Professor of Biological Sciences
Immunology and
Inflammation
E-mail: vancuroi@stjohns.edu
Our research
focuses on understanding the
transcriptional regulation of pro-inflammatory and
anti-apoptotic
genes. This is important in metastatic cancer cells but also in
activated white blood cells and chronic inflammatory disorders. Our
ongoing studies focus on two principal issues: 1) What are the
mechanisms regulating expression of pro-inflammatory and
pro-angiogenic chemokines in cancer cells and activated human
leukocytes? 2) What are the mechanisms regulating transcription of
anti-inflammatory genes in human leukocytes? To answer these
questions, we use novel and standard approaches of immunology,
molecular and cell biology, and biochemistry.
In addition, we
collaborate with our colleagues from Stony Brook Medical School,
Harvard Medical School, and Feinstein Institute for Medical
Research.
This research has
been published in over 50 research articles and continuously funded
by the National Institutes of Health over the past ten years.
Funding
· National Institute of
Child and Human Development
· National Institute of
General Medical Sciences
· National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases
· National Cancer
Institute
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
Davidson D, Zaytseva A, Miskolci V, Castro-Alcaraz S,
Vancurova I, Patel H. Gene Expression Profile of
Endotoxin-stimulated Leukocytes of the Term New Born: Control of
Cytokine Gene Expression by Interleukin-10. PLoS One.
8(1): e53641, 2013.
Davidson D, Patel
H, Degoy AC, Gershkovich I, Vancurova I, Miskolci
V. Differential effect of exogenous interleukin-10 versus
glucocorticoids on gene expression and pro-inflammatory cytokine
release by polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes of the newly
born. Am J Transl Res 5(1): 103-115, 2013.
Vancurova I, Vancura A. Regulation and function of
nuclear IκBα in inflammation and cancer. Am J Clin Exp
Immunol 1(1): 56-66, 2012.
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 Biology809: 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 Biology809: 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 Research9: 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 Immunology185: 3685-3693, 2010.
Citarella BV, Miskolci V,Vancurova
I, Davidson D. Interleukin-10
versus dexamethasone: effects on polymorphonuclear leukocyte
functions of the newborn.Pediatric Research65: 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.Neonatology97:
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
Bioph475: 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.Neonatology92:
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 Commun351: 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 Res54: 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 Biophys417:
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 Virol76:
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 Immunol169: 3947-3953, 2002.
Vancurova
I, Bellani I, Davidson D.
Activation of NFκB and its suppression by dexamethasone in
polymorphonuclear leukocytes: Newborn versus
adult.Pediatr Res49:
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
Chem276: 19746-19752,
2001.
Former Students
- Sithram Ramaswami, PhD,
Postdoctoral Fellow, Columbia 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