History of the group

History of the group

In the end of 1978 at the Biokinetics Department of A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, under the leadership of prof. S.D. Varfolomeev prostanoids synthesis system research was started. A research group which was headed by Alevtina Trofimovna Mevkh was created. For a long period of time the group was engaged in investigation of one of the arachidonic acid metabolism branches – prostaglandins synthesis branch. It is important that prostaglandin H synthase which is the key enzyme of prostaglandins synthesis serves as a target for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In 1985 the group work results as well as the literature data known thus far were summarized in a monograph (Varfolomeev S.D., Mevkh A.T. “Prostaglandins – molecular bioregulators”, Moscow, Lomonosov Moscow State University press, 1985). The monograph was devoted to the discussion of molecular aspects of prostaglandin-class intracellular regulators synthesis and effect as well as to the development of biochemical processes regulation kinetics theories.

In the beginning of the 1990s the group transformed into a laboratory which united several independent experimental and theoretical directions still retained today: study of the lipoxygenase arachidonic acid conversion branch and of leukotriens cellular adhesion role (Prof. Sudyina G.F.), study of cyclooxygenase enzymatic mechanism of action using kinetic and biochemical methods (Prof. Vrzheshch P.V). A.T. Mevkh’s group started studying the arachidonic acid cascade components interconnection at the level of cellular physiological response (PhD Sergeeva M.G., Prof. Mevkh A.T). The cellular level arachidonic acid cascade research was started when PhD Sergeeva M.G. joined the group along with her PhD student Grishina Z.V. Both of the newcomers had earlier been engaged in the study of opioid receptors’ ligands role in the immune system functions modulation (see publications). The prostanoid and opioid systems interconnection became the group research theme. Sergeeva M.G. gained the habilitation degree for her works in this direction in 1998. In 1997 the collaboration with Neurobiochemistry Institute of the Otto-von-Herike University (Magdeburg, Germany) headed by prof. George Reiser was started. Starting from 1999 the research of polyunsaturated fatty-acids and their metabolites role in regulation of cellular response was carried out (the intracellular calcium system and the fatty-acids phospholipases A2 release in response to proinflammatory agents stimulation, in the first place). These studies’ results were summarized in the monograph by Sergeeva M.G and Varfolomeeva (Mevkh) A.T. “Arachidonic acid cascade” (“Narodnoye Obrazovanie” Publishing house, 2006).

Starting from 2005 investigation in a new direction – lipid system biology research with a special focus on lipids involved in the human brain pathologies – is on. Using bioinformatics approach is the specific feature at this stage. 2005 was devoted to the development of methodological basis for complex analysis of polyunsaturated fatty-acids and their derivatives to create new approaches for inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases diagnostics and clinical treatment. In 2006 the main forces were focused on ESI/MS lipid detection method development (the work carried out in collaboration with N.M. Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences).