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LATVIAN

BIOMEDICAL

RESEARCH AND STUDY CENTRE

RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN BIOMEDICINE FROM GENES TO HUMAN

V.Rovite 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 research of neuroendocrine tumous and autoimmune disease to investigate the development mechanisms of these disease and to find prognostic factors that could help to improve treatment and management. Furthermore, a wide collaborative network in the field of medicine has prompted several collaboration projects in research areas of endocrinology and gastroenterology. Currently, our team is developing novel NGS approaches and building experience in functional studies to retain flexibility and openness to perform state-of-the-art research in the field of translational medicine.

Vita Rovīte, PhD

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

 

Rihards Saksis, MSc. biol., rihards.saksis@biomed.lu.lv

Oļesja Rogoza, BSc. biol., olesja.rogoza@biomed.lu.lv

Daiga Helēna Litvina, BSc. biol., daiga.litvina@biomed.lu.lv

Anžela Halilova,  anzela.halilova@biomed.lu.lv

Areas for searching partners

  • Neuroendocrine tumours and tumours of endocrine system
  • Autoimmune disease
  • Newest sequencing and omics methods and technologies

10 the most representative publications for the scientific group

  1. Olesja Rogoza, Kaspars Megnis, Marija Kudrjavceva, Aija Gerina-Berzina, Vita Rovite. Role of Somatostatin Signalling in Neuroendocrine Tumours. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jan 27;23(3):1447. doi: 10.3390/ijms23031447
  2. Peculis R, Niedra H, Rovite V. Large Scale Molecular Studies of Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors: Novel Markers, Mechanisms and Translational Perspectives. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Mar 19;13(6):1395. doi: 10.3390/cancers13061395. PMID: 33808624
  3. 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. Front Oncol. 2021 Feb 15;10:593760. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2020.593760. PMID: 33680922
  4. Niedra H, Peculis R, Konrade I, Balcere I, Romanovs M, Steina L, Stukens J, Sokolovska J, Klovins J, Rovite V. Case Report: Micro-RNAs in Plasma From Bilateral Inferior Petrosal Sinus Sampling and Peripheral Blood From Corticotroph Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors. Front. Endocrinol., 22 April 2022, https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.748152
  5. Megnis K, Peculis R, Rovite V, Laksa P, Niedra H, Balcere I, Caune O, Breiksa A, Nazarovs J, Stukens J, Konrade I, Pirags V, Klovins J. Evaluation of the Possibility to Detect Circulating Tumor DNA From Pituitary Adenoma. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019 Sep 18;10:615. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00615
  6. Zalizko P, Stefanovics J, Sokolovska J, Paramonova N, Klavina E, Erts R, Rovite V, Klovins J, Pukitis A. Thiopurine S-methyltransferase genetic polymorphisms in adult patients with inflammatory bowel diseases in the Latvian population. Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2020 Jul 14;13:1756284820937426
  7. Elbere I, Silamikelis I, Dindune I, Kalnina I, Ustinova M, Zaharenko L, Silamikele L, Rovite V, Gudra D, Konrade I, Sokolovska J, Pirags V, Klovins J. Baseline gut microbiome composition predicts metformin therapy  short-term  efficacy  in  newly  diagnosed  type  2  diabetes  patients.  PLoS  One.  2020  Oct 30;15(10):e0241338
  8. Peculis R, Mandrika I, Petrovska R, Dortane R, Megnis K, Nazarovs J, Balcere I, Stukens J, Konrade I, Pirags V, Klovins J, Rovite V. Pituispheres Contain Genetic Variants Characteristic to Pituitary Adenoma Tumor Tissue. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2020 May 22;11:313
  9. COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. Mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19. Nature. 2021 Jul 8. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03767-x
  10. Salem RM, … Rovite V … SUMMIT Consortium. Study of Diabetic Kidney Disease Highlights Biology Involved in Glomerular Basement Membrane Collagen. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2019 Oct;30(10):2000-2016. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2019030218