Pashkuleva uses different supramolecular approaches and glycan biochemistry to develop disease models and therapies that target specific cell signaling cascades. During the last years major contributions have been made to:
(i) Cancer therapy via enzymatically-assisted self-assembly of glycan amphiphiles: the high efficiency is due to the synergism between physical and biochemical deprivation of cancer metabolism via formation of a sequestering supramolecular nanonet at the cell surface through localized (biocatalytic) self-assembly and via deprivation of the glucose uptake through competitive binding in the glucose binding pocket of the glucose transporter GLUT1.
(ii) Elucidation the role of the hyaluronan receptor RHAMM in tumorigenesis and therapy responsiveness: hyaluronan gradients and immunochemistry-assisted FRET method have been developed and used to demonstrate that RHAMM can compensate CD44 in aggressive cancers.
(iii) Establishment of synthetic mimics of extracellular matrix (ECM): self-assembly of glycan amphiphiles of different complexity (comprising mono- but also oligo- and poly- saccharides) has been explored to generate mimics of major ECM components, namely glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans.
(iv) Development of antibiotic-free bactericidal and hemocompatible coatings: microphase separation of block copolymers has been applied to generate nanopatterns that kill selectively bacteria via mechanical stress exerted by the nanostructures on the fragilized wall of the dividing bacteria ultimately resulting in a perforation. This alternative mechanism does not develop bacterial resistance.
Research Area
Materials engineering
Background
Iva Pashkuleva has MSc and PhD in Organic Chemistry from University of Sofia, Bulgaria. In 2002, she moved to University of Minho, Portugal where started research activities in the area of Biomaterials. Currently, she is a Principal Investigator working on the elucidation of glycan role in cellular communication and the possibility to explore glycans in design and synthesis of functional biomaterials. Together with her team, she is developing new analytical methods and platforms for characterization of challenging to measure glycan-protein and glycan-cell interactions; delivery systems and selective cancer therapies based on glycans; supramolecular glycomimics.
Pashkuleva uses different supramolecular approaches and glycan biochemistry to develop disease models and therapies that target specific cell signaling cascades. During the last years major contributions have been made to:
(i) Cancer therapy via enzymatically-assisted self-assembly of glycan amphiphiles: the high efficiency is due to the synergism between physical and biochemical deprivation of cancer metabolism via formation of a sequestering supramolecular nanonet at the cell surface through localized (biocatalytic) self-assembly and via deprivation of the glucose uptake through competitive binding in the glucose binding pocket of the glucose transporter GLUT1.
(ii) Elucidation the role of the hyaluronan receptor RHAMM in tumorigenesis and therapy responsiveness: hyaluronan gradients and immunochemistry-assisted FRET method have been developed and used to demonstrate that RHAMM can compensate CD44 in aggressive cancers.
(iii) Establishment of synthetic mimics of extracellular matrix (ECM): self-assembly of glycan amphiphiles of different complexity (comprising mono- but also oligo- and poly- saccharides) has been explored to generate mimics of major ECM components, namely glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans.
(iv) Development of antibiotic-free bactericidal and hemocompatible coatings: microphase separation of block copolymers has been applied to generate nanopatterns that kill selectively bacteria via mechanical stress exerted by the nanostructures on the fragilized wall of the dividing bacteria ultimately resulting in a perforation. This alternative mechanism does not develop bacterial resistance.
Iva Pashkuleva has MSc and PhD in Organic Chemistry from University of Sofia, Bulgaria. In 2002, she moved to University of Minho, Portugal where started research activities in the area of Biomaterials. Currently, she is a Principal Investigator working on the elucidation of glycan role in cellular communication and the possibility to explore glycans in design and synthesis of functional biomaterials. Together with her team, she is developing new analytical methods and platforms for characterization of challenging to measure glycan-protein and glycan-cell interactions; delivery systems and selective cancer therapies based on glycans; supramolecular glycomimics.
This website uses cookies. By using this website you consent to our use of these cookies. For more information visit our Policy Page.