The aim of research at the University of Helsinki is high quality and good international standard in all fields. In accordance with the mission of the League of European Research Universities (LERU), the University of Helsinki strives to promote the status of basic research in society. The University’s teaching and postgraduate training are based on research, which guarantees the high standard of education. Research also produces solid expertise, based on which the University’s experts promote the progress of society and the Finnish economy, both regionally and on a national level through various collaborative projects.

The association of KSHV with a human neoplasm and the large number of cellular counterparts in the KSHV genome make it of tremendous interest to determine which pathways are activated in the host cell and which of viral genes are contributing to its pathogenicity. We are using KSHV-infected endothelial and primary effusion lymphoma cells as biologically relevant model systems to study which cellular pathways are involved in KSHV-pathogenesis. To address this we are applying functional genomics approaches such as RNA interference and high-content screening. We are also analyzing the role of latent KSHV genes in the KSHV pathobiology by using proteomics techniques, retrovirus-mediated gene transfer, RNAi and by knock out viruses.

Ojala, P.M.,Yamamoto, K., Castaños-Vélez, E., Biberfeld, P., Korsmeyer, S.J., and Mäkelä, T.P. 2000: The Apoptotic v cyclin CDK6 Complex Phosphorylates and Inactivates BCL 2. – Nature Cell Biol. 2, 819-825. Kurki, S., Peltonen, K., Latonen, L., Kiviharju, T.M., Ojala, P.M., Meek, D., and Laiho, M. 2004: Nucleolar protein NPM interacts with HDM2 and protects tumor suppressor protein p53 from HDM2-mediated degradation. Cancer Cell - 5:465-75. Sarek, G., Järviluoma, A., and Ojala P.M. 2006: KSHV viral cyclin inactivates p27Kip1 through Ser-10 and Thr-187 phosphorylation in proliferating primary effusion lymphomas. - Blood, 107(2):725-32. Järviluoma, A., Child, E.S., Sarek, G., Sirimongkolkasem, P., Ojala, P.M., and Mann, D.J. 2006: Phosphorylation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21Cip1 on serine 130 is essential for viral cyclin-mediated bypass of a p21-imposed G1 arrest. Mol. Cell. Biol. – 26(6):2430-40. Järviluoma, A. and Ojala, P.M. 2006: Cell signaling pathways engaged by KSHV. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2006 Aug;1766(1):140-58. Sarek, G., Kurki, S., Enbäck, J., Iotzova. G., Haas, J., Laakkonen., Laiho, M., and Ojala. P.M.: Therapeutic potential of small-molecule inhibitor of the p53-MDM2 interaction in primary effusion lymphomas. J. Clin. Invest. – in press.