Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou, Ph.D.

Research Associate Professor of Medicine

University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Division
Abramson Research Center - Room 1016F
3615 Civic Center Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4318
tel.: (215) 573-9917
fax: (215) 573-4469
email: melpo@mail.med.upenn.edu

Education:

• BSc: State University of New York (SUNY) at Stony Brook.
• Diplom Biologie: University of Bonn, Germany
• PhD: University of Bonn, Germany
• Post-doctoral Fellowship: Albany Medical College (NY) and the University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Christofidou-Solomidou is an NIH-funded investigator and is actively involved in preclinical and clinical studies focusing on the a) investigation of novel antioxidant approaches to acute and chronic lung disease with a special interest in pulmonary inflammation and lung fibrosis; and b) Chemoprevention of lung carcinogenesis and evaluation of anticarcinogenic effects of common botanicals. Projects involve the development of oxidant-induced acute and chronic lung injury animal models for the study of diseases such as ARDS, sepsis, radiation induced pneumonitis/fibrosis, and oxygen toxicity. Specific projects focus on the development of antioxidant methodologies such as immune conjugates for the targeting of anti-oxidant enzymes such as Catalase and Superoxide Dismutase to the pulmonary endothelium using antibodies to endothelial antigens. Recent work extends to the use of dietary alternative antioxidant agents such as curcumin, flaxseed or other phenolic compounds, such ancient Chinese herbs, in ameliorating acute and chronic oxidative lung disease. Dr. Christofidou-Solomidou is involved in clinical trials at UPenn, investigating the protective role of flaxseed and olive oil.

Lung cancer has become increasingly difficult to treat with conventional therapies and few patients are candidates for surgery so chemopreventive strategies are urgently needed.  Dr. Christofidou’s lab is currently investigating the cancer chemopreventive potential of naturally occurring phytochemicals such as flaxseed and is evaluating its’ lignans as the potential active compound using murine models of chemical carcinogen-induced lung cancer such as Benzo[alpha]pyrene-induced of lung cancer to test them. Phytochemicals of these types have great potential in the fight against human cancer

Shuvaev V, Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou, Faiz Bhora, Karine Laude, Hua Cai, Sergei Dikalov, Charalambos C. Solomides, Steven Albelda, David Harrison and Vladimir R. Muzykantov: Targeted detoxification of selected reactive oxygen species in the vascular endothelium.Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, in Press, 2009.

Ding Bi-Sen, Nankang Hong, Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou, Claudia Gottstein, Steven M. Albelda, Douglas B. Cines, Aron B. Fisher & Vladimir R. Muzykantov: Anchoring fusion thrombomodulin to endothelial lumen protects injury-induced lung thrombosis and inflammation. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM),;180(3):247-56, 2009.

Lee JC, Ryan Krochak, Aaron Blouin, Evguenia Arguiri, Stathis Kanterakis, Anil Vachani, Charalambos C. Solomides, Keith A. Cengel and M. Christofidou-Solomidou: Dietary Flaxseed Prevents Radiation-Induced Oxidative Lung Damage Inflammation and Fibrosis In A Mouse Model Of Thoracic Radiation Injury. Cancer Biology & Therapy, 8(1):47-53, 2009.

Ding Bin-Sen, Nankang Hong, Juan-Carlos Murciano, Kumkum Ganguly, Claudia Gottstein, Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou, Steven M. Albelda, Aron B. Fisher, Douglas B.Cines & Vladimir R. Muzykantov: Prophylactic thrombolysis by thrombin-activated latent pro-urokinase targeted to PECAM-1 in the pulmonary vasculature..  Blood, Feb 15;111(4):1999-2006, 2008.

Lee JC, Bhora F, Chatterjee S, Solomides CC, Arguiri E, Cheng G, and M. Christofidou-Solomidou: Dietary flaxseed enhances antioxidant defenses and is protective in a mouse model of lung ischemia-reperfusion injury. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 294(2):L255-65, 2008.

M. Christofidou-Solomidou, V. Shuvaev, A. Scherpereel, E. Arguiri, S. Tliba, J. Pick, S. Kennel, S.M. Albelda and V. R.Muzykantov: Factors modulating the delivery and effect of enzymatic cargo conjugated with antibodies targeted to the pulmonary endothelium. Journal of Controlled Release, 118, p.235-244, 2007.

Machtay M, A. Scherpereel, J. Santiago, James Lee, J McDonough, P Kinniry, E Arguiri, J. Sun,  K. Cengel, C.C. Solomides and M. Christofidou-Solomidou: Systemic Polyethylene Glycol-Modified (PEGylated) -Superoxide Dismutase and -Catalase Mixture Attenuates Radiation Pulmonary Fibrosis In The C57bl/6 Mouse. Radiotherapy & Oncology, 81, p: 196-205, 2006.

Sandra Perkowski, Arnaud Scherpereel, Juan-Carlos Murciano, Evguenia Arguiri, Charalambos C. Solomides, Sandra Perkowski, Steven Albelda,  Vladimir Muzykantov and M Christofidou-Solomidou: Dissociation between alveolar transmigration of neutrophils and lung injury in hyperoxia. Am.J.Physiol. Lung Mol.Cell.Physiol, 291(5):L1050-8, 2006.

Paul Kinniry, Yassine Amrani, Anil Vachani, Charalambos C. Solomides,   Evguenia Arguiri, Alexander Workman, Jack Carter and Christofidou-Solomidou M: Dietary Flaxseed Supplementation Ameliorates Inflammation And Oxidative Tissue Damage In Experimental Models of Acute Lung Injury In Mice. Journal of Nutrition, 136 (6), p.1545-51,2006.

Christofidou-Solomidou M., and Vladimir Muzykantov: Antioxidant Approaches to lung disease (Review). Treatments in Respiratory Medicine; 5 (1): 47-78, 2006.
Gao, C., Sun,W., Christofidou-Solomidou, M, Sawada, M., Newman, DK., Albelda, SM., Matsuyama, S., and Newman, PJ.: Anoikis extended: PECAM-1 inhibits mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis.  Blood (102 (1): 169-179, 2003.

Christofidou-Solomidou, M, Kozower, BD., Sweitzer, TD., Buerk, DG., Solomides, CC., Albelda, SM., Patterson, GA., Muzykantov, VR.: Immunotargeting of catalase to the pulmonary endothelium alleviates oxidative stress and reduces acute lung transplantation injury. Nature Biotech., 21:392-398, 2003.