Study on molecular biology of cancer started at MCMB in 2001. Due to not yet available functional genomics approaches such as microarray technology, the idea was to multiplex a conventional analytical approach such as PCR. Gastric adenocarcinoma (GC) was the malignancy mostly studied, and overexpression of putative oncogenes as well as the presence of microsatellite variants in putative suppressor and mismatch-repair genes were investigated by the designed automated multiplex fluorescent PCR analytical assay. Furthermore, mutation analysis was carried out on the HMLH-1 gene, and an innovative approach for functional analysis of human MLH1 gene variants in yeast S. cerevisiae was designed. Later on, the method was also used at ICGEB in Cape Town for functional analysis of DNA mismatch repair genetic variants at oesophageal cancer.
Supporting research projects:
- Interinstitutional national research program P1-0104 Functional Genomics and Biotechnology for Health (R. Komel); 1999-2004, 2004-2008 and 2009-2014.
- SLO98-02 Molecular Genetic Aspects of Malignant Growth – ICGEB Collaborative Research Project (CRP, Contract No. 98/027); R. Komel, 1998-2001.
- Molecular Genetic Aspects of Malignant Growth: Slovenian-Croatian Bilateral Project; R. Komel & S. Levanat, 1997-1998.
Clinical partners:
- University Clinical Centre Ljubljana (UKC), Gastroenterology Surgery Clinic (Prof. Stanislav Repše, M.D.)
- Institute of Oncology Ljubljana (OI), Pathology Dept. (Dr. Snježana Frković Grazio, M.D.; Matej Bračko, M.D.)
Collaborating research institute:
- National Institute of Chemistry (NIC), L-11: Laboratory for Biosynthesis and Biotransformation, Ljubljana (Prof. Radovan Komel)
Researchers involved:
| Researcher | Position |
| Radovan Komel | Head of Department / Project leader |
| Uroš Rajčević | MSc & PhD student |
| Barbara Gazvoda | MSc student |
| Petra Hudler | MSc & PhD student |
| Gordan Mijovski | MSc student from UKC |
| Matjaž Vogelsang | MSc & PhD student from NIC |
| Robert Juvan | PhD student from UKC |
| Vesna Hadžiavdić | MSc student from BiH |
Education:
| Student | Thesis | Title | Year | Supervisors |
| Nika Veber | Dipl | Polymorphism c2846A>G in MSH3 gene and risk for oesohageal cancer in a south African population. | 2012 |
Radovan Komel M. Vogelsang |
| Matjaž Vogelsang | PhD | Functional analysis of human MLH1 gene variants in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. | 2010 | Radovan Komel |
| Neja Zupanec | Dipl | Functional analysis of five different hMLH1 genetic variants in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. | 2010 |
Radovan Komel M. Vogelsang |
| Uroš Rajčević | PhD | Differential analysis of transcriptome and proteome in gastric adenocarcinoma. | 2005 | Radovan Komel |
| Petra Hudler | PhD | Subtraction library of diferentially expressed genes associated with the development of gastric cancer. | 2005 | Radovan Komel |
| Petra Stopinšek | Dipl | Screening of p53 gene variations with high resolution melting analysis in gastric adenocarcinoma. | 2005 |
Radovan Komel Janja Marc |
| Aljoša Žbogar | Dipl | Looking for mutations in p53 gene at gastric cancer with the SURVEYOR TM nuclease. | 2005 | Radovan Komel |
| Matjaž Vogelsang | Dipl | Functional analysis of the human MLH1-gene G274C mutation in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. | 2004 | Radovan Komel |
| Gordan Mijovski | MSc | Molecular genetic analysis of putative precancerous lesions at gastric cancer. | 2003 | Radovan Komel |
| Vesna Hadžiavdić | MSc | Molecular genetic identification of colon cancer at Tuzla region inhabitants. | 2002 |
Radovan Komel Izet Eminović |
| Uroš Rajčević | MSc | Investigation of oncogene expression level at gastric cancer with fluorescent labeling and simultaneous amplification of gene transcripts : master of science thesis. | 2002 | Radovan Komel |
| Barbara Gazvoda | MSc | Evaluation of microsatellite DNA for determining of genetic changes in gastric cancer. | 2002 |
Radovan Komel V. Ferlan Marolt |
| Petra Hudler | MSc | Mutation analysis at mismatch repair gene hMLH1 in Slovenian gastric cancer patients. | 2002 | Radovan Komel |
Selected publications
- Hudler P.: et al. (2011): A genomic approach to investigate expression profiles in Slovenian patients with gastric cancer. Oncol. Lett. 2(5): 1003-1014.
- Vogelsang M., Komel R. (2011): Non-truncating hMLH1 variants identified in Slovenian gastric cancer patients are not associated with Lynch syndrome : a functional analysis report. Familial Cancer 10(2): 255-263.
- Vogelsang M. et al. (2009): Assessing pathogenicity of MLH1 variants by co-expression of human MLH1 and PMS2 genes in yeast. BMC Cancer 9(382): 1-9.
- Hadžiavdić V. et al. (2008): Familial adenomatous polyposis: analysis of genetic instability of microsatellites Loci and genetic alterations of tumor suppresor genes. J. Basic Med. Sci. 8(2): 160-164.
- Rajčević U. et al. (2007): Assessment of differential expression of oncogenes in adenocarcinoma of stomach with fluorescent labeling and simultaneous amplification of gene transcripts. Radiol. & Oncol. 41(4): 174-182.
- Gazvoda B. et al. (2007): Genetic changes in Slovenian patients with gastric adenocarcinoma evaluated interms of microsatellite DNA. J. Gastroenter. & Hepatol. 19(12): 1082-1089.
- Juvan R. et al. (2007): Significance of genetic abnormalities of p53 protein in Slovenian patients with gastric carcinoma. Croat. Med. J. 48(2): 207-217.
- Pavlović-Čalić N. et al. (2007): Hereditary non polyposis colorectal cancer in a random sample of colorectal cancer patients. Med. Academ. 36(1): 10-17.
- Hudler P. et al. (2004): Mutations in the hMLH1 gene in Slovenian patients with gastric carcinoma. Clin. Genet. 65(5): 405-411.
- Rajčević U. et al. (2001): Assessment of differential expression of oncogenes in gastric adenocarcinoma by fluorescent multiplex RT-PCR assay. Pflugers Archiv: Eur. J. Physiol. 442(6, suppl. 1): R190-192.