Publications

Selected and latest publications
Latest publications
Selected Publications

  1. Tuohinto K, DiMaio TA, Kiss EA, Laakkonen P, Saharinen P, Karnezis T, Lagunoff M, Ojala PM. KSHV infection of endothelial precursor cells with lymphatic characteristics as a novel model for translational Kaposi's sarcoma studies. PLoS Pathog. 2023 Jan 23;19(1):e1010753. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010753. PMID: 36689549; PMCID: PMC9894539.

  2. Vilimova, M., Contrant, M., Randrianjafy, R., Dumas, P., Elbasani, E., Ojala, PM., Pfeffer, S., Fender, A. Cis regulation within a cluster of viral microRNAs. Nucleic Acids Research. 2021 Sep 27;49(17):10018-10033. doi: 10.1093/nar/gkab731

  3. Jukonen, J., Moyano-Galceran, L., Höpfner, K., Pietilä, E. A., et al. Aggressive and recurrent ovarian cancers upregulate ephrinA5, a non-canonical effector of EphA2 signaling duality. Scientific Reports. Apr 23;11(1):8856. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-88382-6
  4. Lippert TP, Marzec P, Idilli AI, Sarek G, Vancevska A, Bower M, et al. Oncogenic herpesvirus KSHV triggers hallmarks of alternative lengthening of telomeres. Nature Communications. 2021;12(1):512. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-20819-4.
  5. Elbasani E, Falasco F, Gramolelli S, Nurminen V, Gunther T, Weltner J, et al. Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Reactivation by Targeting of a dCas9-Based Transcription Activator to the ORF50 Promoter. Viruses. 2020;12(9). Epub 2020/09/02. doi: 10.3390/v12090952. PubMed PMID: 32867368; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC7552072.
  6. Pyoria L, Jokinen M, Toppinen M, Salminen H, Vuorinen T, Hukkanen V, et al. HERQ-9 Is a New Multiplex PCR for Differentiation and Quantification of All Nine Human Herpesviruses. mSphere. 2020;5(3). Epub 2020/06/26. doi: 10.1128/mSphere.00265-20. PubMed PMID: 32581076; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC7316487.
  7. Gramolelli S, Elbasani E, Tuohinto K, Nurminen V, Gunther T, Kallinen RE, et al. Oncogenic Herpesvirus Engages Endothelial Transcription Factors SOX18 and PROX1 to Increase Viral Genome Copies and Virus Production. Cancer Res. 2020;80(15):3116-29. Epub 2020/06/11. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-19-3103. PubMed PMID: 32518203.
  8. Elbasani E, Gramolelli S, Gunther T, Gabaev I, Grundhoff A, Ojala PM. Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Lytic Replication Is Independent of Anaphase-Promoting Complex Activity. J Virol. 2020;94(13). Epub 2020/04/17. doi: 10.1128/JVI.02079-19. PubMed PMID: 32295923; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC7307157.
  9. Elbasani E, Falasco F, Gramolelli S, Nurminen V, Gunther T, Weltner J, et al. Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Reactivation by Targeting of a dCas9-Based Transcription Activator to the ORF50 Promoter. Viruses. 2020;12(9). Epub 2020/09/02. doi: 10.3390/v12090952. PubMed PMID: 32867368; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC7552072.
  10. Kasurinen A, Gramolelli S, Hagstrom J, Laitinen A, Kokkola A, Miki Y, et al. High tissue MMP14 expression predicts worse survival in gastric cancer, particularly with a low PROX1. Cancer Med. 2019;8(16):6995-7005. Epub 2019/09/29. doi: 10.1002/cam4.2576. PubMed PMID: 31560170; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC6853825.
  11. Gungor B, Vanharanta L, Holtta-Vuori M, Pirhonen J, Petersen NHT, Gramolelli S, et al. HSP70 induces liver X receptor pathway activation and cholesterol reduction in vitro and in vivo. Mol Metab. 2019;28:135-43. Epub 2019/07/23. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2019.07.005. PubMed PMID: 31327756; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC6822257.
