Angiogenesis & Cancer Drug discovery group
Short Bio:
Dr. Malamati Kourti is a Lecturer of Pharmacy at the Department of Life Sciences of the European University Cyprus (2019-today), where she teaches Molecular Pharmacology, Pharmacology, Biotechnology and Toxicology. She received her B.Sc. degree in Pharmacy in 2013 from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, receiving a rewarding scholarship from the Department of studies (2009) and a scholarship for Excellence from the Greek State Scholarships Foundation (2010). She received her M.Sc. degree in Pharmacy (with Honours, 2015) specialized in “Medicinal Chemistry, Development of pharmaceutical compounds” from the same university. Malamati then joined the laboratories of Prof. A. Westwell (School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences) and Dr. J. Cai (School of Medicine) at Cardiff University, UK, to pursue a Ph.D. in cancer research, as a Life Sciences Research Network Wales fellow (Ph.D. in Medicine/Pharmacy, 2019). Her research interests mainly focus on malignant angiogenesis and the interplay between oxidative stress and cancer. She is interested in unraveling the underlying mechanisms of angiogenesis, with the aim to identify novel anti-angiogenic drug targets, especially for breast cancer. She has previously worked with a group of organometallic complexes called carbon monoxide-releasing compounds (CORMs), which are currently explored as potential anti-cancer and anti-angiogenic agents. Moreover, the use of synthetic or natural prooxidant and antioxidant compounds as novel anti-cancer strategies is of interest. Her publications cover a range of Medicinal Chemistry and Cancer Biology topics in high impact factor journals (h-index=5; citations=99; source: Scopus. h-index=5; citations=108; source: Google Scholar). She is also a member of several professional bodies, including the European Association for Cancer Research. Malamati is currently leading the “Angiogenesis and Cancer Drug Discovery” group of the BTCRC.
Research focus:
Our research group mainly focuses on malignant angiogenesis and the interplay between oxidative stress or inflammation and cancer. In this scope, one of the interests of the group is to unravel the underlying mechanisms of angiogenesis, with the aim to identify novel anti-angiogenic drug targets, especially for breast cancer. Specific mention shall be made to carbon monoxide-releasing compounds (CORMs), which are a group of organometallic complexes currently explored as potential anti-cancer and anti-angiogenic agents, and are part of our research endeavors. Moreover, the use of synthetic or natural prooxidant and antioxidant compounds as novel anti-cancer strategies is of interest, as well as the potential use of anti-inflammatory drugs against inflammatory cancer subtypes. The findings will be considered under the scope of Medicinal Chemistry, where novel compounds will be identified or derivatives of existing agents will be synthesized and explored as potential anti-cancer approaches.
Current Group Members
Constantinos Tsoumas
Dimitris Familias
Anastasia Kyprianou
Eleni Tsigki
Aristi Kyriakou
Stavrina Makri
Christiana Papasavva
Evgenia Gioldasi
Paraskevi-Maria Lioliou
Marina Kyriakou
Anna Maria Papanastasiou
Kormpos Demetris
Pavlidis Michalis
Past Group Members
Evripides Iakovou
Anna-Maria Kyriazou
Ioannis Mitsios
Thekla Theofanous
Stephanie Christodoulou
Polyxeni Vafopoulou
Grigoria-Kalliopi Marioli-Sapsakou
Research Grants
Completed
Life Sciences Research Network Wales (NRN509876, 01/10/2015 – 30/09/2018) and Cardiff University School of Medicine and School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences (internal funding)
Role: Project Coordinator
Selected Publications
- E. Iakovou, M. Kourti: Comprehensive Overview of the Complex Role of Oxidative Stress in Aging, The Contributing Environmental Stressors and Emerging Antioxidant Therapeutic Interventions. Front Aging Neurosci, 14 (2022)
- P. Vafopoulou, M. Kourti: Anti-angiogenic drugs in cancer therapeutics: a review of the latest preclinical and clinical studies of anti-angiogenic agents with anticancer potential. J Cancer Metastasis Treat. 8(18) (2022)
- T. Theofanous, M. Kourti: Abrogating Oxidative Stress as a Therapeutic Strategy against Parkinson’s Disease: A Mini Review of the Recent Advances on Natural Therapeutic Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Agents, Medicinal Chemistry 2022; 18 (2022)
- G.-K. Marioli-Sapsakou, M. Kourti: Targeting Production of Reactive Oxygen Species as an Anticancer Strategy. Anticancer Research, 41(12), 5881-5902 (2021)
- M. Kourti, J. Cai, W. Jiang, A. Westwell: Structural modifications on CORM-3 lead to enhanced antiangiogenic properties against triple-negative breast cancer. Medicinal Chemistry, 17(1), 40-59 (2021)
- M. Kourti, A. Westwell, W. Jiang, J. Cai: Repurposing old carbon monoxide-releasing molecules towards the anti-angiogenic therapy of triple-negative breast cancer. Oncotarget, 10(10), 1132-1148 (2019)
- M. Kourti, W. Jiang, J. Cai: Aspects of carbon monoxide (CO) in form of CO-releasing molecules (CORMs) used in cancer treatment: more light on the way. Oxid Med Cell Longev (2017)
- N.I. Ziedan, R. Hamdy, A. Cavaliere, M. Kourti, F. Prencipe, A. Brancale, A.T. Jones, A.D. Westwell: Virtual screening, SAR and discovery of 5-(indole-3-yl)-2-[(2-nitrophenyl)amino] [1,3,4]-oxadiazole as a novel Bcl-2 inhibitor. Chem Biol Drug Des, 90(1), 147-155 (2017)
- P. Theodosis-Nobelos, M. Kourti, A. Gavalas, E.A. Rekka: Amides of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with thiomorpholine can yield hypolipidemic agents with improved anti-inflammatory activity. Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 26(3), 910-913 (2016)
- P. Theodosis-Nobelos, M. Kourti, P. Tziona, P.N. Kourounakis, E.A. Rekka: Esters of some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with cinnamyl alcohol are potent lipoxygenase inhibitors with enhanced anti-inflammatory activity. Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 25(22), 5028-5031 (2015)
Full list of publications
Collaborators
- Dr. Eleni Moushi, Associate Professor, European University Cyprus.
- Dr. Andreas Kalogirou, Assistant Professor, European University Cyprus.
- Dr. Roberto Motterlini, Director of Research, Université Paris Est Créteil.