New technological research complexes at YSU for cellular signaling and immuno-oncology studies

According to Nikolay Avtandilyan, PhD, Head of the Basic and Pathological Biochemistry Laboratory at the YSU Faculty of Biology, these projects are of fundamental importance for the faculty. 

"Thanks to the educational and research components of these projects, a complete toolkit is being formed for two new scientific directions: the study of integrated cellular signaling networks and research in drug resistance and immuno-oncology. The processes occurring within the cell and in the intercellular environment can be compared to stellar galaxies in the universe: thousands and millions of proteins, targets, and regulatory factors exist here, ensuring cell growth, proliferation, communication, metastasis, as well as drug penetration and transport. All these proteins are interconnected like a network, and a change in one link can unpredictably affect the others," he emphasizes.

Hayarpi Javrushyan, PhD, Head of the Cellular Signal Transduction and Experimental Pathology Research Group from the Research Institute of Biology, considers these projects not merely technical upgrades but strategic scientific platforms. According to her, the application of modern methods of molecular biology and biochemistry makes it possible to study this complex system in its entirety.

"In essence, these projects can be viewed as large-scale scientific programs with clear strategic significance. They 'nurture' and develop two new scientific directions within the laboratory, fully utilizing the potential of the equipment already in place," notes Hayarpi Javrushyan.

The new complexes make it possible to fully operate the equipment acquired in 2024 as part of the implementation of a real-time cellular analyzer. This system is already operational and has been used in various grant-funded projects since January 2025.

The complexes, valued at up to 20 million AMD, will complement this equipment, allowing researchers to conduct multi-target and comprehensive studies, particularly in cancer and diabetes pathologies. Key methods of biochemistry and molecular biology will be implemented—methods without which internationally competitive scientific research is virtually impossible today.

In particular, studies will be conducted on protein expression using the Western blot method, gene expression analysis using PCR, immunocytochemistry for fluorescent visualization of intracellular proteins, and immunohistochemistry for the detection of proteins in tissues. The laboratory is convinced that the introduction of these methods will ensure stable research activity and the continuous generation of new results for at least the next three to four years.

According to Nikolay Avtandilyan, their laboratory was among the first in Armenia to begin studying insulin signaling systems in the context of cancer and diabetes. However, the new complexes make it possible to go beyond a single signaling pathway and simultaneously explore several interconnected systems that play key roles in cell growth, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, oxidative stress, and energy metabolism.

"This approach is applied by only a small number of laboratories worldwide, and we are becoming active participants in this leading direction," he states.

In the field of drug resistance and immuno-oncology, research is planned on T-killer cells, lymphocytes, and macrophages, as well as their interactions with cancer cells, bacteria, and virus-infected cells. More than 40 targets related to mechanisms of immune activation and suppression will be studied—an area that is scarcely addressed at the scientific level in Armenia.

According to Hayarpi Javrushyan, within the framework of the grant, the laboratory will, for the first time, employ CD8⁺ T killer cells, THP-1 macrophage models, and the Jurkat T cell line, which are considered "gold standard" tools in immuno-oncological research.

"The combined use of these cells will allow us to simultaneously study adaptive and innate immune responses, regulation of the tumor microenvironment, and interactions among immune cells. This places us among the few research groups capable of conducting in-depth and targeted immuno-oncological research," she emphasizes.

The new technologies are already being actively integrated into the educational process. Bachelor's, master's, and PhD students are using data obtained in the laboratory for their research work. The new complexes will enable the preparation of theses on up-to-date topics using modern methodologies that were previously impossible to include in academic curricula.

Initially, the methods require specialist training; however, in the coming years, they will be fully integrated into both educational and research processes, significantly modernizing educational programs.

From the perspective of advancing cancer research, the laboratory employs a comprehensive approach at both cellular and animal model levels, which will soon be complemented by computational modeling methods. The new complexes will enable an in-depth study of the molecular mechanisms of cancer development and treatment, the identification of sensitive targets, and the investigation of drug resistance mechanisms, including immune suppression, membrane pump activity, drug efflux, functional exhaustion of T cells, and other processes.

The laboratory already has preliminary agreements with both domestic and international research groups, particularly partners from universities in Germany and Belgium. These collaborations are mainly focused on drug delivery and drug resistance studies.

The team's main objectives are to translate ideas into scientific publications, publish in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, establish new collaborations, train young specialists, and involve PhD students and early-career researchers in research projects. At the same time, as the specialists emphasize, a core objective of the programs is the creation of scientifically valuable, fundamental new knowledge for a deeper understanding of biological and pathological processes.

They are convinced that only such a scientific approach can ensure real long-term progress in both biology and biomedicine.

The projects will be implemented within the framework of the Armenian Higher Education and Science Committee's grant program "Competition for Financial Support for the Modernization of the Material and Technical Base of Scientific Units-2025".