  12. Gonzalez-Molina J, Gramolelli S, Liao Z, Carlson JW, Ojala PM, Lehti K. MMP14 in Sarcoma: A Regulator of Tumor Microenvironment Communication in Connective Tissues. Cells. 2019;8(9). Epub 2019/08/31. doi: 10.3390/cells8090991. PubMed PMID: 31466240; PubMed Central PMCID: PMCPMC6770050.
  13. Paatero, I., Alve, S., Gramolelli, S., Ivaska, J. and Ojala, P. M. (2018). Zebrafish Embryo Xenograft and Metastasis Assay. Bio-protocol 8(18): e3027. DOI: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3027.
  14. Gramolelli, S., J. Cheng, I. Martinez-Corral, M. Vaha-Koskela, E. Elbasani, E. Kaivanto, V. Rantanen, K. Tuohinto, S. Hautaniemi, M. Bower, C. Haglund, K. Alitalo, T. Makinen, T. V. Petrova, K. Lehti and P. M. Ojala (2018). PROX1 is a transcriptional regulator of MMP14. Sci Rep 8(1): 9531.
  15. Pekkonen, P., Alve, S., Balistreri, G., Gramolelli, S., Tatti-Bugaeva, O., Paatero, I., Niiranen, O., Tuohinto, K., Perala, N., Taiwo, A., Zinovkina, N., Repo, P., Icay, K., Ivaska, J., Saharinen, P., Hautaniemi, S., Lehti, K. & Ojala, P. M. Lymphatic endothelium stimulates melanoma metastasis and invasion via MMP14-dependent Notch3 and beta 1-integrin activation 2018 In : eLife. 7, 28 p., 32490
  16. Gramolelli, S. and P. M. Ojala (2017). Kaposi's sarcoma herpesvirus-induced endothelial cell reprogramming supports viral persistence and contributes to Kaposi's sarcoma tumorigenesis. Curr Opin Virol 26: 156-162.
  17. Wang, J., Okkeri, J., Pavic, K., Wang, Z., Kauko, O., Halonen, T., Sarek, G., OJALA PM, Rao, Z., Xu, W. & Westermarck, J. Oncoprotein CIP2A is stabilized via interaction with tumor suppressor PP2A/B56; 2015 EMBO Reports. 18, 3, p. 437-450 14 p.
  18. Balistreri, G., Viiliainen, J., Turunen, M., Diaz, R., Lyly, L., Pekkonen, P., Rantala, J., Ojala, K., Sarek, G., Teesalu, M., Denisova, O., Peltonen, K., Julkunen, I., Varjosalo, M., Kainov, D., Kallioniemi, O., Laiho, M., Taipale, J., Hautaniemi, S. & Ojala, P. M. Oncogenic Herpesvirus Utilizes Stress-Induced Cell Cycle Checkpoints for Efficient Lytic Replication Feb 2016 In : PLoS Pathogens. 12, 2, 26 p., 1005424
  19. Tatti O, Gucciardo E, Pekkonen P, Holopainen T, Louhimo R, Repo P, Maliniemi P, Lohi J, Rantanen V, Hautaniemi S, Alitalo K, Ranki A, OJALA PM, Keski-Oja J, and Lehti K. MMP16 mediates a proteolytic switch to promote cell-cell adhesion, collagen alignment, and lymphatic invasion in melanoma. Cancer Res 75: 2083-94, 2015.
  20. Aavikko M, Kaasinen E, Nieminen JK, Byun M, Donner I, Mancuso R, Ferrante P, Clerici M, Brambilla L, Tourlaki A, Sarid R, Taipale M, Morgunova E, Pekkonen P, OJALA PM, Pukkala E, Casanova J-L, Vaarala O, Vahteristo P, and Aaltonen LA. Whole genome sequencing identifies STAT4 as a putative susceptibility gene in classic Kaposi sarcoma. J Infect Dis 211: 1842-51, 2015.
  21. Pekkonen P, Järviluoma A, Zinovkina N, Cvrljevic A, Prakash S, Westermarck J, Evan GI, Cesarman E, Verschuren EW, and OJALA PM. KSHV viral cyclin interferes with T-cell development and induces lymphoma through Cdk6 and Notch activation in vivo. Cell Cycle 13: 3670-84, 2015.
