GALLY International Research

GALLY International's active research is driven by its founder Gjumrakch Aliev, M.D., Ph.D. The GALLY International management team prides itself on its active research in many areas of science. Below is a list of GALLY International's scientific interest, main scientific expertise, and present scientific focus.

Scientific Interests:

• Cell Biology and Functional Morphology of Cell and Tissues: Endothelial cells, Smooth Muscle Cells; Neurons and as well as Glial and Macrophages Cells;
• Specific characteristics changes of cell morphology in different functional states; particularly atherogenesis, vascular remodeling, hypertension, ischemia/reperfusion, tumor angiogenesis, signal transduction and mitochondria DNA deletion and/or overproliferation during cancer growth, metastases and Alzheimer's diseases;
• Regulation mechanisms of specific nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression in endothelial and smooth muscle cells and macrophages in vivo and in vitro;
• Role of NO in the pathogenesis of oxidative stress;
• Role of Caveolin and its localization in the production of NO in different diseases conditions;
• Study of therapeutic role of NO-donor and NO suppressors and ET receptor antagonists in different vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, vascular remodeling, ischemia/reperfusion and tumor angiogenesis;
• Study of the cellular and subcellular mechanisms of damage of pyramidal neurons and vascular wall cells during the development of Alzheimer's disease and the future new wave of treatment for these diseases.
• Design and Monitoring Clinical study: Stress relief and memory training in conjunction with selective natural antioxidants as an alternate method for treatment of age associated mental retardation and depression.

Main Scientific Expertise:

GALLY International's scientific expertise is in the cellular, subcellular, functional and biochemical assessment of the vascular wall and other tissues (including Central and Peripheral Nervous System) and in the following techniques:

1. In situ Hybridization and PCR.
2. Enzymatic Assays including ELISA.
3. Western Blotting.
4. Cell Transfection.
5. qRT-PCR.
6. In vivo and In vitro Pharmacology.
7. Mass Spectrometry.
8. Protein Chemistry.
9. Pre-Embedding Immunoelectron Microscopy Peroxidase-anti-Peroxidase (PAP) and Avidin-Biotin (ABC) Cytochemistry techniques.
10. Post-Embedding Immunoelelctron Microscopy Single, Double and Triple Gold Labeling techniques.
11. Light Microscopy Single and Double Immunoflurosent methods.
12. Light and EM Histochemical techniques, including NADPH-Diaphoreses Histochemical techniques in light and EM levels.
13. Single and Double labeling Laser Confocal Microscopy techniques.
14. Different modification of Light Microscopy (LM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) techniques.
15. Scanning Electron Microscopy Native Specimens techniques.
16. TEM Ruthenium Red, Horseradish Peroxidase techniques.
17. LM, SEM and TEM Autoradiographic methods.
18. SEM and TEM frozen-Fracture techniques.
19. SEM intraorgan and Intracellular Structure techniques.
20. SEM and TEM Detergent Extraction techniques.
21. LM, SEM and TEM Silver staining methods.
22. SEM plastic replica and corrosion casts preparation.
23. Light and EM Morphometric Measurements.
24. In Situ Hybridization at Light and EM levels (including non-isotopic techniques).
25. Quantification of Gold Particles and Image Analysis.
26. Small and Large laboratory Animal Surgery, including the Vascular and Nervous System Injury techniques.
27. Human tissue (biopsy and postmortem).
28. Tissue Culture Techniques.
29. Perfusion Fixation.
30. SEM and TEM plastic materials investigation including their interpretation.
31. SEM and TEM low vacuum techniques including natural and organic material investigations and interpretation.
32. Atomic Force Microscopy techniques.
33. Cryo-Electron Microscopy including three dimensional replica techniques.
34. TEM/SEM Low Vacuum and High Voltage Microscopy, X-ray Microscopy and element quantification.
35. Nanoparticles Conjugation and Drug Design.
36. Design and Monitoring Clinical study in conjunction with Bioinformatics methods.

