gained expertise in transgenic tumour models during her
postdoctoral training at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Cell Research Freiburg,
Germany. She contributed to demonstrate the importance of tumour and stromal cells derived
cysteine proteases
for tumour progression and metastasis. Her scientific interests are
focused on the investigation of the role of cysteine cathepsin inhibitors in metastatic
dissemination by studying the tumour-host interactions both at primary and secondary sites.
She is a promising young scientist establising her own group.
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Most relevant publications:
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Inhibition of papain-like cysteine proteases and legumain by caspase-specific inhibitors: when reaction mechanism is more important than specificity.
Rozman Pungercar J, Kopitar-Jerala N, Bogyo M, Turk D, Vasiljeva O, Klemencic I, Vandenabeele P, Bromme D, Puizdar V, Fonovic M, Trstenjak-Prebanda M, Dolenc I, Turk V and Turk B
Cell Death Differ, 10: 881-888, 2003
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Selective disruption of lysosomes in HeLa cells triggers apoptosis mediated by cleavage of bid by multiple papain-like lysosomal cathepsins.
Cirman T, Oresic K, Droga-Mazovec G, Turk V, Reed JC, Myers RM, Salvesen GS and Turk B
J Biol Chem, 279: 3578-3587, 2004
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Tumour cell–derived and macrophage-derived cathepsin B promotes progression and lung metastasis of mammary cancer.
Vasiljeva O, Papazoglou A, Kruger A, Brodoefel H, Korovin M, Deussing J, Augustin N, Nielsen BS, Almholt K, Bogyo M, Peters C and Reinheckel T
Cancer Res, 66: 5242-5250, 2006
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Emerging roles of cysteine cathepsins in disease and their potential as drug targets.
Vasiljeva O, Reinheckel T, Peters C, Turk D, Turk V and Turk B
Curr Pharm Des, 13(3): 385-401, 2007
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