Immunochemistry as a tool of fundamental and applied investigations

Group leader: Professor Alexey Katrukha

Leading Scientist, Doctor of Science

Group leader - professor,
Alexey G. Katrukha

For more than 25 years, the laboratory of immunochemistry has studied the biochemical and clinical properties of protein markers of different human pathological states. Our main efforts are devoted to the research of proteins associated with cardiac diseases such as myocardial infarction, unstable angina and cardiac failure. In the last few years, our research was focused on such proteins as cardiac troponins I and T, FABP, PAPP-A, BNP, IGFBP-4, D-dimer, and other widely used markers. Based on the rigorous study of protein biochemical properties, new ways of protein quantitative determination in patient's blood are established in the laboratory. We widely use different immunochemical methods (affinity chromatography, ELISA, immunohisto- and immunocytochemistry, Western blotting, ECL and others) based on the utilization both monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. Being one of the most high-sensitive and specific instruments of the modern biochemistry, antibodies enable the investigation of macromolecules presented in different human tissues in very low (nano- of even picomolar) concentrations.

Besides immunochemical methods, many modern biochemical techniques such as High Pressure Liquid Chromatography, Surface Plasmon Resonance, Mass Spectrometry and others are utilized in the laboratory. Different genetic engineering and cell culture techniques are also widely used.

Currently, one of the most interesting lines of development is obtaining of recombinant antibodies (full-sized antibodies as well as antibody fragments) in prokaryotic and eukaryotic expression systems. The other direction of research is the increase of antibody affinity by the modification of the amino acid sequence of a given antibody. We also work on the development of the artificial bi- and tri-specific antibodies.

Key publications:

Processing of pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide: Furin and Corin as candidate convertases, Clinical Biochemistry 2010, V. 56, N 7, 1166-76, Semenov A.G., Tamm N.N., Seferian K.R., Postnikov A.B., Karpova N.S., Serebryanaya D.V., Koshkina E.V., Krasnoselsky M.I., Katrukha A.G.
Biochemistry of the human B-type natriuretic peptide precursor and molecular aspects of its processing Clinica Chimica Acta, 2011, V. 412, pp. 850-860, Semenov A.G., Seferian K.R.
N-terminal and C-terminal fragments of IGFBP-4 as new markers for short-term risk assessment of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients presenting with ischemia, Clinical Chemistry, 2011, Vol. 57, No. 10, Supplement, Solovyeva T.I., Postnikov A.B., Kharitonov A.V., Tryshina Y.A., Malanichev R.V., Arutyunov A.G., Murakami M.M., Apple F.S., Bereznikova A.V., Katrukha A.G.
Application of recombinant antibody fragments for troponin I measurements Biochemistry (Mosc). 2012 Dec; 77(12):1362-7. Altshuler E.P., Vylegzhanina A.V., Katrukha I.A., Bereznikova A.V., Serebryanaya D.V.

Group members:Group leader, Professor      Alexey Katrukha
Research fellows                    Andrey Kara
                                                        Alexey Kharitonov
                                                        Karina Seferian
                                                        Daria Serebryanaya
                                                        Evgeniy Altshuler
Research assistant                 Ivan Katrukha
Post-graduate students        Eugenia Feygina
                                                        Alexey Konev
Rooms 135, 133, 131, 129
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Last updated 27.11.2013