Professor of Biological Sciences
Immunology and
Inflammation
E-mail: vancuroi@stjohns.edu
Our research focuses on understanding the
basic molecular mechanisms regulating expression of NFkB-dependent
pro-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic genes in human leukocytes and
cancer cells, as it relates to numerous inflammatory disorders as
well as to many types of cancer and leukemia.
Our ongoing studies focus on two principal
issues:
1) What are the mechanisms regulating
nuclear translocation of the transcriptional regulator IkBa, and
could they be used to develop new strategies to regulate survival
of human leukocytes and cancer cells?
2) What are the molecular mechanisms
regulating transcription of NFkB-dependent pro-inflammatory and
anti-apoptotic genes in stimulated human leukocytes and cancer
cells?
To answer these questions, we use novel
and standard approaches of immunology, molecular and cell biology,
and biochemistry. In addition, we collaborate – on some more
clinical aspects of these projects – with our colleagues from The
Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and Schneider Children’s
Hospital at NS-LIJ.
This research has been published in over
45 research articles and funded by the National Institutes of
Health.
Funding
- National Institute of Child and
Human Development
- National Institute of General Medical
Sciences
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases
Courses Taught at St. John's
University
- Concepts and
Methods of Immunology, BIO 3460
- Immune System in
Human Disease, BIO 2290
- Principles of
Immunochemistry and Immunobiology BIO 250
Recent
Publications
Ramaswami S, Manna S, Juvekar A Kennedy S,
Vancura A, Vancurova I. Chromatin
Immunoprecipitation Analysis of NFkB Transcriptional Regulation by
Nuclear IkB in Human Macrophages. Methods in Molecular
Biology 809: 121-134, 2012.
Juvekar A, Manna S, Ramaswami S, Chang T,
Zubair A, Vancurova I. Electrophoretic Mobility
Shift Assay Analysis of NFkB Transcriptional Regulation by Nuclear
IkB. Methods in Molecular Biology 809: 49-62,
2012.
Juvekar A, Manna S, Ramaswami S, Chang TP,
Vu HY, Ghosh CC, Celiker MY, Vancurova I.
Bortezomib induces nuclear translocation of IkBa resulting in
gene-specific suppression of NFkB-dependent transcription and
induction of apoptosis in CTCL leukemia. Molecular Cancer
Research 9: 183-194, 2011.
Ghosh CC, Ramaswami S, Juvekar A, Vu HY,
Galdieri L, Davidson D, Vancurova I. Gene specific
repression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in stimulated human
macrophages by nuclear IkBa. Journal of Immunology 185:
3685-3693, 2010.
Citarella BV, Miskolci V,
Vancurova I, Davidson D. Interleukin-10 versus
dexamethasone: effects on polymorphonuclear leukocyte functions of
the newborn. Pediatric Research 65: 425-429,
2009.
Chusid LA, Pereira-Argenziano L, Miskolci
V, Vancurova I, Davidson D. Control of Cytokine
Release from Monocytes of the Newborn: Effects of Endogenous and
Exogenous Interleukin-10 versus Dexamethasone. Neonatology
97: 108-116, 2009.
Vu HY, Juvekar A, Ghosh C, Ramaswami S, Le
DH, Vancurova I. Proteasome inhibitors induce
apoptosis of prostate cancer cells by inducing nuclear
translocation of IκB. Arch Biochem Bioph 475: 156-163,
2008.
Ghosh C, Vu HY, Mujo T, Vancurova
I. Analysis of nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of NFκB
proteins in human leukocytes. Methods in Molecular Biology
457: 279-292, 2008.
Miskolci V, Rollins J, Vu HY, Ghosh CC,
Davidson D, Vancurova I. NFκB Is persistently
activated in continuously stimulated human neutrophils.
Molecular Medicine, 13: 134-142, 2007.
Davidson D, Miskolci V, Clark DC, Dolmaian
G, Vancurova I. Interleukin-10 production after
pro-inflammatory stimulation of neutrophils and monocytes of the
newborn: Comparison to exogenous interleukin-10 and dexamethasone
levels needed to inhibit chemokine release. Neonatology
92: 127-133, 2007.
Miskolci V, Ghosh C, Rollins J, Romero C,
Vu H, Robinson S, Davidson D, Vancurova I. TNFα
release from peripheral blood leukocytes depends on a CRM1-mediated
nuclear export. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 351: 354-360,
2006.
Tryzmel J, Miskolci V, Castro-Alcaraz S,
Vancurova I, Davidson D. Interleukin-10 inhibits
pro-inflammatory chemokine release by neutrophils of the newborn
without suppresion of NFκB. Pediatr Res 54: 382-386,
2003.
Miskolci V, Castro-Alcaraz S, Nguyen P,
Vancura A, Davidson D, Vancurova I. Okadaic acid
induces sustained activation of NFκB and degradation of the nuclear
IκBα in human neutrophils. Arch Biochem Biophys 417:
44-52, 2003.
Vancurova I, Rong W,
Miskolci V, Sun S. Increased p50/50 NF-κB activation in HPV
6/11-induced laryngeal papilloma tissue. J Virol 76:
1533-1536, 2002.
Castro-Alcaraz S, Miskolci V, Kalasapudi
B, Davidson D, Vancurova I. NFκB regulation in
human neutrophils by nuclear IκBα: Correlation to apoptosis. J
Immunol 169: 3947-3953, 2002.
Vancurova I, Bellani I,
Davidson D. Activation of NFκB and its suppression by dexamethasone
in polymorphonuclear leukocytes: Newborn versus adult. Pediatr
Res 49: 257-262, 2001.
Vancurova I, Miskolci V,
Davidson D. NFκB activation in TNF-stimulated neutrophils is
mediated by protein kinase C-δ: Correlation to nuclear IκBα. J
Biol Chem 276: 19746-19752, 2001.
Former
Students
- Sithram Ramaswami, PhD, Postdoctoral
Fellow, Cornell Medical School
- Steven Kennedy, PhD student, Albert
Einstein College of Medicine
- Ashish Juvekar, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow,
Harvard Medical School
- Chandra Ghosh, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow,
Harvard Medical School
- Hai-Yen Vu, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow,
University of Chicago Medical School
- Veronika Miskolci, PhD student, Albert
Einstein College of
Medicine
- Staci Robinson, MD, Columbia University,
College of Dental
Medicine
- Tomas Mujo, Medical student, New York
College of Osteopathic
Medicine
- Ofelia Tacchelly, PhD student, Dartmouth
Medical School
- Bharati Kalasapudi, MD, Brown University
Medical School