Mailing address:
University of Colorado School of Pharmacy
Mail Stop C238
12850 E. Montview Blvd. V20-2120
Aurora, CO 80045
Office Location:
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Building (V20)
Second Floor
Room 2120
Lab Location:
Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Building (V20)
Second Floor
Room 2460D
Contact:
Affiliation:
- Member, University of Colorado Cancer Center
Training and Education:
- BS, Chemistry - University of Ioannina, Greece
- PhD, Biochemical Pharmacology, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine
- Postdoctoral Fellow in Molecular Toxicology and Pharmacogenetics, University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Research Interests:
- Cellular responses to endogenous and exogenous oxidative stress. Our research is focused on cellular mechanisms against oxidative stress caused by physical agents (e.g., UV radiation), and the metabolism of both endogenous and foreign chemicals. The roles of several aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH3A1, ALDH1A1, ALDH7A1 and ALDH3B1) expressed in tissue-specific manner are currently studied using genetically engineered cell lines and transgenic knockout mouse lines.
- Genetic factors involved in the alcohol drinking preference and toxicity. Individual differences in alcohol preference are clearly genetically determined, which may translate into a genetic predisposition for alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Specific genes responsible for the increased or decreased susceptibility to alcohol abuse remain largely unknown. Our laboratory studies the role of two aldehyde dehydrogenase genes, ALDH1A1 and ALDH2, two Cytochrome P450 genes (CYP2E1 and CYP1A2), and Catalase as genetic factors associated with alcohol drinking and toxicity. Experimental approaches include transcriptional regulation and generation of transgenic mouse lines having homozygous disruptions of the above genes.
- Evolution and functional genomics of the aldehyde dehydrogenases.
- Alcohol Enzyme Database
Teaching:
- Professional Program: Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology
- Graduate Program: Pharmacogenetics, Molecular Biology
Representative Publications:
- Pappa A, Brown D, Koutalos Y, DeGregori J, White C, Vasiliou V. Human aldehyde dehydrogenase 3A1 (ALDH3A1) inhibits proliferation and promotes survival of human corneal epithelial cells. J Biol Chem 280: 27998-28006, 2005.
Vasiliou V, Ziegler T L, Bludeau P, Petersen D R, Gonzalez F J and Deitrich RA. CYP2E1 and catalase influence ethanol sensitivity in the central nervous system. Pharmacogenet Genomics 16: 51-58, 2006.
- Vasiliou V, Ross D and Nebert DW. Update of the NAD(P)H:Quinone oxidoreductase (NQO) gene family. Hum Genomics 2: 329-335, 2006.
Estey T, Piatigorsky J, Lassen N and Vasiliou V. ALDH3A1: A corneal crystallin with diverse functions. Exp Eye Res,2006.
- Vasiliou V., Nebert DW. Analysis and update of the human aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) gene family. Hum Genomics 2: 138-143, 2005.
Lassen N, Estey T, Tanguay RL, Pappa A, Reimers MJ, Vasiliou V. Molecular cloning, baculovirus expression, and tissue distribution of the zebrafish aldehyde dehydrogenase 2. Drug Metab Dispos 33: 649-656, 2005.