Team

Head of the department

Dr. Anca Violeta Gafencu
anca.gafencu@icbp.ro

Author ID: 6506192688

ORCID: 0000-0002-1290-1346

Habilitation in Biology (2021)

Other positions

• Member of the Scientific Council of ICBP (since 2014)
• President of the Commission 19 (Biology) of CNATDCU (2020–2024)
• Member of the Management Committee of COST Action AtheroNet CA 21153 (2023–2026)
• Member of the Management Committee of COST Action CardioPharmaGenet (2025–2028)
• Member of the National Scientific Research Council (CNCS)
• Member of the Management Committee of COST Action HDLNet BM 0904 (2010–2014)
• Executive Manager of FP5 “Centre of Excellence” (2000–2004) and FP6 SERA (2004–2007) coordinated by Acad. Maya Simionescu

Metrics & service

• H-index: 16 (Scopus), 19 (Google Scholar)
• Citations: 1574 (Scopus), 2212 (Google Scholar)
• Reviewer for journals (Atherosclerosis, Cell and Tissue Research, Gene, Jove, Molecules, MDPI journals, Nutrition and Metabolism, Pharmaceuticals, BBA, etc.)
• Reviewer for project applications (UEFISCDI, Research Foundation Flanders-FWO)

Awards

• 2007: CNCSIS Prize (grant “Regulation of Apolipoprotein Gene Clusters...”)
• 2007: Prize of Excellency – National Foundation for Science and Art
• 2025: Nicolae Simionescu Prize of the Romanian Academy

Experienced researchers

PhD students

• Gabriela Ciumeica – Gabriela.florea@icbp.ro
• Sanziana Daraban – sanziana.daraban@icbp.ro
• Madalin Ghinea – madalin.ghinea@icbp.ro (PhD Thematics: New metabolomic markers associated with cardiovascular diseases and their complications)
• Oana Mirancea – oana.mirancea@icbp.ro (PhD Thematics: Apolipoprotein E – Apolipoprotein A2 interactions)
• Marius Multescu – marius.multescu@icbp.ro (PhD Thematics: The effect of apolipoproteins on energy metabolism)

During my PhD, I am focusing on the impact of different apolipoproteins, such as ApoAI, ApoAII, and ApoE, on energy metabolism. I use both in vitro and in vivo models, overexpressing apolipoproteins through adenoviral-mediated gene transfer. I have experience in cell culture; producing and purifying lentiviruses for in vitro/in vivo applications; DNA/RNA isolation; molecular cloning; PCR; Western blot; transfection; viral transduction; maintaining breeding lines; performing intraperitoneal injections; isolating organs and tissues; Lipoprint subfraction tests; and high-resolution respirometry (O2k Oroboros).

Technical Staff

Ms. Mihaela Bratu – Mihaela.bratu@icbp.ro

Research

The work of the Gene Regulation and Molecular Therapies Department is interdisciplinary and employs state-of-the-art techniques in molecular biology, biochemistry, and viral transduction in experiments on cell cultures and animal models.

The results are relevant to cell biology (transcytosis, cellular receptors), gene expression, the regulation of proteins involved in lipid metabolism and cardiovascular diseases, and the development of new therapeutic strategies. Our main findings focused on endothelial cell biology, placental transport, and receptor-mediated processes are related to:

• Transcytosis of macromolecules and caveolae composition
• IgG receptors in placental endothelium
• Transferrin receptors and transcytosis

Gene regulation findings

Findings in gene regulation map a coherent regulatory network in which inflammatory signaling and metabolic cues shape apolipoprotein gene expression (especially ApoE and ApoC-II) in macrophages and CVD-related cells, with direct implications for atherogenesis, HDL biology, and oxidative stress. The results define transcriptional control points (STAT1, NF-κB, AP-1, KLF4, CREB, RXRα) and modulatory inputs (glucocorticoids, thyroid hormones, homocysteine, endotoxin, metformin):

• Inflammatory signaling integrates at the ApoE promoter
• STAT1 as a macrophage-selective activator via chromatin looping
• KLF4 and CREB act synergistically to enhance ApoE
• Homocysteine suppresses ApoE via NF-κB
• Glucocorticoids act on ApoE expression differentially by cell type
• Endotoxin downregulates ApoE, and metformin mitigates the effect
• Thyroid hormones upregulate ApoE in astrocytes
• STAT1–RXRα cooperativity elevates ApoC-II in macrophages
• Bisphenol A and ApoA-I downregulation via NF-κB

Translational research

Translational research focused on engineering mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to overexpress Fas ligand to enhance their immunosuppressive and cytotoxic capacities. We established a method for adenoviral production and optimized transduction of murine MSCs, making the approach practical and reproducible. Main discoveries include:

• Production of an adenovirus-delivered FasL minigene
• MSC transduction
• FasL overexpression in MSCs augments suppression and killing of activated immune cells
• MSC-FasL exhibits enhanced suppression of T cells and other immune effectors

Current lipoprotein work

We analyze the functions of apolipoproteins in lipid metabolism and their interactions with glucose and energy metabolism, using classical techniques (ultracentrifugation, Western blot, Real-Time PCR) and modern tools including high-resolution mitochondrial respirometry (Oroboros). We determine lipoprotein subfractions using the Lipoprotein Subfractions Testing System (Quantimetrix), with gels analyzed using Lipoware software for cholesterol levels across fractions and LDL subfractions.