The department of Cancer Genetics, Therapeutics & Ultrastructural Pathology provides a spectrum of diagnostic services based on two main disciplines: The first one is based on histopathology and involves the examination of biopsies with the use of a transmission electron microscope (only one available in Cyprus). This service provides  ultrastructural  information essential for the accurate diagnosis of neuromuscular, kidney diseases as well as ciliary disorders. 

The second discipline is based on the application of molecular genetics in cancer which covers the areas of diagnosing predisposition to familial cancer (in individuals with multiple cases of cancer in the family including breast, ovarian and colorectal) in addition to the area of pharmaco-genetics which detects the presence of mutated genes in various cancers. 

On the research front, the agenda of the department involves research activities in the areas of cancer genetics/epigenetics, cancer therapeutics, nutrition and cancer, among others. Specifically, the department conducts multidisciplinary research in several areas of academic and industrial interests, including:

• Synthesis and evaluation of new targeted drug compounds as novel clinical cancer therapeutics.
• The impact of nutri-epigenomic approaches in adjuvant therapeutic strategies for reducing the toxicity profile of clinical drugs against solid tumors.
• Drug repurposing as a means of identifying novel drug compounds with enhanced antitumor-targeted properties. 
• Evaluation of health-promoting properties (e.g., anti-cancer, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, etc.,) of novel, sustainable, eco-friendly biomolecules for their development in commercial formulations/applications.
• Assessment of novel engineered materials towards development of implants, biological probes, drug delivery platforms, etc., by evaluating their overall biocompatibility and functionality profiles.
• Study of the abnormal tumour patho-physiology, the barriers that these abnormalities pose to the effectiveness of cancer therapies and the development of new therapeutic strategies to overcome these barriers and enhance the efficacy of therapies for cancer.

 
Furthermore, the department directs the Institute’s core multi-omics facility by contributing expertise and technical competence into various ongoing research and clinical projects in need to utilize analytical instrumentation for performing routinely qualification and/or quantification experiments of known analytes. 

Finally, the department directs the Institute’s Biobank group by providing service into various ongoing research and clinical projects in the context of collecting, processing, storing and archiving of biological samples from patients with various diseases.

Contact Person: Dr. Sotiris Kyriakou ([email protected])

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