  22. OJALA PM * and Schulz TF. Manipulation of endothelial cells by KSHV: implications for angiogenesis and aberrant vascular differentiation. Semin Cancer Biol 26: 69-77, 2014.
  23. OJALA PM. Naughty chaperone as a target for viral cancer. Blood 122:2767-8, 2013.
  24. Pekkonen P and OJALA PM. Virusinfektio - monimuotoinen syövän aiheuttaja. Duodecim 129: 1545-51, 2013.
  25. Kakkola L, Denisova OV, Tynell J, Viiliäinen J, Ysenbaert T, Matos R, Nagaraj A, Öhman T, Kuivanen S, Paavilainen H, Lin Feng7, Yadav B, Julkunen I, Vapalahti O, Hukkanen V, Stenman J, Aittokallio T, Verschuren E, OJALA PM, Nyman T, Saelens X, Kainov DE. Anticancer compound ABT-263 accelerates apoptosis in virus infected cells and imbalances cytokine production and lowers survival rates of infected mice. Cell Death & Disease 4: e742, 2013.
  26. Sarek, G, Ma L, Enbäck, J, Järviluoma, A, Moreau, P, Haas, J, Gessain, A, Koskinen, PJ, Laakkonen, P, and OJALA PM. Kaposi’s sarcoma herpesvirus lytic replication compromises apoptotic response to p53 reactivation in virus-induced Oncogene 32: 1091-98, 2013.
  27. Cheng F, Pekkonen P, OJALA PM. Instigation of Notch signaling in the pathogenesis of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus and other human tumor viruses. Future Microbiol 7: 1191-1205, 2012.
  28. Santag S, Jäger W, Karsten CB, Kati S, Pietrek M, Steinemann D, Sarek G, OJALA PM, and Schulz TF. Recruitment of the tumour suppressor protein p73 by Kaposi’s Sarcoma Herpesvirus latent nuclear antigen contributes to the survival of primary effusion lymphoma cells. Oncogene 32: 3676-3685, 2012.
  29. Buss, H*, Jurrmann, N*, Pekkonen, P*, Beuerlein, K, Muller, H, Handschick, K, Wait, R, Saklatvala, J, OJALA PM, Schmitz, L, Naumann, M and Kracht, M. Cyclin-dependent kinase 6 phosphorylates NF-kB p65 at serine 536 and contributes to the regulation of inflammatory gene expression. PLoS ONE 7: e51847, 2012.
  30. Paudel N, Sadagopan S, Chakraborty S, Sarek G, OJALA PM, Chandran B. Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpesvirus Latency Associated Nuclear Antigen Interacts With Multifunctional Angiogenin To Utilize Its Anti-Apoptotic Functions. J Virol 86: 5974-91, 2012.
  31. Cheng F, Pekkonen P, Laurinavicius L, Sugiyama N, Henderson S, Günther T, Rantanen V, Kaivanto E, Aavikko M, Sarek G, Hautaniemi S, Biberfeld P, Aaltonen L, Grundhoff A, Boshoff C, Alitalo K, Lehti K, and OJALA PM. Virus-induced Notch-MT1-MMP axis leads to lymphatic endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Cell Host & Microbe 10: 577-590, 2011.
  32. Suffert G, Malterer G, Hausser J, Viiliäinen J, Fender A, Contrant M, Ivacevic T, Benes V, Gros F, Voinnet O, Zavolan M, OJALA PM §, Haas JG§, Pfeffer S§. Kaposi’s sarcoma herpesvirus microRNAs target caspase 3 and regulate apoptosis. PLoS Pathogens 7: e1002405, 2011.
  33. Tvorogov D, Anisimov A, Zheng W, Leppänen V-M, Tammela T, Laurinavicius S, Holnthoner W, Heloterä H, Holopainen T, Jeltsch M, Kalkkinen N, Lankinen H, OJALA PM, and Alitalo K. Effective suppression of vascular network formation by combination of antibodies blocking VEGFR ligand binding and receptor dimerization. Cancer Cell 18: 630-40, 2010.
