Dimitris Kioussis is a molecular immunologist who has made major contributions to our understanding of the control of gene expression in cells of the developing immune system. He was involved in the initial characterisation of the globin locus control region (LCR) and subsequently discovered the LCR of the human CD2 gene.
His studies of immune gene expression focused on the interactions between cis regulatory elements and trans-acting factors, and on the formation of the required chromatin structures. He established that an incomplete CD2 LCR leads to position effect variegation (PEV), identified specific DNA segments that are necessary to protect from PEV, cloned the HMG-box-containing protein that interacts with one of them, and studied its function by genetic manipulation.
Dimitris is widely known for his expertise in transgenesis and was involved in the establishment of immortalised cell lines from murine tissues using the SV40 T antigen as a transgene. He was Head of Molecular Immunology Division at NIMR until his retirement in 2010. He is an elected member of EMBO and the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Subject groups
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Molecules of Life
Molecular immunology
