Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou, PhD

faculty photo
Adjunct Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care)
Director, Pulmonary Morphology Core Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
IACUC Committee Member, University of Pennsylvania
Investigator Member, Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Investigator Member, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania
Founder and Chair, Scientific Advisory Board, LignaMed, LLC, LignaMed, LLC, an upstart company in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania Penn Center for Innovation
Co-Founder, JT-MeSh Diagnostics, LLC
Department: Medicine

Contact information
University of Pennsylvania, Department of Medicine
Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division
3450 Hamilton Walk,
Edward J. Stemmler Hall, Office Suite 227
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6118
Office: (215) 573-9917
Fax: (215) 746-0376
Lab: (215)-573-9848
Education:
B.S. (Biology)
State University of New York at Stony Brook, Long Island, New York, 1983.
M.S. (Cell Biology)
Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm’s University, Bonn, Germany, 1987.
Ph.D. (Cell Biology)
Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm’s University, Bonn, Germany, 1991.
ML (Master in Law)
University of Pennsylvania, Carey School of Law, 2022.
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Description of Research Expertise

The theme of Dr. Christofidou-Solomidou's research is pulmonary inflammation and cell adhesion molecule regulation/expression. 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 phenolic compounds in ameliorating acute and chronic oxidative lung disease.

Selected Publications

Ralph A. Pietrofesa, Shampa Chatterjee, Yuwaraj Kadariya, Joseph R. Testa, Steven M. Albelda and Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou: Synthetic Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside (LGM2605) Prevents Asbestos-Induced Inflammation and Genotoxic Cell Damage in Human Mesothelial Cells. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. MDPI, 23(17): 10085, SEPT 2022.

Thomas J. Goodwin and Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou: Editorial to the Special Issue: “Dysregulation of Human Molecular and Metabolic Mechanisms Resulting in Oxidative Stress and Damage Generation in the Space Environment” Int J Mol Sci. MDPI (eds.). 23(12): 6466, June 2022.

106. Lim TL, Pietrofesa RA, Arguiri E, Koumenis C, Feigenberg S, Simone CB, Rengan R, Cengel K, Levin WP, Christofidou-Solomidou M, and Berman AT: Phase II Trial of Flaxseed to Prevent Acute Complications of Chemoradiation for Lung Cance. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 27(10): 824-831, OCT 2021.

Reagan Badger, Kyewon Park, Ralph A Pietrofesa, Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou, Kinta M Serve : Late Inflammation Induced by Asbestiform Fibers in Mice Is Ameliorated by a Small Molecule Synthetic Lignan. Int J Mol Sci. MDPI, 22(20): 10982, OCT 2021.

Ralph A Pietrofesa, Kyewon Park, Om P Mishra, Darrah Johnson-McDaniel, Jacob W Myerson, Vladimir V Shuvaev, Evguenia Arguiri, Shampa Chatterjee, Ganesh S Moorthy, Athena Zuppa, Wei-Ting Hwang, Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou : Copper Oxide Nanoparticle-Induced Acute Inflammatory Response and Injury in Murine Lung Is Ameliorated by Synthetic Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside (LGM2605). Int J Mol Sci 22(17): 9477, AUG 2021.

Anuradha Dhingra, Rachel C Sharp, Taewan J Kim, Anatoliy V Popov, Gui-Shuang Ying, Ralph Pietrofesa, Kyewon Park, Christofidou-Solomidou M, Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia: Assessment of a small molecule synthetic lignan in enhancing oxidative balance and decreasing lipid accumulation in human retinal pigment epithelia. Int J Mol Sci. IJMS (eds.). 22(11): 5764, June 2021.

Anuradha Dhingra, Rachel C Sharp, Taewan Kim, Anatoliy V Popov, Gui-Shuang Ying, Ralph A Pietrofesa, Kyewon Park, Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou, Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia: Assessment of a Small Molecule Synthetic Lignan in Enhancing Oxidative Balance and Decreasing Lipid Accumulation in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelia. Int J Mol Sci 22(11): 5764, MAY 2021.

Ioannis D. Kyriazis, Matthew Hoffman, Lea Gaignebetb; Anna Maria Lucchese, Eftychia Markopoulou, Dimitra Palioura, Chao Wang, Thomas D. Bannister, Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou, Shin-ichi Oka, Junichi Sadoshima, PhD, Walter J. Koch, Ira J. Goldberg, Vincent W. Yang, Agnieszka B. Bialkowska, Georgios Kararigas, Konstantinos Drosatos: KLF5 Is Induced by FOXO1 and Causes Oxidative Stress and Diabetic Cardiomyopathy. Circulation Research. Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences of the American Heart Association (eds.). Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 128(3): 335-357, FEB 2021.

Christofidou-Solomidou M, Sielecki T, Chatterjee S: Endothelial Signaling in Vascular Dysfunction and Disease: Chapter 13: Effects of space radiation on the endovasculature: implications for human deep space exploration. Elsevier Press-Book chapter DEC 2020.

Sonia Kartha, Christine L. Weisshaar, Ralph A. Pietrofesa, Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou and Beth A. Winkelstein: Synthetic Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside Attenuates Established Pain, Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammation in a Rodent Model of Painful Radiculopathy. Antioxidants. MDPI (eds.). 9: 1209, Nov 2020.

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Last updated: 10/10/2022
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