Yasoo Health
University of Cyprus
University of Crete

Yasoo Health Ltd.

Organisation type: SME

Participant Role: Main Participant and Coordinator

Address:                                 
Yasoo Health Ltd,
P.O.Box 25193,
1307 Nicosia,
Cyprus.
Tel.: 00-357-22-819435
Fax.: 00-357-22-819434

Contact: Dr Constantinos Neophytou
Webpage: www.yasoo.com

 


Participant description:         
Yasoo Health Limited (YH) is a European Health Science SME based in Nicosia, Cyprus with an international branch in Johnson City, Tennessee. YH, the lead partner in EUREKA project E! 3930 INFLATREAT, specializes in the development and manufacture of condition-specific dietary supplements targeted at the management of disease by relieving oxidative stress due to malabsorption of lipophilic compounds. This is a common problem associated with diseases such as IBD, Cystic Fibrosis, Crohn's Disease, Cholestasis, HIV and others.

By integrating clinical and medical science, formulation technology and identification, extraction and synthesis of high value, naturally occurring compounds (and their derivatives), Yasoo develops products that are safe, effective and can be introduced rapidly to the market.  YASOO’s R&D team comprises several scientists and medical doctors with expertise in basic research, nutrition, inflammation, cell and animal biology, product development and commercialization. The R&D team have considerable experience in the extraction and purification of compounds and in the synthesis of derivatives and analogues with increased activity and / or bioavailability. The team has direct experience in the formulation of high value natural compounds in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food products. 

Yasoo has proven expertise in translating basic research data from in vitro and in vivo experiments into commercial products. The company has successfully developed a number of innovative nutraceutical products that target specific disease conditions and has delivered to the market the following clinically tested products: Aqua-E®, a proprietary liquid and water-soluble formulation of the complete Vitamin E family of tocopherols and tocotrienols; AquADEKs®, a complete nutritional supplement positioned for malabsorption conditions such as Cystic Fibrosis (marketed and distributed by Axcan Pharma Inc.) and our newest product, Syndion™ (www.syndion.com), clinically tested in children with autism, was launched globally in October 2008. The commercialization of AquADEKs® was supported by one of the major medical charities in the US, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and is generally recognized as advancing the standard of nutritional care for Cystic Fibrosis patients. All of these products were developed internally based on cell, animal and human studies carried out by Yasoo.

Selected journal publications:

  1. Wells SR, Alexander JS, Jennings MH, Rome C, Hadjivassiliou V, Papas G.  α-, δ- and γ- Tocopherols reduce Inflammatory Angiogenesis in Human Microvascular Endothelial Cells. Manuscript in preparation. 
  2. Constantinou C, Papas A, and Constantinou AI. Vitamin E and cancer: an insight into the anticancer activities of vitamin E isomers and analogues.  International Journal of Cancer 2008 23:739-752.
  3. Papas KA, Sontag MK, Pardee C, Sokol RJ, Sagel SD, Accurso FJ, Wagener JS. A pilot study on the safety and efficacy of a novel antioxidant rich formulation in patients with cystic fibrosis. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis 2008 7:60-67.
  4. Papas K, Kalbfleisch J, Mohon R. Bioavailability of a novel, water-soluble vitamin E formulation in malabsorbing patients. Digestive Diseases and Sciences 2007 52:347-352. 
  5. Stone WL, Papas AM, LeClair IO, Qui M, Ponder T. The influence of dietary iron and tocopherols on oxidative stress and ras-p21 levels in the colon. Cancer Detect Prev 2002 26:78-84.

Selected Patents:
11/038,618       Bioavailable Nutritional Supplement and Method of Treatment of Malabsorption.
60/894,575       Therapeutic Compositions Comprising Tocol Derivatives Composition for Improving Inflammatory Condition in Cystic Fibrosis Patients.
11/675,886       Treatment and Prevention of Inflammation.

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University of Cyprus

Organisation type: University

Participant Role: Partner

Address:                                 
University of Cyprus,
Panepistimioupoli,
1678, Nicosia,
Cyprus.
Tel.: 00-357-22-892098
Fax.: 00-357-22-750298

Contact: Prof. Andreas Constantinou
Webpage: www.ucy.ac.cy

 


Participant description:         
The University of Cyprus (UCY) is a rapidly growing young university and it is already classified as one of the leading universities in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The university’s emphasis on research is demonstrated by the significant number of journal articles published by its scientists. The Department of Biological Sciences was established in 2001 and aims to provide high quality training through its programs, while placing more emphasis on research. The Department has allocated a significant portion of its resources to create core facilities and a highly supportive environment that allows biologists to tackle problems using a multidisciplinary approach. The laboratories are equipped for performing molecular and cellular biological experiments.  The Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Chemoprevention directed by Dr. A. Constantinou was responsible for the cell studies in this EUREKA project to determine the efficacy of natural compounds to suppress cytokine-mediated ECAM responses in endothelial cells.

