Group for Immunology was established in 2007 as a successor to the Group for immunochemistry. Changing the name of a group emerged as a result of broadening the scope of research, from immunochemical properties of immunoglobulins, immune complexes and lipoproteins to the molecular and cellular mechanisms of immunoregulation.
Until 2007, the research, in the Group of immunology, was focused on structure-based analysis of immunoglobulins, the humoral branch of immune response, in body fluids of humans and animals, underlying their physiological and pathological conditions. The results of the studies of molecular mechanisms of malignant alterations in multiple myeloma have provided information on structural characteristics of monoclonal immunoglobulins (paraprotein) in human malignant monoclonal gammopathies and composition of cell receptors expressed on peripheral blood lymphocyte in multiple myeloma. Over this period a notable part of the work was related to the problem of reactivity and specificity of rheumatoid factors, auto anti-immunoglobulin antibodies present in the serum of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Another major area of investigation was defining the molecular characteristics of immunoglobulins in the sense of local mucosal immune system response. The most important goal of this area of research was to analyse the molecular characteristics of immunoglobulins of oral fluid, gingival crevicular fluid and saliva in periodontal disease.
Since 2007, due to opening new research areas, the members of the group have introduced, in coordination with other institutes and faculties of the University of Belgrade, a number of new methods and techniques: cell culture, cutting edge microscopic techniques, complex physicochemical analyses, and novel techniques to test nucleic acids. The current research is mainly focused on studies of structure of immunoglobulin in inflamatory and infectious diseases and studies of immunomodulatory function of immune complexes and different (bio)pharmaceuticals. The group has carried out studies on body fluids’ proteins and lipoproteins with the aim of using them as biomarkers of inflammatory diseases in humans and animals. A significant part of the group research is focused on studies of erythrocytes (erythrocytes imaging) and hemoglobin, to explain their immunoregulatory roles. In conclusion, both basic and applied research performed in the group led to the development of a significant number of immunochemical assays.
The Group of Immunology is headed by dr. Vesna Ilić, and the associates are: dr. Dragana Marković, dr. Sonja Mojsilović, dr. Ivana Drvenica, dr. Marijana Kovačić, dr. Irina Maslovarić and dr. Rajna Minić.
Dr. Vesna Ilić, Principal Research Fellow (head of group)
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1119-1343
Dr. Dragana Marković, Senior Research Associate
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3646-8505
Dr. Ivana Drvenica, Senior Research Associate
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4985-1642
Dr. Sonja Mojsilović, Research Associate
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2342-0473
Dr. Irina Maslovarić, Research Associate
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2342-0473
Dr. Marijana Kovačić, Research Associate
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0304-2735
Dr. Rajna Minić, Principal Research Fellow
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2941-9246
In the period of 2008 - 2022. members of Group of immunology, IMR participated in 20 PhD thesis, 5 master thesis and 5 graduation papers at the Faculty of Biology, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Faculty of Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Belgrade.
Hemoglobin-based spectroscopy and nonlinear imaging of erythrocytes and their membranes as emerging diagnostic tool (HEMMAGINERO). Program for excellent projects of young researchers in Republic of Serbia (PROMIS) funded by The Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia. Project leader: Dr Aleksandar krmpot, Institute for Physics, University of Belgrade. Dr Ivana Drvenica, project participant.
Funded by the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Development (PI dr. Diana Bugarski)
SCOPES (Scientific cooperation between Eastern Europe and Switzerland) project (PI dr. Vladan Čokić)
Funded by the Serbian Ministry of Youth and Sports. Coordinators: dr Vesna Ilić, IMR, University of Belgrade; dr Irina Maslovarić, IMR, weightlifting club "Red Star" and the Serbian Weightlifting Federation; dr. Sanja Mazić, Serbian Institute of Sport and Sports Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade
Marković D, Maslovarić I, Đikić D, Čokić V. (2022) Neutrophil Death in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: Shedding More Light on Neutrophils as a Pathogenic Link to Chronic Inflammation. Int .J Mol. Sci. 23(3): 1490.
Stančić AZ, Drvenica IT, Ilić VLj, Bugarski BM, Bugarski DS. (2022) Modulation of functional characteristics of mesenchymal stromal cells by acellular preparation of porcine hemoglobin. Processes 2022, 10, 32.
https: doi.org/10.3390/pr10010032
Drvenica I, Mojsilović S, Stančić A, Marković D, Kovačić M, Maslovarić I, Rapajić I, Vučetić D, Ilić V. (2021) The effects of incubation media on the assessment of the shape of human erythrocytes by flow cytometry: a contribution to mathematical data interpretation to enable wider application of the method., Eur Biophys J. 50(6): 829-846.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00249-021-01527-3
Maslovarić I, Ilić V, Drvenica I, Stančić A, Mojsilović S, Kukolj T, Bugarski D, Saso L, Nicoletti M. (2021) Insight into the Biological Activity of Hennosides-Glucosides Isolated from Lawsonia inermis (henna): Could They Be Regarded as Active Constituents Instead. Plants (Basel). 10(2):237.
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020237
Kovačić M, Natalija Fratrić, Aleksandra Arsić A, Mojsilović Sl, Drvenica I, Marković D, Maslovarić I, Grujić Milanović J, Ivanov M, Ilić V. (2020) Structural characteristics of circulating immune complexes in calves with bronchopneumonia: Impact on the quiescent leukocytes. Research in Veterinary Science, 63-74.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2020.09.004
Stojić M, Ilić V, Kovačić M, Gvozdić D, Stajković S, Vejnović B, Savić O, Fratrić N. (2020) Effects of oral supplementation with organically modified clinoptilolite during prepartum period on colostrum quality in primiparous dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Research, 87(4): 429-435.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022029920001077
Stančić AZ, Drvenica IT, Obradović HN, Bugarski BM, Ilić VLj, Bugarski DS. (2020) Native bovine hemoglobin reduces differentiation capacity of mesenchymal stromal cells in vitro. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 144:909-920.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2019.09.167
Stančić AZ, Drvenica IT, Bugarski BM, Ilić VLj, Bugarski DS. (2020) Extracellular xenogeneic hemoglobin suppresses myogenic differentiation capacity of C2C12 myoblasts, Archives of Biological Sciences, 72(3):379-391.
https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS200625032S
Dragacevic L, Djordjevic B, Gavrovic-Jankulovic M, Ilic V, Kanazir D, Minic R. (2020) ELLSA based profiling of surface glycosylation in microorganisms reveals that ß-glucan rich yeasts’ surfaces are selectively recognized with recombinant banana lectin. Glycoconjugateе Journal, 37(1):95-105. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10719-019-09898-8
Drvenica I, Stančić A, Kalušević A, Marković S, Dragišić Maksimović J, Nedović VA, Bugarski BM, Ilić VLj. (2019) Maltose-mediated long-term stabilization of freeze- and spray- dried forms of bovine and porcine hemoglobin. Journal of the Serbian Chemical Society, 84(10): 1105-1117.
https://doi.org/10.2298/JSC190513067D
Drvenica I, Stančić A, Bugarski B, Pajic-Lijaković I, Maslovarić I, Ilić V. (2019) Erythrocytes Membranes: Unique Constituent of Biological/Hybrid Drug Delivery Systems, In: Erythrocytes: Structure, Functions and Clinical Aspects by Katy Jorissen (Editor), Series: Recent Advances in Hematology Research, Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Maslovarić I, Ilić VLj, Stančić AZ, Santibanez JF, Trivanović DI, Drvenica IT, Krstić JS, Mojsilović SB, Okić Djordjević IN, Bugarski DS. (2019) Platelet-poor plasma of athletes is a potent inducer of myogenic differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts, Veterinarski glasnik, 74(1): 18-33.
https://doi.org/10.2298/VETGL190414019M.
Vučetić D, Jovičić M, Maslovarić I, Bogdanović S, Antić A, Stanojković Z, Filimonović G, Ilić V. (2019) Transfusion-transmissible infections among Serbian blood donors: declining trends over the period 2005-2017. Blood Transfusion, 17(5):336-346.
DOI: 10.2450/2019.0185-18.
Maslovarić I, Stojković A, Kosanović D, Marković D, Ilić V, Jovanova-Nešić K. (2018) Vaccination and autoimmunity: influenza vaccination and association with multiple sclerosis. Vojnosanitetski pregled, 75(7): 721–729.
https://doi.org/10.2298/VSP160620002M
Vučetić D, Ilić V, Vojvodić D, Subota V, Todorovi M, Balint B. (2018) Flow cytometry analysis of platelets’ populations is useful in monitoring storage lesions in pooled buffy-coat platelet concentrates, Blood Transfusion 16(1): 83-92.
DOI 10.2450/2016.0193-16
Minić R, Papić Z, Đorđević B, Michaličkova D, Ilić V, Mathiesen G, Živković I, Pantic V, Dimitrijević Lj. (2018) Profiling of microorganism-binding serum antibody specificities in professional athlete. PloSONE 2018, 13(9): e0203665.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203665
Dobričić V, Drvenica I, Stančić A, Mihailović M, O Čudina O, Bugarski D, Ilić V. (2018) Investigation of Metabolic Properties and Effects of 17β-carboxamide Glucocorticoids on Human Peripheral Blood Leukocyte. Archiv der Pharmazie 351(5):e1700371.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ardp.201700371
Bukara K, Jovanić S, Drvenica IT, