Other the last decade, I have focused my studies to the oncogenic research of pancreatic cancer, colangiocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, and I have been involved in clinical correlative studies. I was part of a team of researchers from the National Cancer Center Singapore, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, Fundeni Clinical Institute and Koen Kaen University, who made a significant breakthrough in deciphering the molecular basis of bile duct or colangiocarcinoma (Nat. Genetics (2013) 45 (12): 1474-8, 1470-3).I was a team member of the project entitled “Gene Expression Profile and Biomarkers Study correlated with Clinic and pathological parameters in Pancreatic Cancer” (acronym: CEEX 56). This is one of the largest available PDAC dataset (GSE1547). The results of this study were published within the article entitled, “Combined Gene Expression Analysis of Whole-Tissue and Microdissected Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma identify Genes Specifically Overexpressed in Tumor Epithelia” in 2008 in Hepatogastroenterology Journal. Recent findings have revealed that PDAC is a disease that can be divided into molecular subtypes. Dataset from our studies on PDAC tumor samples were included in a combined analysis of transcriptional profiles conducted by Collisson et al and published in Nat Med in 2011, which led to the definition of three subtypes of pancreatic cancer: classical, quasi-mesenchymal and exocrine-like. Moreover, as a team of researchers involved in the project “The role of S100A4 and MAP4K4 in the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma” (acronym: S100MAP) I have contributed to the patent (filed with OSIM NO A / 00927) “The precise methods to establish a personalized chemogram for pancreatic cancer treatment”. The invention will allow to establish a 3-D co-culture system using the PDAC cell co-cultured with stromal cells (PSC) in polymeric systems that mimic the extracellular matrix, which is part of PDAC microenvironment. One of the major projects of our team in which I am involved as a scientific coordinator is the CEMT, “Center of Excellence in Translational Medicine” Fundeni Clinical Institute; financing: by POS CCE. CEMT goals are to perform translational research with clinical application in patients with hepato-bilio-pancreatic diseases.
Collaboration in international research with:
– National Cancer Centre Singapore
– Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston
– Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
– Pasteur Institute – Brancusi bilateral project: Romania- France- The National Authority for Scientific Research and ACIP A24 project- Sponsor – Institut Pasteur.
– The Sheba Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Center
– Department of Molecular Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
To date, my research effort has resulted in 100+ publications (Hirsch index-16, Citation number: 1316) (http://www.researcherid.com/rid/B-8822-2017 ). Furthermore, I am the author/ co-author in 6 chapters of national books and 3 chapters of international books.
