Dr Kartsogiannis completed her doctoral studies in 1999 where her main focus was the localisation of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) in bone cells during intramembranous and endochondral bone formation. In those studies she utilised an in vivo model of intramembranous bone formation and marrow regeneration which provided the group over the years with the major advantage of studying bone formation and bone resorption using in situ methods such as immunohistology and in situ hybridisation.

Dr Kartsogiannis has extensive experience in immunohistology and in situ hybridisation techniques and has used this background to determine the temporal and spatial expression of a number of growth factors and cytokines in murine skeletal and extraskeletal tissues.

The latest focus of Dr Kartsogiannis’s post-doctoral studies has been upon a family of novel osteoclast inhibitors (OCILs) where she was involved in protein expression of OCIL and generating OCIL knockout mice for analysis.

Dr Kartsogiannis joined Prince Henry’s Institute (now Hudson Institute of Medical Research) in 2008.

Research Interests:

Dr Kartsogiannis’s current studies are aimed at identifying novel anabolic factors (factors that build new bone) of parathyroid hormone (PTH) or mechanisms that stimulate bone formation which could be exploited therapeutically towards prevention and treatment of osteoporosis or other conditions that affect the skeleton (such as inflammatory bone loss, cancer-induced bone loss and orthopaedic failure).

Osteoporosis and such other conditions are an enormous health cost burden in Australia. Whilst there are several anti-osteolytic therapies available, the same is not true for therapies that build new bone. The only such therapy available is daily injectable PTH, which stimulates bone formation through several poorly understood mechanisms.

To identify novel anabolic factors or mechanisms that may be exploited therapeutically, the group has taken two approaches: to study factors induced by PTH or members of the IL-6/gp130-mediated super-family – principally oncostatin M due to its profound action in bone.

In recent studies the group has used gene array analyses to identify mRNAs that were responsive to PTH in the murine otseoblastic cell line Kusa 4b10 following 1 hour of treatment with PTH(1-34), this was to maximise the potential recognition of transcription factors that would be crucial in mediating PTH action.

Several gp130 signalling cytokines were identified as well as four transcription factors or members. Dr Kartsogiannis will be extending her studies around one of these transcription factors identified.

Dr Kartsogiannis’ expertise is in histological (paraffin), immunohistochemical and in situ hybridisation techniques on murine bone samples and soft tissues. In vitro cell culture models of osteoblast differentiation and maturation including mineralisation and adipogenesis assays.  RNA isolation and mRNA analysis (PCR/ RT-PCR). Recombinant protein expression/purification in mammalian and bacterial cell systems, Western Blot techniques.

Selected publications

• Kartsogiannis V, Sims NA, Quinn JMW, Ly C, Cipetić M, Poulton IJ, Walker EC, Saleh H, McGregor NE, Wallace ME, Smyth MJ, Martin TJ, Zhou H, Ng KW, Gillespie MT (2008). Osteoclast inhibitory lectin, an immune cell product that is required for normal bone physiology in vivo. J Biol Chem 283(45): 30850-30860.

• Kartsogiannis V and Ng KW (2004). Cell lines and primary cell cultures in the study of bone cell biology. In, Mol Cell Endo 228: 79-102.

• Zhou H, Kartsogiannis V, Hu YS, Elliott J, Quinn JMW, McKinstry WJ, Gillespie MT, Ng KW (2001).  A novel osteoblast-derived C-type lectin that inhibits osteoclast formation.  J Biol Chem 276(18): 14916-14923.

• Kartsogiannis V, Zhou, Horwood NJ, Thomas RJ, Hards DK, Quinn JMW, Niforas P, Ng KW, Martin TJ, Gillespie MT (1999). Localization of RANKL (receptor activator of NFkB ligand) mRNA and protein in skeletal and extraskeletal tissues.  Bone25(5): 525-534.

• Horwood NJ, Kartsogiannis V, Quinn JMW, Romas E, Martin TJ, Gillespie MT (1999). Activated T lymphocytes support osteoclast formation in vitro.  Biochem Biophys Res Comm265(1): 144-150.

• Kartsogiannis V, Udagawa N, Ng KW, Martin TJ, Moseley J, Zhou H (1998). Localization of parathyroid hormone-related protein in osteoclasts by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry.  Bone22(3): 189-194.

• Kartsogiannis V, Moseley J, McKelvie B, Chou ST, Hards DK, Ng KW, Martin TJ, Zhou H (1997). Temporal expression of PTHrP during endochondral bone formation in mouse and intramembranous bone formation in an in vivo rabbit model. Bone21(5): 385-392.