Prof. A. Constantinou’s Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Chemoprevention is investigating natural compounds as molecular targets for antitumor drugs. His current research focuses on the molecular aspects of cancer prevention and the identification of natural food components (including soy isoflavones and lycopene) that may prevent or delay the process of carcinogenesis.  His main research interests include the role of nutrition in carcinogenesis, cancer chemoprevention, interactions between botanicals and drugs, molecular targets of antitumor drugs, especially DNA-topoisomerases, phytoestrogens and Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs). 

Selected journal publications:

  1. Constantinou C, Papas A, and Constantinou AI. Vitamin E and cancer: an insight into the anticancer activities of vitamin E isomers and analogues.  International Journal of Cancer 2008 23:739-752.
  2. Constantinou AI, White BE, Tonetti D, Yang Y, Liang W, Li W, van Breemen RB.  The soy isoflavone daidzein improves the capacity of tamoxifen to prevent mammary tumours.  Eur J Cancer 2005 41(4):647-54.
  3. Tonetti DA, Zhang Y, Zhao H, Lim SB, Constantinou AI.  The effect of the phytoestrogens, genistein, daidzein and equol on the growth of tamoxifen-resistant T47D/PKC alpha.  Nutr Cancer 2007 58(2):222-229.
  4. Punj V, Bhattacharyya S, Saint-Dic D, Vasu C, Cunningham EA, Graves J, Yamada Yamada T, Constantinou AI, Christov K, White B, Li G, Majumdar D, Chakrabarty AM, Das Gupta TK.  Bacterial cupredoxin azurin as an inducer of apoptosis and regression in human breast cancer.  Oncogene 2004 23: 2367-2378. 
  5. Murillo G, Choi JK, Pan O, Constantinou AI, Mehta RG.  Efficacy of garbanzo and soybean flour in suppression of aberrant crypt foci in the colons of CF-1 mice,.Anticancer Res 2004 24:3049-55.
  6. Guo JY, Li X, Browning JD Jr, Rottinghaus GE, Lubahn DB, Constantinou A, Bennink M, MacDonald RS.  Dietary soy isoflavones and estrone protect ovariectomized ERalphaKO and wild-type mice from carcinogen-induced colon cancer.  J Nutr, 2004 134:179-182.
  7. Tonetti DA, Rubenstein R, DeLeon M, Zhao H, Pappas SG, Bentrem DJ, Chen B, Constantinou A, Craig Jordan V.  Stable transfection of an estrogen receptor beta cDNA isoform into MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2003 87:47-55.
  8. Gentile MS, Vasu C, Green A, Murillo G, Das Gupta TK, Constantinou AI, Prabhakar BS, Salti GI.  Targeting colon cancer cells with genistein-17.1A immunoconjugate.  Int J Oncol 2003 22:955-959. 
  9. Constantinou AI, Mehta R, and Husband A.  Phenoxodiol, a novel isoflavone derivative, inhibits dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary carcinogenesis in female Sprague-Dawley rats.  Eur J Cancer 2003 39:1012-1018.
  10. Burdette J, Pezzuto JM, Farnsworth NR, Bolton JL. In vivo estrogenic effects of Trifolium pratense (red clover) in ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats.  J Nutr 2002 132:27-30.
  11. Xu H, Fabricant DS, Piersen CE, Bolton JL, Pezzuto JM, Fong H, Totura S, Farnsworth NR, Constantinou AI.  A preliminary RAPD-PCR analysis of Cimicifuga species and other botanicals used for women’s health.  Phytomedicine 2002 9:757-762.
  12. Constantinou AI and Husband A.  Phenoxodiol (2H-1-benzopyran-7-0,1,3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)), a novel isoflavone derivative, inhibits DNA topoisomerase II by stabilizing the cleavable complex.  Anticancer Res 2002 22:2581-2585.
  13. Burdette JE, Burdette JE, Chen SN, Lu ZZ, Xu H, White BE, Fabricant DS, Liu J, Fong HH, Farnsworth NR, Constantinou AI, Van Breemen RB, Pezzuto JM, Bolton JL.  Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa L.) protects against menadione-induced DNA damage through scavenging of reactive oxygen species: bioassay-directed isolation and characterization of active principles.  J Agric Food Chem 2002 50:7022-7028.

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University of Crete

Organisation type: University

Participant Role: Partner

Address:
University of Crete, School of Medicine,
Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology,
710 03 Heraklion,
Greece.
Tel.: 00-30-2810-39-4580
Fax.: 00-30-2810-39-4581

Contact: Prof. Elias Castanas
Webpage: http://www.med.uoc.gr

 


Participant description:         
The School of Medicine of the University of Crete, established in 1984, is one among the seven Greek Schools of Medicine. The Faculty of Medicine has achieved international recognition and is currently ranked among the best research-oriented medical schools in Europe.  This is evidenced by the participation of several of its staff members in the executive boards, administrative committees and councils of European or global scientific associations and professional organizations.  In the last ten years, the School of Medicine produced ~6000 publications in International Journals with a mean IF of ~3 and 12 citations/paper (http://research.cc.uoc.gr/gr_2_1_med.html).

