Ioana Madalina Pitica Aldea

Stefan S. Nicolau Institute of Virology (IVN) | IVN · Molecular and Cellular Pathology

BCR::ABL1‐negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal haematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by specific driver mutations and an increased risk of both macrothrombosis and microthrombosis. Serotonin receptor type 1B (HTR1B) was found to be expressed by various solid tumours, and also primary bone marrow mononuclear cells from...

Wastewater monitoring provides essential information about water quality and the degree of contamination. Monitoring these waters helps identify and manage risks to public health, prevent the spread of disease, and protect the environment. Standardizing the appropriate and most accurate methods for the isolation and identification of viruses in was...

More than 3 years after the start of SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic, the molecular mechanisms behind the viral pathogenesis are still not completely understood. Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs), well‐known players in viral infections, can represent prime candidates for patients' risk stratification. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the lncRNA...

Introduction In the modern world a pathology with increasing frequency is that of spinal cord injury (SCI), with the risk of dysfunction on multiple levels. Following our clinical experience, we have conducted studies on the effect of hypoxic stress (also present in spinal cord injury) on neuronal cell cultures treated for a long time with ethanol...

Somatic frameshift mutations in exon 9 of calreticulin ( CALR ) gene are recognized as disease drivers in primary myelofibrosis (PMF), one of the three classical Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Type 1/type 1-like CALR mutations particularly confer a favorable prognostic and survival advantage in PMF patients. We report an...

Experimental models of a clinical, pathophysiological context are used to understand molecular mechanisms and develop novel therapies. Previous studies revealed better outcomes for spinal cord injury chronic ethanol-consuming patients. This study evaluated cellular and molecular changes in a model mimicking spinal cord injury (hypoxic stress induce...

Despite advances in cancer detection and therapy, it has been estimated that the incidence of cancers will increase, while the mortality rate will continue to remain high, a fact explained by the large number of patients diagnosed in advanced stages when therapy is often useless. Therefore, it is necessary to invest knowledge and resources in the d...

In the genomic medicine era, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 was immediately followed by viral genome sequencing and world-wide sequences sharing. Almost in real-time, based on these sequences, resources were developed and applied around the world, such as molecular diagnostic tests, informed public health decisions, and vaccines. Molecular SARS-CoV-2...

This paper aimed to develop two types of support materials with a mesoporous structure of mobile crystalline matter (known in the literature as MCM, namely MCM-41 and MCM-48) and to load them with gallic acid. Soft templating methodology was chosen for the preparation of the mesoporous structures—the cylindrical micelles with certain structural cha...

SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are highly efficient against severe forms of the disease, hospitalization and death. Nevertheless, insufficient protection against several circulating viral variants might suggest waning immunity and the need for an additional vaccine dose. We conducted a longitudinal study on the kinetics and persistence of immune responses in...

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) remains an aggressive malignancy with a high rate of mortality, being the third leading cause of cancer-related death. More than one million newly diagnosed cases and 782685 deaths due to GC were reported in 2018. GC is characterized by limited effective treatment options and the lack of consistent biomarkers for th...

We designed new pyrazole derivatives as inhibitors of the cell cycle kinases and developed a simple environmentally sustainable synthesis process. We synthesized the pyrazolyl thiourea derivatives using rapid ultrasound mediated methods and confirmed their structures by NMR and IR spectra. The apoptosis and necrosis inducing effects of the new comp...

The tumor suppressor TP53 gene is one of the commonest mutated genes in colorectal cancer. Beside somatic mutations, the gene harbors numerous genetic variations that may alter the protein functionality, affecting cancer risk and clinical outcome. Among genetic variations, single nucleotide polymorphisms were investigated in relation to cancer risk...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the antiviral/virucidal characteristics of two types of propolis extracts (alcoholic and aqueous) against human pathogenic DNA-viruses. In our tests three virus strains were used: HSV1 (Herpex simplex virus) (strain VR # 3), Varicella zoster (VZV) and adenovirus type 5 (ADV5). The cells used in each exper...

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae have the potential to rapid dissemination in healthcare settings, becoming a major infection control and public health concern. PCR remains the reference method for identifying these strains, but is still expensive. We evaluated the performance of four phenotypic tests for identifying OXA-48-producing (Oxa...

Enterobacteriaceaele producătoare de carbapenemază au potenţialul de a se răspândi rapid in spitale şi în instituţiile de îngrijire a persoanelor cu dizabilităţi, devenind o problemă majoră de sănătate publică şi pentru controlul infecţiilor. PCR rămâne metoda de referinţă pentru identificarea acestor tulpini, dar este încă scumpă. În acest studiu...

In this study the polyphenols profile of Capsicum annuum extracts was established by a RP-HPLC method. 11 acids derived from hydroxycinnamic acid and five flavonoids were quantified. The ellagic acid was present in high concentrations in all tested samples. The C. annuum extracts were also investigated for their antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytot...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the response of HeLa cells to the interaction with inactivated Staphylococcus aureus cells and live challenge with herpes simplex virus (HSV).The results of this study are indicating that the interaction between the HeLa cells and S. aureus inactivated whole cells could modulate the host cell apoptosis a...

We designed and synthesized new pyrazole thiourea chimeric derivatives and confirmed their structures by NMR and IR spectra. Apoptotic effects were studied in human cancer cells. The N-[(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)carbonyl]-N'-(3-bromophenyl)-thiourea compound (4b) exhibited the highest apoptosis-inducing effect. Compound 4b and the thiazole derivati...

Hox genes are critical regulators of embryonic development,being involved in formation of the skeleton and limbs, craniofacial morphogenesis, and in development of the central nervous system, gastrointestinal and urogenital tracts. Furthermore, in adults, Hox genes play an important role in cell renewal and tissue regeneration processes such as hem...

Thrombotic events are highly prevalent in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Antiphospholipid antibodies play an essential role in promoting thrombosis by activating several intracellular signaling pathways (TLR4, p38MAPK, NFkB) in platelets, monocytes and endothelial cells. New therapeutic opportunities might be offered by addressing these molecu...

The aim of this study was to investigate the virucid and cytotoxic activity of two hydroalcoholic extracts from French tamarisk (Tamarix gallica) and Milk thistle (Silybum marianum), plants that have been used for their therapeutic effects from ancient times. Each of these extracts was extensively studied for their hepatoprotective and stimulant ef...

The purpose of this study was to investigate how a viral infection affecting the epithelial cells could be influenced by the presence of the opportunistic Staphylococcus aureus soluble mediators. The viral antigens presence, apoptosis and cytokine profiles of HeLa cells infected with HSV-1 and pre-/postreated with different bacterial soluble fracti...

Active suppression by Regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg) might be important in controlling immune responses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Our aim was to evaluate the local cellular immune response to Mtb, by evaluation of Treg cells in pleural fluid (PF) compared to peripheral blood (PB) from patients with active Mtb infection and healthy...

In Romania, the most optimistic statistics give a 5 years survival rate in approximately 33% of laryngo-pharyngeal cancer patients. Considering that a cell carrying the viral DNA is originating from primary tumor, we have tested whether HPV DNA could be detected in the blood cell of patients with laryngeal cancer as a marker of disease progression...