Molecular and functional genomics group (V. Rovīte lab)
The activities of our emerging research group are aimed to discover molecular markers and mechanisms of human disease development and progression to discover potentially actionable targets to improve diagnostics, prognostics and disease management. The studies conducted by our group are fully exploiting close connection to the Latvian national biobank – Genome Database of Latvian population (LGDB), Genome Centre sequencing unit and connection to largest hospitals and medical institutions that enable us to carry out a full cycle of research from patient-derived sample collection to omics analysis, functional studies and final data interpretation. The main projects in our group are related to the discovery of new molecular markers of tumors and the study of cancer development mechanisms in order to find prognostic factors or improve therapy. Currently, our group is implementing projects in the field of gastrointestinal and brain tumors, and endocrine system tumors, as well as in the research of autoimmune diseases. Currently, our team is developing new next-generation sequencing methods and developing experience in functional studies to be able to implement modern research in the field of translational medicine. In our research, we are the first to have successfully implemented single-cell sequencing and spatial transcriptomics methods in Latvia.
Vita Rovīte, PhD
Head of the scientific group, senior researcher
Personnel
Vita Rovīte, PhD, vita.rovite@biomed.lu.lv
Raitis Pečulis, PhD, raitis@biomed.lu.lv
Ilona Mandrika, MSc. biol., ilona@biomed.lu.lv
Helvijs Niedra, MSc. biol., helvijs.niedra@biomed.lu.lv
Marta Līva Spriņģe, marta.springe@biomed.lu.lv
Rihards Saksis, MSc. biol., rihards.saksis@biomed.lu.lv
Marija Simona Dombrovska, marija.dombrovska@biomed.lu.lv
Violeta Lisovska, violeta.lisovska@biomed.lu.lv
Daniels Pugačevskis, daniels.pugacevskis@biomed.lu.lv
Katrīna Anna Tiltiņa, katrina.tiltina@biomed.lu.lv
Marta Zamarīte, marta.zamarite@biomed.lu.lv
Areas for searching partners
- Gastrointestinal and brain tumours and tumours of endocrine system
- Autoimmune disease
- Newest sequencing and omics methods and technologies
- Functional cell models
10 the most representative publications for the scientific group
- Helvijs Niedra, Raitis Peculis, Rihards Saksis, Ilona Mandrika, Sofija Vilisova, Jurijs Nazarovs, Austra Breiksa, Aija Gerina, Julie Earl, Ignacio Ruz-Caracuel, Marta Gabriela Rosas, Aldis Pukitis, Natalja Senterjakova, Vita Rovite. Tumor and α-SMA-expressing stromal cells in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors have a distinct RNA profile depending on tumor grade. Mol Oncol. 2025 Mar;19(3):659-681.
- Helvijs Niedra, Olesja Rogoza, Rihards Saksis, Raitis Peculis, Anzela Halilova, Aija Gerina, Sofija Vilisova, Natalja Senterjakova, Aldis Pukitis, Ignacio Ruz-Caracuel, Julie Earl, Georgina Kolnikova, Peter Dubovan, Miroslav Tomas, Peter Makovicky, Maria Urbanova, Bozena Smolkova, Eythimios Koniaris, Ioanna Aggelioudaki, Agapi Kataki, Vita Rovite. Transcriptomic profiling of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors: dysregulation of WNT, MAPK, PI3K, neddylation pathways and potential non-invasive biomarkers. PLoS One. 2025 Jun 16;20(6):e0325672.
- Maria Urbanova, Fabrice Viol, Laura Ruiz-Cañas, Efthymios Koniaris, Rihards Saksis, Sandra Batres-Ramos, Julie Earl, Agapi Kataki, Verona Buocikova, Monika Burikova, Marina Cihova, Lucia Rojikova, Peter Makovicky, Miroslava Matuskova, Yvonne Kohl, Andrea Riedmayer, Marianna Makova, Ladislav Baciak, Daniel Gogola, Olesja Rogoza, Vita Rovite, Bruno Sainz Jr, Bozena Smolkova, Joerg Schrader. Aurora kinase A inhibition as a synthetic lethality strategy in ARID1A-mutated gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma. Cancer Lett. 2025 Dec 1:634:218033.
- Kristīne Vaivode, Rihards Saksis, Helēna Daiga Litvina, Helvijs Niedra, Marta Līva Spriņģe, Una Krūmiņa, Jānis Kloviņš, Vita Rovite. Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Reveals Alterations in Patient Immune Cells with Pulmonary Long COVID-19 Complications. Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2024 Jan 2;46(1):461-468.
- Saksis R, Silamikelis I, Laksa P, Megnis K, Peculis R, Mandrika I, Rogoza O, Petrovska R, Balcere I, Konrade I, Steina L, Stukens J, Breiksa A, Nazarovs J, Sokolovska J, Pirags V, Klovins J, Rovite V. Medication for Acromegaly Reduces Expression of MUC16, MACC1 and GRHL2 in Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumour Tissue. Frontiers in Oncology. 2021 Feb. doi:10.3389/fonc.2020.593760
- Rogoza O, Megnis K, Kudrjavceva M, Gerina-Berzina A, Rovite V. Role of Somatostatin Signalling in Neuroendocrine Tumours. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jan. doi:10.3390/ijms23031447
- Rihards Saksis, Olesja Rogoza, Helvijs Niedra, Kaspars Megnis, Ilona Mandrika, Inga Balcere, Liva Steina, Janis Stukens, Austra Breiksa, Jurijs Nazarovs, Jelizaveta Sokolovska, Ilze Konrade, Raitis Peculis, Vita Rovite. Transcriptome of GH-producing pituitary neuroendocrine tumours and models are significantly affected by somatostatin analogues. Cancer Cell Int. 2023 Feb. doi:10.1186/s12935-023-02863-4
- Niedra H, Peculis R, Litvina HD, Megnis K, Mandrika I, Balcere I, Romanovs M, Steina L, Stukens J, Breiksa A, Nazarovs J, Sokolovska J, Liutkeviciene R, Vilkevicute A, Konrade I, Rovite V. Genome wide analysis of circulating miRNAs in growth hormone secreting pituitary neuroendocrine tumor patients’ plasma. Front Oncol. 2022 Sep 9;12:894317. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.894317
- Niedra H, Konrade I, Peculis R, Isajevs S, Saksis R, Skapars R, Sivins A, Daukste BE, Mezaka D, Rovite V. Solitary fibrous tumor with IGF-II-induced non-islet cell tumor hypoglycemia: a case report and molecular characterization by next-generation sequencing. Front Oncol. 2023 Jul 4;13:1188579. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1188579
- Bozena Smolkova, Agapi Kataki, Julie Earl, Ignacio Ruz-Caracuel, Marina Cihova, Maria Urbanova, Verona Buocikova, Sandra Tamargo, Vita Rovite, Helvijs Niedra, Joerg Schrader, Yvonne Kohl. Liquid biopsy and preclinical tools for advancing diagnosis and treatment of patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2022 Dec:180:103865.