Prof. Elias Castanas, a partricipant in this EUREKA project (E!3930-INFLATREAT), has been Professor and Chair of Experimental Endocrinology at the School of Medicine, University of Crete since 1987. The Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology is devoted to the research of regulation of hormone-dependent tumors. The main research focuses on peptide hormones and receptors (mainly opioids), modulation of hormone-dependent tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis by bioactive molecules (including peptides, steroids and polyphenols) and the deciphering of molecular mechanisms of action. In recent years, the research focus has been extended to include hormone-growth factor-cytokine receptor-interaction on the cell membrane. The research team at the Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology have identified membrane androgen receptors in a number of tumor cells, including prostate cancer, that can modulate tumor growth and induce apoptosis, both in-vitro and in-vivo, and have reported that oligomeric procyanidines are agonists of membrane androgen receptors.  In addition they have identified estrogen and DHEA (neuro-steroid) membrane receptors and elucidated their role in signal transduction in the anti-apoptotic cascade. Prof. Castanas’ team was one of the first to report the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effect of (poly)phenols in breast, prostate and hepatocellular carcinoma-derived cell lines. They are currently investigating the interaction of selected polyphenol molecules on a number of receptor systems, including membrane and intracellular steroid receptors using an array of biochemical, morphological and molecular techniques.  Prof. Castanas' team brings key expertise to the consortium of this EUREKA project in the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory properties of the test compounds by pro-inflammatory cytokine measurement.

Selected journal publications:

  • Kampa M, Nifli AP, Notas G, Castanas E. Polyphenols and cancer cell growth. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 2007 159:79-113.
  • Pelekanou V, Kampa M, Kafousi M, Dambaki K, Darivianaki K, Sanidas E, Tsiftsis DD, Stathopoulos EN, Castanas E. Erythropoietin and its receptor in breast cancer: Correlation with steroid receptors and outcome. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarker Prev 2007 19:2019-2023.
  • Nifli AP, Theodoropoulos PA, Munier S, Castagnino C, Roussakis E, Katerinopoulos HE, Vercauteren J, Castanas E. Quercetin exhibits a specific fluorescence in cellular milieu: a valuable tool for the study of its intracellular distribution. J Agric Food Chem 2007 55:2873-2878.
  • Tsatsanis C, Androulidaski A, Dermitzaki E, Gravanis A, Margioris A. Corticotropin Releasing Factor receptor 1 (CRF1) and CRF2 Agonists exert an anti-inflammatory effect during the early phase of inflammation suppressing LPS-induced TNF-a release from macrophages via induction of COX-2 and PGE2. J Cell Physiol 2007 210:774-83.
  • Charalampopoulos I, Alexaki VI, Lazaridis I, Dermitzaki R, Avlonitis N, Tsatsanis C, Kallogeropoulou T, Margioris AN, Castanas E, Gravanis A. G-protein-associated, specific membrane binding sites mediate the neuroprotective effect of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). FASEB 2006 20:577-579.
  • Kampa M, Castanas E. Membrane steroid receptor signaling in normal and neoplastic cells. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2006 246:76-82.
  • Notas G, Nifli AP, Kampa M, Vercauteren J, Kouroumalis E, Castanas E. Resvratrol exerts its antiproliferative effect on HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells by inducing cell cycle arrest and NOS activation. BBA Gen Subj 2006 1760:1657-1666.
  • Nifli AP, Bosson-Kouamé Α, Papadopoulou N, Kogia C, Kampa M, Castagnino C, Stournaras C, Vercauteren J, Castanas E. Monomeric and oligomeric flavanols are agonists of membrane androgen receptors. Exp Cell Research 2005 309:329-339.
  • Nifli AP, Kampa M, Alexaki VI, Notas G, Castanas E. Polyphenol interaction with the T47D human breast cancer cell line. J Dairy Res 2005 72(S1):44-50.
  • Notas G, Maliaraki N, Kampa M, Dimoulios F, Matrella E, Castanas E, Kouroumalis E. Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis have increased serum total antoxidant capacity measured with the crocin bleaching assay. World J Gastroenterol 2005 11:4194-4198.
  • Koulentaki M, Notas G, Petinaki E, Valetas V, Mouzas IA, Castanas E, Kouroumalis EA. Nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines in acute hepatitis. B Eur J Intern Med 2004 15:35-38.
  • Koutroubakis IE, Malliaraki N, Dimoulios P, Karmiris K, Castanas E, Kouroumalis E. Decreased total and corrected antioxidant capacity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Dig Dis Sci 2004 49:1433-1437.

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Tel: +357 22-819435
Fax: +357 22-819434
Email: global@yasoo.com