Dr. Eleftherios P. Diamandis

Areas of Focus
Cancer Biology

Dr. Eleftherios P. Diamandis is Section Head of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Mount Sinai Hospital, Professor and Head, Division of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto and Biochemist-in-Chief, Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, Toronto Ontario.

Research in Dr. Diamandis' lab focuses on four major areas:

Discovery and validation of novel biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of cancer and other diseases. Dr. Diamandis is using proteomics and mass spectrometry techniques to achieve these goals.

Study of the physiology and pathobiology of kallikreins and kallikrein-related peptidases. Kallikreins are a group of 15 serine proteases which participate in many biological processes, including cell signaling, tissue remodelling, wound healing, skin desquamation, cognition, etc. In cancer, kallikreins participate in invasion and metastasis. The Diamandis laboratory was the first to clone the genes for several members of this family and has constructed the first map of all 15 genes on chromosome 19q.13.4.

Examination of the therapeutic potential of cardiac glycosides. Recently, the Diamandis laboratory identified anticarcinogenic activities of cardial glycosides and especially, their synergistic effects with other drugs. This work is mainly carried out by high-throughput screening of large chemical libraries.

The Diamandis laboratory is investigating novel ways for prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome and other fetal abnormalities by using proteomics and mass spectrometry. Recently, our laboratory was the first to delineate the proteome of human amniotic fluid.

Dr. Diamandis is a member of many International and Professional Associations including the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, etc. He is also a member of the Royal Society of Canada and corresponding member of the Academy of Athens, Greece. He is, or was, on the Editorial Board of 30 Journals including Clinical Chemistry, Cancer Research, British Journal of Cancer, International Journal of Cancer and BMC Medicine. He won many awards from National and International Organizations.

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Location

Lunenfeld- Tanenbaum Research Institute
Mount Sinai Hospital
871-600 University Ave.
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1X5

At a glance

Dr. Diamandis is using proteomics and mass spectrometry to discover and validate novel biomarkers for diagnosis and monitoring of cancer.

He is examining the role of cardiac glycosides and other compounds as novel therapeutics for cancer.

He is also investigating novel ways for prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome and other fetal abnormalities by using simple tests in maternal blood.

Holds the Hold'em for Life Chair in Prostate Cancer Biomarkers.

Dr. Diamandis is the Director of the Advanced Center for Detection of Cancer and is working closely with clinicians at the Koffler Center for Urologic Diseases to study prostate cancer and male infertility.

Major research activities

It is well known that when cancer is diagnosed early, it is mostly treatable. Dr. Diamandis' work is focusing on identifying simple diagnostic tests for early detection of cancer. One of the best ways to eliminate Down Syndrome is by prenatal diagnosis. Dr. Diamandis is investigating novel ways of identifying fetal abnormalities, including Down Syndrome by using novel proteomic technologies.

Dr. Diamandis' group discovered most known kallikrein genes and he is using this information to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutics, based on kallikrein physiology and pathobiology.