Hellenic Pasteur Institute,
Molecular Parasitology Lab,
Microbiology Dpt,
Athens , 11521
Greece
Mobile Phone: +306944695875
The main research activities of the HPI Molecular Parasitology laboratory are focused on the study of protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus, and the following three axes:
- Determination of pathogen factors playing a key role in parasite cell cycle, infectivity and/ or pathogenicity
- Identification and study of putative drug targets and the determination of new molecules with antiparasitic activity.
- Development of molecular methods for the diagnosis and typing of Leishmania species for usage in epidemiological studies as well as population genetic analysis of strains isolated in South-Eastern Europe.
- Smirlis D , Soares MB. Selection of molecular targets for drug development against trypanosomatids.Subcell Biochem(Springer). 2014;74:43-76. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-7305-9_2. (Book chapter)
- Gouzelou E, Haralambous C, Antoniou M, Christodoulou V, Martinković F,Živičnjak T, Smirlis D, Pratlong F, Dedet JP, Özbel Y, Toz SÖ, Presber W, Schönian G, Soteriadou K. Genetic diversity and structure in Leishmania infantum populations from southeastern Europe revealed by microsatellite analysis. Parasit Vectors. 2013 Dec 5;6:342. doi: 10.1186/1756-3305-6-34
- Alexandratos A, Clos J, Samiotaki M, Efstathiou A, Panayotou G, Soteriadou K, Smirlis D. The loss of virulence of histone H1 overexpressing Leishmania donovani parasites is directly associated with a reduction of HSP83 rate of translation. Mol Microbiol. 2013 Jun; 88(5):1015-31. doi: 10.1111/mmi.12240. Epub 2013 May 7.
- Smirlis D , Boleti H, Gaitanou M, Soto M, Soteriadou K. Leishmania donovani Ran-GTPase interacts at the nuclear rim with linker histone H1. Biochem J. 2009 Dec 10;424(3):367-74. doi: 10.1042/BJ20090576.
- Xingi E, Smirlis D, Myrianthopoulos V, Magiatis P, Grant KM, Meijer L, Mikros E, Skaltsounis AL, Soteriadou K. 6-Br-5methylindirubin-3’oxime (5-Me-6-BIO) targeting the Leishmanial glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) short form affects cell-cycle progression and induces apoptosis-like death: exploitation of GSK-3 for treating Leishmaniasis. Int J Parasitol. 2009 Oct;39(12):1289-303. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2009.04.005. Epub 2009 May 13.