Scientific Personnel

Brief Bio

Dr. Constantin Tamvakopoulos received his B.A. in Chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1986. He continued his studies in the United States and received a Ph.D. in Chemistry/Biochemistry from Brown University in 1992. Following his graduate studies he joined the department of Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism at Purdue Pharma LP (a private pharmaceutical company specializing in drug delivery forms) as a Senior Scientist and then as a Principal Scientist in the same department until 1997. Following his education Dr Tamvakopoulos spent twelve years in the pharmaceutical industry in the US in Divisions of Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism working initially on Clinical Studies and subsequently in early Drug Discovery research (Merck & Co, Rahway US).  In 2004 he moved to Greece at the Biomedical Research Foundation o the Academy of Athens (BRFAA), in which he is Research Director/Researcher A in Pharmacology.  Dr Tamvakopoulos has more than twenty five years of Industrial/Biotechnology experience in all phases of drug development in the therapeutic areas of cancer, pain, metabolic disorders (obesity, diabetes), inflammation and atherosclerosis.

His current research interests are in Targeted Anticancer Therapeutics and novel degraders of oncogenic proteins. The lab focuses on all aspects of Pharmacology & Pharmacotechnology to explore innovative therapeutic approaches with a particular focus on cancer. As a lab, we are interested in investigating the pharmacological mechanism of action of novel -mainly anticancer- agents and examine the effects and interactions of drugs on living organisms at the cellular, molecular, and biochemical level. Our research is directed towards the development and/or optimization of targeted therapies based on cytotoxic and/or antiangiogenic small molecules, peptides, or peptide conjugates or protein degraders for the treatment of solid tumors, that could become potentially promising commercial drug products in the future. In addition, the lab maintains a pertinent interest in the discovery of novel biomarkers for cancer aiming to monitor the efficacy of the therapy applied on in vivo models as well as to facilitate the design of novel targeted anticancer molecules.

Our approaches include evaluation of parameters like Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) for optimization of drug-carrier delivery systems, dosing, scheduling, and route of administration patterns. The technology we use to effectively determine such variables rely on the development and application of novel bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry-based approaches that allow us to accurately determine targeted drug delivery.  In this context, the Tamvakopoulos lab exploits advanced mass spectrometry methodologies to study the pharmacokinetic profile of bioactive leads in animal models, quantify tumor and tissue distribution of drugs post-dosing, and determine their in vitro and in vivo pharmacological properties (stability, uptake, cytotoxicity, ADME etc). Modern analytical instrumentation such as liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with hybrid triple quadruple and linear ion trap systems are available in the lab, to facilitate this type of studies. Through collaborations within BRFAA we have access to other facilities with distinct niches and capabilities (e.g. Orbitrap MS system, mass cytometry combined with high sensitivity ICP-TOF technology etc), the genome center for more in-depth characterization of metabolites and performance of other -omics studies.

He has over 65 publications in peer-reviewed journals, has served as a member of the scientific advisory board of the national regulatory agency (EOF), as a Chair of review panels for the Danish Research Council, and representative of BRFAA to HBio, a biocluster promoting the Greek life sciences.  He is also a founding member of the first technology transfer office of BRFAA. He has been a PI and Co-PI in numerous grants related to his research interests and is a co-inventor of international patents on the application of novel compounds for pancreatic cancer and other anticancer therapies. He has established a GLP and ISO17025 certified bioanalytical laboratory, and strong co-operations with leading pharmaceuticals, including the organization and completion of Clinical Studies and a wide range of drug discovery programs.

The Tamvakopoulos lab holds significant expertise in quality system management as well. For more than ten years, the lab was ISO-accredited and operated according to the ELOT EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005 standard. As of May 2023, the Laboratory of Pharmacology has been organized and operates as a Test Facility in compliance with the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) Principles for performing analytical and clinical chemistry testing on human biological fluids, by the General Chemical State Laboratory. The Laboratory of Pharmacology is proactively involved in the clinical development of novel therapeutic agents through a collaboration between BRFAA with the SOTIRIA hospital in a well organized 24 bed clinical unit.  The Division of Pharmacology & Pharmacotechnology plays a key role in this effort by enabling the analysis (drug and metabolite quantification) of clinical samples under the GLP guidelines. The collaborating scheme involves volunteer recruitment, drug administration, sample collection, storage, and bioanalysis. This initiative represents a unique opportunity in Greece that will allow BRFAA to actively participate in the process of developing generic drugs and novel therapeutics.

