Current Position

Associate Scientist, Department of Molecular Genetics, Function & Therapy

The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics

Research Interests

• Development of clinical biomarkers for muscular dystrophies
• Investigation of exosomes in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1)
• Investigation of regulation of myogenesis
   

Biography

Dr Andrie Koutsoulidou received her Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Manchester UK in 2007. In 2008 she received her Master of Science (MSc) in Immunology from the King’s College London, University of London, UK. She next received her PhD degree from the University of Bristol, UK in 2012. Since 2012 Dr Koutsoulidou is a post-doctoral fellow at the department of Molecular Genetics, Function and Therapy at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics.  Her research interests mainly focus on the molecular basis of skeletal muscle and on clinical research related to muscular dystrophies. 

Selected Publications:

1. Koutsoulidou, A., Photiades, M., Kyriakides, T.C., Georgiou, K., Prokopi, M., Kapnisis, K., Łusakowska, A., Nearchou, M., Christou, Y., Papadimas, G.K., Anayiotos, A., Kyriakou, K., Kararizou, E., Zamba Papanicolaou, E., Phylactou, L.A. (2017). Identification of exosomal muscle-specific miRNAs in serum of myotonic dystrophy patients relating to muscle disease progress. Hum Mol Genet. 26, 3285-3302.
2. Koutalianos, D., Koutsoulidou, A., Mastroyiannopoulos, N.P., Furling, D., Phylactou, L.A. (2015). MyoD transcription factor induces myogenesis by inhibiting Twist-1 through miR-206. J Cell Sci. 128, 3631-3645.
3. Koutsoulidou, A., Kyriakides, T.C., Papadimas, G.K., Christou, Y., Kararizou, E., Papanicolaou, E.Z., Phylactou, L.A. (2015). Elevated Muscle-Specific miRNAs in Serum of Myotonic Dystrophy Patients Relate to Muscle Disease Progress. PLoS One. 10, e0125341. 
4. Mastroyiannopoulos, N.P., Antoniou, A.; Koutsoulidou, A., Uney, J.B., Phylactou, L.A. (2013) “Twist reverses muscle cell differentiation through transcriptional down-regulation of myogenin.” Bioscience Reports. Dec 3;33(6).
5. Koutsoulidou, A., Mastroyiannopoulos, N.P., Furling, D., Uney J.B. and Phylactou, L.A. (2011a). "Endogenous TWIST expression and differentiation are opposite during human muscle development." Muscle & Nerve 44(6): 984-986.
6. Koutsoulidou, A., Mastroyiannopoulos, N.P., Furling, D., Uney J.B. and Phylactou, L.A. (2011b). "Expression of miR-1, miR-133a, miR-133b and miR-206 increases during development of human skeletal muscle." BMC Dev Biol 11: 34.