MAJOR ACTIVITIES

• Studies on physiology and pathology of oxidative stress and in particular lipid peroxidation
• Molecular aspects of growth regulating activities of lipid peroxidation product 4-Hydroxynonenal (HNE)
• Experimental diagnostics and therapies of malignant diseases associated with oxidative stress
• Experimental therapies of cancer
• Cell and tissue culture models
  

RESEARCH SUMMARY

• Physiology and pathology of oxidative stress
• Oxidative stress and malignant diseases (Neven Zarkovic)
• Technological project TP-01/0098-28: development of new anelgetic, antirheumatic and antioxidative substance from pine resin (Neven Zarkovic)
• Austro-croatian scientific and technoligical cooperation program. Cellular adpatation to oxidative stress. An approach with yeast (Neven Zarkovic and Sepp Kohlwein)

CURRENT PROJECTS

• Croatian Ministry of Science & Technology - Fundamental project: Oxidative stress and malignant diseases
• Croatian Ministry of Science & Technology - Technology project: Development of new analgesic, antirheumatic and antioxidative substances from pine resin
• Croatian-Austrian Science Technology Cooperation Program – Cellular Adaptation to Oxidative Stress: The Yeast Approach
• Croatian-Austrian Science Technology Cooperation Program – Effects of the Lipid Peroxidation Product 4-Hydroxynonenal on Primary Hepatocytes
• European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) Action B35 – Lipid peroxidation Associated Disorders – LPO – Action co-ordinator (chair) 
  

• Surgical and oxidative stress in colorectal carcinoma (Pero Martinac, KB Dubrava, Zagreb)
• Infectious diseases and oxidative stress in the central nervous system (Kamelija Zarkovic, Medical University, Zagreb)
• Pathomorpholigcal labels of oxidative stress in liver regeneration (Mira Scukanec Spoljar, Medical University, Zagreb)
• Primary percutaneous coronary angioplasty and oxidative stress (Vjeran Nikolic Heitzler, Medical Faculty, Zagreb)

EQUIPMENT

• Biochemical unit includes two HPLC systems, chemiluminometer, fluorimeter, electrophoresis, immunoblotting, membrane electrophoresis (Biotrap), in situ PCR, plate readers
  
• In vitro facility includes standard equipment available for simultaneous work of 5-6 persons (sterile chambers, CO2 incubators, inverted microscopes, cell counter, separate facility for  the yeast cultures, etc.)
  
• Immunohistochemistry unit is partly shared with the other groups and mostly oriented to genuine method of immunodetection of cytokines, HNE-protein conjugates and similar oxidative stress markers - collaboration with Medical Faculty in Zagreb and foreign partners
  
• Radioactive unit is shared with the other groups and mostly oriented to 3H-TdR incorporation assays
  
• In vivo experiments are done in the Division’s facilities and affiliated research institutions - collaboration with Medical Faculty and Clinical Hospital Dubrava in Zagreb and foreign partners