Head
Assoc. Prof. Katerina Stanimirova Dimitrova, PhD
☎ 979 23 82

The Department of Pathology contributes to the health care of animals and humans in Bulgaria by undertaking basic and applied scientific research in the field of Pathology and clinical features of malignant, infectious, non-infectious and parasitic diseases.
A comprehensive approach (in vitro, in vivo and in ovo) is employed to study the biological properties and safety of chemical and biological products with immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, antiviral and antiparasitic activity, especially their cytotoxicity, gen-toxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and teratogenicity, as well.
Innovative investigations are carried out for the needs of the biotechnological industry, development of diagnostics and policies to improve the diagnosis, control and basic understanding of emerging animal diseases with severe economic impacts.
The research topics are in line with national and european priorities "Health" and "Food safety".

Research priorities involved:

Pathology, pathogenesis and identification of emerging animal diseases

Pathomorphological characterization of poisonings and toxicity of newly developed drugs

Carcinogenesis: experimental and clinical/molecular genetic research on cancer diseases

- pathogenesis of virus-induced malignancies: human papillomavirus and polioma viruses, bovine leukemia, avian and murine oncogenic viruses; experimental models of human cancers;

- antitumor activity of chemical compounds and biologically active natural products;

- mechanisms of the immune response in normal and pathological conditions, immunomodulation in experimental tumor systems (in vitro and in vivo);

- nanotechnology approaches for the treatment of tumors and wounds reveal to new possibilities to overcome difficult for treatment diseases;

- development of liposome based medicines for Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of cancer diseases;

An comprehensive approach for assessing safety of chemicals, drugs, food and biologically active substances of natural origin

- in vitro testing for cytotoxicity, gen-toxicity, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity

- alternative tests in ovo concerning embryotoxicity, teratogenicity, genotoxicity and carcinogenicity

Development of cell lines and strains suitable for the biotechnology industry: diagnostics and bioproducts; testing of drugs, which is beneficial for production of more safely bioproducts;