  34. Sarek G, Järviluoma A, Moore H, Kurki S, Vartia S, Peter Biberfeld, Laiho M and OJALA PM Nucleophosmin phosphorylation by v-cyclin-CDK6 controls KSHV latency. PLoS Pathogens 6: 10000818, 2010.
  35. Sarek, G, and OJALA PM: Restoration of p53 function by MDM2 inhibition as a promising treatment modality for KSHV-associated malignancies. In: Molecular Basis for Therapy of AIDS-Defining Cancers, Springer (ed. D. Dittmer & S.Krown), 1st edition, pp. 167-180, 2010.
  36. Cheng F, Weidner-Glunde M, Varjosalo M, Rainio E-M, Lehtonen A, Schulz TF, Koskinen PJ, Taipale J, and OJALA PM. KSHV reactivation from latency requires Pim-1 and Pim-3 kinases to inactivate the latency-associated nuclear antigen LANA. PLoS Pathogens: 5: e1000324, 2009.
  37. Varjosalo M, Björklund M, Cheng F, Syvänen H, Kilpinen S, Sun Z, Kallioniemi O, He W, OJALA PM, and Taipale J. Application of active and kinase-deficient kinome collection for identification of kinases regulating Hedgehog signaling. Cell 133: 537- 48, 2008.
  38. Koopal S, Furuhjelm JH, Järviluoma A, Jäämaa, S, Pyakurel P, Pussinen C, Wirzenius M, Biberfeld P, Alitalo K, Laiho M, and OJALA PM. Viral oncogene-Induced DNAdamage response is activated in Kaposi’s sarcoma tumorigenesis. PLoS Pathogens 3: 1348-60, 2007.
  39. Sarek G, Kurki S, Enbäck J, Iotzova G, Haas J, Laakkonen P, Laiho M, and OJALA PM. Reactivation of the p53 pathway as a treatment modality for KSHV-induced lymphomas. J Clin Invest 117: 1019-28, 2007.
  40. Järviluoma A, Child ES, Sarek G, Sirimongkolkasem P, OJALA PM, and Mann DJ. Phosphorylation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21Cip1 on serine 130 is essential for viral cyclin-mediated bypass of a p21-imposed G1 arrest. Mol Cell Biol 26: 2430-40, 2006.
  41. Sarek G, Järviluoma A, and OJALA PM. KSHV viral cyclin inactivates p27Kip1 through Ser-10 and Thr-187 phosphorylation in proliferating primary effusion lymphomas. Blood 107: 725-32, 2006.
  42. Järviluoma A, Koopal S, Räsänen S, Mäkelä TP, and OJALA PM. KSHV viral cyclin binds to p27KIP1 in primary effusion lymphomas. Blood 104: 3349-54, 2004.
  43. Kurki S, Peltonen K, Latonen L, Kiviharju TM, OJALA PM, Meek D, and Laiho M. Nucleolar protein NPM interacts with HDM2 and protects tumor suppressor protein p53 from HDM2-mediated degradation. Cancer Cell 5: 465-75, 2004.
Book Chapters
  1. Alve, S., Gramolelli, S. & Ojala, P. M. An Approach to Study Melanoma Invasion and Crosstalk with Lymphatic Endothelial Cell Spheroids in 3D Using Immunofluorescence, Methods in Molecular Biology, 2021 doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1205-7_11
  2. Gramolelli S, Balistreri G, and OJALA PM. Molecular pathogenesis of Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus-associated cancers. In ”DNA tumour viruses: Virology Pathogenesis and Vaccines”, Caister Academic Press, 2018 Jun doi.org/10.21775/9781910190791
  3. Sarek, G, and Ojala PM: Restoration of p53 function by MDM2 inhibition as a promising treatment modality for KSHV-associated malignancies. In Molecular Basis for Therapy of AIDS-Defining Cancers, Springer (ed. D. Dittmer & S.Krown), 1stedition, pp. 167-180, 2010.
  4. Microbiology and Infectious diseases (Duodecim; in Finnish)- Chapters Viruses and cancer (Ojala, PM and Vaheri, A) & Herpesviruses.; KSHV/HHV8 (Ojala, PM); Duodecim 2010.