Contact Information:
Markku Heikinheimo
M.D., Ph.D.
pediatrician, pediatric hematologist, Professor of Pediatrics
Head of the National Clinical Graduate School
Head of the Clinical Graduate School in Pediatrics and Obstetrics/Gynecology (PEGY) (co-chaired with prof. Jorma Paavonen)
Laboratory:
Biomedicum Helsinki 2U
P.O. Box 63 (Tukholmankatu 8)
00014 University of Helsinki
Finland
Office:
Children's Hospital
P.O. Box 22
00014 University of Helsinki
Finland
Tel. +358 9 471 71983
Fax +358 9 471 71947
E-mail:
firstname.surname@helsinki.fi
Visiting professor of pediatrics, Division of Pediatric
Hematology / Oncology,
Dept. of Pediatrics,
Washington University
Medical School,
St. Louis, MO, USA
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Research Interests and Background for the current studies:
The present studies focus on the following issues:
- to explore GATA factors, their cofactors, other interacting molecules, and their upstream signaling pathways in the development and function of the endocrine system . These studies will especially focus on the developing adrenal gland and ovary, and aim at deeper understanding on the regulation of GATA mediated transcription in these organs.
- to study the disrupted function of GATA factors in endocrine developmental disorders . Based on our earlier findings on the importance of GATA-4 and its cofactor FOG-2 in mammalian sex differentiation, these studies will focus on the analysis of putative mutations affecting the interaction of GATA and FOG proteins in association with developmental disorders in gonads and the reproductive tract.
- to evaluate the significance of GATA proteins in the endocrine neoplasms and endodermally derived tumors in children and adults. The studies in humans will be completed together with studies using transgenic mouse models aiming at understanding the molecular mechanisms, by which GATA factors are involved in human tumorigenesis.
- to investigate in more detail the pathogenesis and clinical features of ovarian granulosa cell tumors (GCT), we currently focus on the interactions between GATA-4 and factors regulating proliferative, apoptotic and angiogenic responses (such as VEGF, EGF, Foxl2, AMH, Wnt).
- to assess the role of GATA-4 in the pathogenesis of childhood liver tumors, and premalignant conditions as well as in the regulation of erythropoietin (EPO) gene expression.
These studies utilize established and primary cell culture models, normal and transgenic animals, human tissue samples, as well as clinical data. The long-term goal is to find diagnostic tools and targets for new therapeutic approaches. Undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral training is one of the central goals of our research group.
Main collaborators
Abroad:
- Washington Univ. in St. Louis, MO, USA: Drs. David B. Wilson and Patrick Jay
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA: Dr. Louis J. Muglia
- Universities of Bologna and Ferrara, Italy: Drs. Paola Secchiero, and Giorgio Zauli
- Imperial College, London, UK: Dr. Ilpo Huhtaniemi
- Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA: Drs. Patricia K. Donahoe and David T. MacLaughlin
- Institut Jacques Monod, Paris, France: Dr. Reiner A. Veitia.
Domestic:
- University of Helsinki: Drs. Sture Andersson, Ralf Bützow, Oskari Heikinheimo, Hannu Jalanko, Juha Klefström, Arto Leminen and Timo Otonkoski
- University of Oulu: Dr. Juha Tapanainen
- University of Turku: Drs. Ilpo Huhtaniemi, and Jorma Toppari
Page updated
May 6, 2011
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