The main themes currently running are:

Tooth eruption and craniofacial morphology

The molecular regulation of tooth eruption and the role of dental follicle are studied in syndromes of disrupted tooth eruption such as in cleidocranial dysplasia. The lab also contributes in the search project of the Dep of Orthodontics School of Dentistry, NKUA, on the potential associations between genetic loci and craniofacial shape.

Related publications: Tooth eruption: Altered gene expression in patients with cleidocranial dysplasia Dorotheou D, Gkantidis Ν, Karamolegkou M, Kalyvas D, Kiliaridis S, Kitraki E., Orthodontics & Craniofacial Research, Feb;16(1):20-7, 2013.

Biology of dental pulp cells

The responses of human dental pulp cells are studied ex vivo following exposure to dental materials or aging factors. The healing potential of dental pulp cells is examined in vivo in animal models of bone lesions.

Related publications:

• Diamanti E, Mathieu S, Jeanneau C, Kitraki E, Panopoulos P, Spyrou G, About I., Endoplasmic reticulum stress and mineralization inhibition mechanism by the resinous monomer HEMA International Endodontic Journal Feb;46(2):160-8, 2013;
• Kitraki E, Zakkas S, Synolaki E, Diamanti E, Tiniakos DG, et al. Dental Pulp Cells Enhance Bone Healing in A Rat Osteotomy Model, Ann Orthop Rheumatol 2(1): 1009, 2014;
• Diamanti E, Petridis X, Kaparou A, Kitraki E. Dental Stem Cells: Regenerative Potential. Dental Stem Cells for Bone Regeneration, Humana Press 2016, pp. 203-230. 
• Petridis X, Diamanti E, Trigas GCh, Kalyvas D, Kitraki E. Bone regeneration in critical-size calvarial defects using human dental pulp cells in an extracellular matrix-based scaffold. J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 2015 May;43(4):483-90.
• E. Kitraki, S. Zakkas, E. Synolaki, E.Diamanti, D. G. Tiniakos, A.Stamatakis, Ch. Matsioula, F. Stylianopoulou,T. Papapolychroniou. Dental Pulp Cells Enhance Bone Healing in A Rat Osteotomy Model. Ann Orthop Rheumatol  2014, 2(1): 1009-1014.

Neuroendocrine correlates of dental stress

The biohormonal indices of dental anxiety in saliva, such as cortisol and alpha-amylase are studied in association with psychometric measures of dental and general anxiety in children, in collaboration with the Department of Paediatric Dentistry, NKUA. The implication of occlusal discrepancies and the degree of stress axis activation are also examined in cases of children with bruxism.

Related publications:

• Yfanti K, Kitraki E, Emmanouil D, Pandis N, Papagiannoulis L. Psychometric and biohormonal indices of dental anxiety in children. A prospective cohort study.  Stress. 2014 Apr 28

Endocrine disruptors and brain function

Exposure of humans to environmental disruptors mimicking gonadal hormones can modify the genome and epigenome of most tissues including the brain, the effects being stronger upon perinatal exposure. We study the impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as the highly abundant bisphenol A, on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of exposed rodent offspring. From May 2015 -May 2019 we participated as a research partner in the EU funded HORIZON 2020 research program EDC-MixRisk (grant 634880) www.edcmixrisk.org. This program aimed to investigate the health effects upon early exposure to mixtures of endocrine disruptors and to provide better tools for risk assessment of hazardous chemicals.

Related publications:

• Poimenova A, Markaki E, Rahiotis C, Kitraki E., Corticosterone-regulated actions in the rat brain are affected by perinatal exposure to low dose of bisphenol A, Neuroscience 167(3):741-9, 2010
• Panagiotidou E, Zerva S, Mitsiou DJ, Alexis MN, Kitraki E., Perinatal exposure to low-dose bisphenol A affects the neuroendocrine stress response in rats. Panagiotidou E, Zerva J Endocrinol. 2014 Jan 27;220(3):207-18.
• Kitraki E, BPA Effects in Vivo: Evidence from Animal Studies. In Plastics in dentistry and estrogenicity, springer.com/book/10.1007%2 F978-3-642-29687-1#page-1
• Kitraki E, Nalvarte I, Alavian-Ghavanini A, Rüegg J. Developmental exposure to bisphenol A alters expression and DNA methylation of Fkbp5, an important regulator of the stress response. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2015 Dec 5;417:191-9.
• Kitraki E, I. Nalvarte, A. Alavian-Ghavanini, Rüegg J. Effects of pre- and post-natal exposure to bisphenol A on the stress system, Endocrine Disruptors 2016, 4:1, e1184775, DOI: 10.1080/23273747.2016.1184775.
• Repouskou A, Panagiotidou E, Panagopoulou L, Bisting PL, Tuck AR, Sjödin MOD, Lindberg J, Bozas E, Rüegg J, Gennings C, Bornehag CG, Damdimopoulou P, Stamatakis A, Kitraki E. Gestational exposure to an epidemiologically defined mixture of phthalates leads to gonadal dysfunction in mouse offspring of both sexes. Sci Rep. 2019 Apr 23;9(1):6424. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-42377-6.
• Bornehag CG, Kitraki E, Stamatakis A, Panagiotidou E, Rudén C, Shu H, et al. A Novel Approach to Chemical Mixture Risk Assessment-Linking Data from Population-Based Epidemiology and Experimental Animal Tests. Risk Anal. 2019 Oct;39(10):2259-2271. doi: 10.1111/risa.13323.
• Repouskou A, Papadopoulou AK, Panagiotidou E, Trichas P, Lindh C, Bergman Å, Gennings C, Bornehag CG, Rüegg J, Kitraki E, Stamatakis A. Long term transcriptional and behavioral effects in mice developmentally exposed to a mixture of endocrine disruptors associated with delayed human neurodevelopment. Sci Rep. 2020 Jun 9;10(1):9367. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66379-x.
• Bakoyiannis I, Kitraki E, Stamatakis A. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and behaviour: A high risk to take? Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Sep;35(5):101517. doi: 10.1016/j.beem.2021.101517
• Repouskou A, Stamatakis A, Kitraki E. In utero exposure to phthalates and reproductive toxicity in rodents. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Sep;35(5):101512. doi: 10.1016/ j.beem.2021.101512.
• Caporale N, Leemans M, Birgersson L, Germain PL, et al. From cohorts to molecules: Adverse impacts of endocrine disrupting mixtures. Science. 2022 Feb 18;375(6582):eabe8244. doi: 10.1126/science.abe8244.