Present Scientific Focus and Interests:

Cell Biology, Biochemistry, and Functional Morphology of Cell and Tissues: Endothelial cells, Smooth Muscle Cells; Neurons and as well as Glial and Macrophages Cells;  Specific characteristic changes of cell biochemical properties and morphology in different functional states; particularly atherogenesis, vascular remodeling, hypertension, ischemia/reperfusion, tumor angiogenesis, signal transduction and mitochondria DNA deletion and/or overproliferation during cancer growth, metastases and Alzheimer's diseases;  Regulation biochemical mechanisms of specific nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression in endothelial and smooth muscle cells and macrophages in vivo and in vitro;  At the present time, our lab is investigating the cellular and subcellular ultrastructural and molecular mechanisms of the features in the changes of mitochondria (DNA deletion, Cytochrome C Oxidase activity, redox activity (Fe), as well as protein modification and oxidation (HNE) and RNA (8HOG) oxidation during normal aging, atherosclerosis, tumor angiogenesis, stroke, human AD and transgenic mouse models of AD by using molecular biology and functional and structural methods (e.g., in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry techniques at the light and electron microscopic levels). In addition, the biochemical properties of these protein activities will also be considered for our future studies.  

One of our newer research interests focuses on investigating the interaction of nanoparticles with tissues and cells. We have recently developed ways to determine the biological effects of nanoparticles in vivo and in vitro by utilizing animal models of human diseases. Our goal is to not only elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the nanoparticles' effects, but to also discover potential new drug development strategies. For example, our ongoing "In vitro Cancer Cell Line as a Model for the Peptide based new Drug Development" study has so far showed promising results regarding the specific delivery of drugs to tumor tissues. In another of our in vivo studies, we have found that nanoparticles are able to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB), which has been the biggest impediment in delivering drugs to patients with Alzheimer's disease. We are using classical biochemistry, cell biology, and morphology techniques in conjunction with more modern methods, such as SEM/TEM SED X-ray elemental analysis and NMR studies of protein structure and dynamics, macromolecular interactions, mechanistic enzymology, and computational analyses and modeling, in order to determine the exact nature of the relationship between the nanoparticles and the underlying tissue.

Clinical Project: Design and Monitoring Clinical study: Stress relief and memory training in conjunction with selective natural antioxidants as an alternate method for treatment of age associated mental retardation and depression.

Collaborators:

Currently, we are investigating the features of the development of cerebral athero- and arteriosclerosis that result in AD during normal aging, ischemia/reperfusion, in Yeast Artificial Chromosome (YAC) and ApoE mice, aging model of dogs, chronic hypoperfusion in rats, mice, human atherosclerosis, and AD subjects in collaboration with:

• Dr. Valentin Bragin, MD &PhD. Stress Relief and Memory Training Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
• Professor Joseph C. LaManna, PhD (Department of Neurology and Anatomy, CWRU);
• Professor Jerzy Leszek, M.D, PhD. Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland;
• Professor Kazimierz Gasiorowski M.D, PhD. Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland;
• Professor P. Hemachandra Reddy, Ph.D. (Neurogenetics & Primate Research Laboratory, Neurological Sciences Institute Oregon Health Sciences University);
• Professor Resia Pretorius, PhD, (University of Pretoria, Faculty of Health Sciences, South Africa).
• Professor Jaromír Horecký Slovak Medical University, Surgical Pathophysiology and Tissue Engineering Center, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
• Doctor Stanislaw R. Burzynski, M.D., Ph.D. Burzynski Clinic, Houston, TX , USA
• Professor V. Prakash Reddy, Ph.D. Associate Professor. Department of Chemistry, Missouri University of Science and Technology. Missouri, USA.
• Professor Geoffrey Burnstock, PhD, DSc, MRCP (honorary), FRCS (honorary), FRCP (honorary) (University College London and Royal Free Hospital, University of London, London, United Kingdom);

Our future studies involve the possible accelerated effects of chronic hypoxia or other age-associated factors that probably play a key role in the mitochondrial pathobiology and therefore the development of age-associated diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, stroke and neurodegeneration. Selective mitochondrial antioxidants (Lipoic acid, L-Carnitine, etc.), cardiovascular drugs, NOS inhibitors, NO Donor and Endothelin-1 receptor antagonists and nanoparticles based cancer drugs will also be tested in different experimental models for potential clinical trials of these compounds as an alternative prophylactic and treatment strategy for neurodegeneration, cancer, cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases. Clinical Project: Principal Investigator, Dr. Aliev, for the Design and Monitoring of Clinical study: Stress relief and memory training in conjunction with selective natural antioxidants as an alternate method for treatment of age associated mental retardation and depression.