Selected Publications

1. Kanaki, Z., Smina, A., Chandrinou, C., Koukouzeli, F. E., Ntounias, Y., Paschalidis, N., ..., Tamvakopoulos, C., & Klinakis, A. (2023). Printed cisplatin on microneedle arrays for transdermal delivery enhances olaparib-induced synthetic lethality in a mouse model of homologous recombination deficiency. International Journal of Bioprinting, 9(6), 0048.
2. Chatzisideri, T., Leonidis, G., Karampelas, T., Skavatsou, E., Velentza-Almpani, A., Bianchini, F., ..., Tamvakopoulos, C., & Sarli, V. (2022). Integrin-Mediated Targeted Cancer Therapy Using c (RGDyK)-Based Conjugates of Gemcitabine. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 65(1), 271-284.
3. Orfanou, I. M., Argyros, O., Papapetropoulos, A., Tseleni-Balafouta, S., Vougas, K., & Tamvakopoulos, C. (2021). Discovery and pharmacological evaluation of STEAP4 as a novel target for HER2 overexpressing breast cancer. Frontiers in Oncology, 11, 608201.
4. Skavatsou, E., Semitekolou, M., Morianos, I., Karampelas, T., Lougiakis, N., Xanthou, G., & Tamvakopoulos, C. (2021). Immunotherapy combined with metronomic dosing: An effective approach for the treatment of nsclc. Cancers, 13(8), 1901.
5. Vrettos, E. I., Karampelas, T., Sayyad, N., Kougioumtzi, A., Syed, N., Crook, T., ..., Tamvakopoulos, C., & Tzakos, A. G. (2021). Development of programmable gemcitabine-GnRH pro-drugs bearing linker controllable “click” oxime bond tethers and preclinical evaluation against prostate cancer. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 211, 113018.
6. Soulele, K., Karampelas, T., Tamvakopoulos, C., & Macheras, P. (2021). Enhancement of Docetaxel Absorption Using Ritonavir in an Oral Milk-Based Formulation. Pharmaceutical Research, 38(8), 1419-1428.
7. Pyrillou, K., Chairakaki, A. D., Tamvakopoulos, C., & Andreakos, E. (2018). Dexamethasone induces ω3-derived immunoresolvents driving resolution of allergic airway inflammation. Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, 142(2), 691-695.
8. Argyros, O., Karampelas, T., Asvos, X., Varela, A., Sayyad, N., Papakyriakou, A., ... & Tamvakopoulos, C. (2016). Peptide–Drug Conjugate GnRH–Sunitinib Targets Angiogenesis Selectively at the Site of Action to Inhibit Tumor Growth. Cancer Research, 76(5), 1181-1192.
9. Stellas, D., Szabolcs, M., Koul, S., Li, Z., Polyzos, A., Anagnostopoulos, C., ..., Tamvakopoulos, C., Klinakis, A., & Efstratiadis, A. (2014). Therapeutic effects of an anti-Myc drug on mouse pancreatic cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 106(12), dju320.
10. Katsila, T., Siskos, A. P., & Tamvakopoulos, C. (2012). Peptide and protein drugs: the study of their metabolism and catabolism by mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometry reviews, 31(1), 110-133.
11. Zhu, L., Tamvakopoulos, C., Xie, D., Dragovic, J., Shen, X., Fenyk-Melody, J. E., ... & Roy, R. S. (2003). The role of dipeptidyl peptidase IV in the cleavage of glucagon family peptides: in vivo metabolism of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-(1–38). Journal of Biological Chemistry, 278(25), 22418-22423.
12. Van der Ploeg, L. H., Martin, W. J., Howard, A. D., Nargund, R. P., Austin, C. P., Guan, X., ... & MacIntyre, D. E. (2002). A role for the melanocortin 4 receptor in sexual function. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 99(17), 11381-11386.

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