Biomeditsiini labori põhiliseks uurimisobjektiks on inimese patogeen Helicobacter pylori (HP) ja tema roll erinevate maksahaiguste kujunemisel. Rühma uurimustöö püüab suurendada arusaamist bakterpõhjustatud vähkkasvajate tekkemehhanismidest.Teadustöö põhisuunad on:• Helicobacter pylori poolt indutseeritud invadosoomide roll maksakahjustustes. Oleme varasemalt näidanud, et HP kutsub nakatatud maksarakkudes esile invadosoomide tekke. Hetkel uurime, millised molekulaarsed mehhanismid on selle fenomeni taga, kasutades nii in vitro meetodeid kui transkriptoomi sekveneerimist.• Helicobacter pylori indutseeritud maksakahjustuste kliinilised aspektid. Kasutame oma töös HP-ga nakatatud katsehiirte maksasid ja uurime, millist mõju avaldab bakter maksale erineva ajaperioodi jooksul. Lisaks analüüsime selliste markerite ekspressioonitaseme muutust nagu YAP1 ja CD44.• Helicobacter pylori mõjutatud soolestiku mikrobioota roll maksahaiguste arengus. Kaasame uuringusse Eesti patsiendid, et kirjeldada siin ringlevaid HP tüvesid, nende mõju suu/mao/soole mikrobiootale ja maksale.• Probiootiliste piimhappebakterite mõju HP-le ja HP-indutseeritud põletikuvastusele.
Biomedicine lab investigates human pathogenHelicobacter pylori (HP) and its role in the development of liver diseases. HP is a Gram-negativebacterium living in the hostile environment ofthe human stomach. About 70% of the adultpopulation in Estonia is infected with HP. Thebacterium causes gastritis and peptic ulcers, and,in some cases, gastric cancer. HP can also affectother organs including the liver. However, themechanisms by which HP causes liver damageand promotes carcinogenesis remain largely unknown. Ongoing research is expected to increaseour understanding of the mechanisms behindbacteria-induced carcinogenesis.Main research topics include: Role of Helicobacter pylori-induced invadosomes in liver damages. We havepreviously shown that infection with HPinduces the formation of invadosomes inhepatocytes. We are currently investigating the mechanism behind this phenomenon using in vitro approach complementedwith transcriptome sequencing. Clinical aspects of Helicobacter pyloriinduced liver diseases. We are using thelivers of mice infected with HP to analyseshort- and long-term effects of the infection with focus on different markers suchas YAP1 and CD44. Alteration of gut microbiota by Helicobacter pylori leading to the progressionof liver diseases. For this study, we arecollecting samples from Estonian patients.Our goal is to characterize Estonian HPstrains, their effect on mouth/stomach/gutmicrobiota and liver. Effect of probiotic lactic acid bacteriaon HP and HP-induced inflammatoryresponse.In addition, Biomedicine laboratory is part of thecollaborative project investigating Severe AcuteRespiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) and developing molecular virological toolsto study the virus. This work is a collaborationbetween the research group of Dr. SarmientoGuerin from TalTech and the virologists fromTartu University (Prof. Merits and Assoc. Prof. Varjak).