Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou, PhD
Adjunct Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care)
- Director, Pulmonary Morphology Core Laboratory, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
- 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
- IACUC Committee Member, University of Pennsylvania
- Co-Founder, JT-MeSh Diagnostics, LLC
Department: Medicine
Division: Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care
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
Lab Phone: (215)-573-9848
Fax: (215) 746-0376
Email: melpo@mail.med.upenn.edu
I3H Keywords
- Allergy, Asthma, and Other Inflammatory Diseases
Publications
Links
- Search PubMed for articles
- Penn Lung Center Faculty profile
- Primary Work Website
- Penn Study Shows an Ancient Crop Effective in Protecting Against a 21st Century Hazard
- Protect Yourself from Radiation with Flaxseeds
- This Inexpensive Omega-3 Source can Protect Against Radiation
- Radiotherapy damage may be prevented by Flaxseed
- The little seed that can protect you from radiation damage
- Nutrition Frontiers e-newsletter, Volume 5, Issue 3, 2014 : Research update: what's new in basic science Flaxseed Modulates miRNA in Irradiated and Nonirradiated Murine Lungs
- LignaMed, LLC is a drug development company with a fast track strategy to market approval and an early exit. The company’s initial product, LGM-2605, will be utilized to reduce side effects of radiation exposure.
- LignaMed, LLC, announced today that the company was awarded a $5.2 million dollar contract by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- The Greater Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies (PACT), Philadelphia region’s premier technology and life sciences trade association, has recognized LignaMed as “2015 Company to Watch” as part of the 22nd consecutive Enterprise Awards.
- Chemical and Engineering News, Vol 94, Issue 47, pp. 32-34; COVER STORIES: THE GLOBAL MENACE OF ASBESTOS: University of Pennsylvania program addresses aspects from environmental containment to health effects
- ANTICANCER ACTIVITY FOUND IN HERBAL ADDITIVES OF ANCIENT ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: Penn Museum and Penn Medicine Research Collaboration Yields First Promising Evidence for Efficacy of Medicinal Compounds Once Employed by Our Ancestors
- Synthetic flaxseed derivative helps heart function in septic mice
- Researchers show synthetic flaxseed derivative helps heart function in septic mice
- Temple University Researchers Show Synthetic Flaxseed-Derived Antioxidant Improves Heart Function in Mice with Sepsis, Alleviating Cardiac Complications
- The Penn-CHOP Lung Biology Institute (LBI) aims to address the critical demand for better treatment options for both adult and pediatric lung diseases.
- LignaMed Announces Publication of Data on Lead Candidate LGM2605 Demonstrating Protective Effect on Airway Hyperreactivity in Asthma
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
Post-Graduate Training
-
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Physiology & Cell Biology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, 1991 - 1992 -
Postdoctoral Fellow
New York State Affiliate of the American Heart Association, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, 1992 - 1993 -
Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Dermatology and Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Division, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 1993 - 1995 -
Postdoctoral Fellow
Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Division, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 1995 - 1996 -
Edward Cooper Leadership Development Program
Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania., 2019 - 2019
Certifications
- Patient Oriented Research Certification, University of Pennsylvania, 2007
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.
Description of ITMAT Expertise
Dr. Christofidou-Solomidou studies pulmonary inflammation, cell adhesion molecule regulation/ expression and acute/chronic lung injury.
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 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 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 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. 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 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 9 : 1209, Nov 2020