Mission

The mission of the Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Bacteriology is to expand and strengthen knowledge and understanding of the nature of human cancer associated to infectious agents to improve and develop new strategies for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of this type of cancer.

Activities

• Basic research in molecular pathogenesis of human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Epidemiological research of HPV at different anatomical sites
• Epigenetic analysis of HPV associated diseases
• Research on E6 and E7 oncogene role in HPV associated disease development
• Department unit for molecular analysis of viral and bacterial infections in humans
• Department facility for DNA and RNA isolation from different samples using an automatic system EZ1 (Qiagen)
• The laboratory maintains Croatian bank of nucleic acids (DNA/RNA) isolated from HPV associated cancer and precursors lesions
• The laboratory maintains cell and bacterial cultures for growth and/or expression of HPV genes

Publications in the last 5 years

• Đukić A, Lulić L, Thomas M, Skelin J, Bennett Saidu NE, Grce M, et al. HPV Oncoproteins and the Ubiquitin Proteasome System: A Signature of
• Malignancy? Pathogens. 2020 Feb;9(2):133. Q2 Microbiology
• Marušić A, Kuhtić I, Mažuranić I, Janković, M, Glodić G, Sabol I, Stanić L. Nodular distribution pattern on chest computedtomography (CT) in patients diagnosed with nontuberculousmycobacteria (NTM) infections. Wiener klinische Wochenschrift. 2020; 133. Q3 Medicine, general and internal
• Ljubas Kelecic D, Lelas A, Karas I,..., Sabol I, et al. Sarcopenia among patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and the impact of chronic graft-versus-host disease. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-020-03280-0. Q2 Oncology
• Šutić M, Motzek A, Bubanović G, Linke M, Sabol I, Vugrek O, et al. Promoter methylation status of ASC/TMS1/PYCARD is associated with decreased overall survival and TNM status in patients with early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Translational Lung Cancer Research. 2019; 8(6):1000-15 doi:10.21037/tlcr.2019.12.08 Q1 Oncology
• Milutin Gašperov N, Sabol I, Božinović K, Mravak-Stipetić M, Dediol E, Licastro D, Dal Monego S, Grce M. DNA methylome in head and neck cancer and potentially malignant oral lesions. Epigenomics 2019 (submitted for revision)
• Bennett Saidu NE, Filić V, Thomas M, Sarabia-Vega V, Ðukić A, Miljković F, Banks L, Tomaić V.  PDZ Domain-Containing Protein NHERF-2 is a Novel Target of Human Papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) and HPV-18.  J Virol. 2019 Oct 9. pii: JVI.00663-19. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00663-19.
• Bennett Saidu NE, Kavian N, Leroy K, Jacob C, Nicco C, Batteux F, Alexandre J. Dimethyl fumarate, a two-edged drug: Current status and future directions. Med Res Rev. 2019 Sep;39(5):1923-1952. doi: 10.1002/med.21567.
• Božinović K, Sabol I, Jakovčević A, Rakušić Z, Šekerija M, Lukinović J, Prgomet D, Grce M. Not all HPV-positive HNSCC confer Better Outcome: Retrospective Analysis of Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients. Plos One 2019 Feb 1;14(2):e0211577. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211577.
• Božinović K, Sabol I, Dediol E, Milutin Gašperov N, Manojlović S, Vojtechova Z, Tachezy R, Grce M. Genome-wide miRNA profiling reinforces the importance of miR-9 in human papillomavirus associated oral and oropharyngeal head and neck cancer. Sci Rep. 2019 Feb 19;9(1):2306. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-38797-z.
• Brzak BL, Cigić L, Baričević M, Sabol I, Mravak-Stipetić M, Risović D. Different Protocols of Photobiomodulation Therapy of Hyposalivation. Photomed Laser Surg. 2018 Feb;36(2):78-82. doi: 10.1089/pho.2017.4325.
• Lončar-Brzak B, Klobučar M, Veliki-Dalić I, Sabol I, Kraljević Pavelić S, Krušlin B, Mravak-Stipetić M. Expression of small leucine-rich extracellular matrix proteoglycans biglycan and lumican reveals oral lichen planus malignant potential. Clin Oral Investig. 2018 Mar;22(2):1071-1082. doi: 10.1007/s00784-017-2190-3.
• Sabol I, Milutin Gašperov N, Matovina M, Božinović K, Grubišić G, Fistonić I, Belci D, Alemany L, Džebro S, Dominis M, Šekerija M, Tous S, de Sanjosé S, Grce M. Cervical HPV type-specific pre-vaccination prevalence and age distribution in Croatia. PLoS One. 2017 Jul 10;12(7):e0180480. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180480. eCollection 2017.
• Szalmás A, Tomaić V, Basukala O, Massimi P, Mittal S, Kónya J, Banks L. The PTPN14 Tumor Suppressor Is a Degradation Target of Human Papillomavirus E7. J Virol. 2017 Mar 13;91(7). pii: e00057-17. doi: 10.1128/JVI.00057-17.
• Zine El Abidine A, Tomaić V, Bel Haj Rhouma R, Massimi P, Guizani I, Boubaker S, Ennaifer E, Banks L. A naturally occurring variant of HPV-16 E7 exerts increased transforming activity through acquisition of an additional phospho-acceptor site. Virology. 2017 Jan;500:218-225. doi:10.1016/j.virol.2016.10.023.
• Kranjec C, Tomaić V, Massimi P, Nicolaides L, Doorbar J, Banks L. The high-risk HPV E6 target scribble (hScrib) is required for HPV E6 expression in cervical tumour-derived cell lines. Papillomavirus Res. 2016 Dec;2:70-77. doi: 10.1016/j.pvr.2016.04.001.
• Tomaić V. Functional Roles of E6 and E7 Oncoproteins in HPV-Induced Malignancies at Diverse Anatomical Sites. Cancers (Basel). 2016 Oct 19;8(10). pii: E95. Review.
• Ganti K, Massimi P, Manzo-Merino J, Tomaić V, Pim D, Playford MP, Lizano M, Roberts S, Kranjec C, Doorbar J, Banks L. Interaction of the Human Papillomavirus E6 Oncoprotein with Sorting Nexin 27 Modulates Endocytic Cargo Transport Pathways. PLoS Pathog. 2016 Sep 20;12(9):e1005854. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1005854.
• Petrušić N, Posavac M, Sabol I, Mravak-Stipetić M. The Effect of Tobacco Smoking on Salivation. Acta Stomatol Croat. 2015 Dec;49(4):309-15. doi: 10.15644/asc49/4/6. Gašpar M, Glavina A, Grubišić K, Sabol I, Bušić M, Mravak M; Stipetić. The Oral Cavity State in Renal Transplant Recipients. Acta Stomatol Croat. 2015 Sep;49(3):204-13. doi: 10.15644/asc49/3/2.
• Sabol I, Smahelova J, Klozar J, Mravak-Stipetic M, Gheit T, Tommasino M, Grce M, Tachezy R. Beta-HPV types in patients with head and neck pathology and in healthy subjects. J Clin Virol. 2016Sep;82:159-65. doi: 10.1016/j.jcv.2016.07.019. Epub 2016 Jul 28
• Vojtechova Z, Sabol I, Salakova M, Smahelova J, Zavadil J, Turek L, Grega M, Klozar J, Prochazka B, Tachezy R. Comparison of the miRNA profiles in HPV-positive and HPV-negative tonsillar tumors and a model system of human keratinocyte clones. BMC Cancer. 2016 Jul 4;16:382. doi: 10.1186/s12885-016-2430-y.
• Čeović R, Desnica L, Pulanić D, Serventi Seiwerth R, Ilić I, Grce M, Mravak Stipetić M, Klepac Pulanić T, Bilić E, Bilić E, Milošević M, Vrhovac R, Nemet D, Pavletic SZ. High frequency of cutaneous manifestations including vitiligo and alopecia areata in a prospective cohort of patients with chronic graft-vs-host disease. Croat Med J. 2016 Jun 30;57(3):229-38.
• Jankovic M, Sabol I, Zmak L, Jankovic VK, Jakopovic M, Obrovac M, Ticac B, Bulat LK, Grle SP, Marekovic I, Samarzija M, van Ingen J. Microbiological criteria in non-tuberculous mycobacteria pulmonary disease: a tool for diagnosis and epidemiology. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2016 Jul;20(7):934-40. doi: 10.5588/ijtld.15.0633.
• Dediol E, Sabol I, Virag M, Grce M, Muller D, Manojlović S. HPV prevalence and p16INKa overexpression in non smoking non drinking oral cavity cancer patients. Oral Dis. 2016 Mar 19. doi:10.1111/odi.12476.
• Vojtechova Z, Sabol I, Salakova M, Turek L, Grega M, Smahelova J, Vencalek O, Lukesova E, Klozar J,Tachezy R. Analysis of the integration of human papillomaviruses in head and neck tumours in relation to patients' prognosis. Int J Cancer. 2016 Jan 15;138(2):386-95. doi: 10.1002/ijc.29712. Epub 2015 Aug 13.
• Milutin Gašperov N, Sabol I, Planinić P, Grubišić G, Fistonić I, Ćorušić A, Grce M. Methylated Host Cell Gene Promoters and Human Papillomavirus Type 16 and 18 Predicting Cervical Lesions and Cancer. PLoS One. 2015 Jun 9;10(6):e0129452. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129452. eCollection 2015.
• Zmak L, Obrovac M, Jankovic Makek M, Sabol I, Katalinic-Jankovic V. Isolation of non-tuberculous mycobacteria among tuberculosis patients during a 5-year period in Croatia. Infect Dis (Lond). 2015 Apr;47(4):275-6. doi:10.3109/00365548.2014.987164. Epub 2015 Feb 17.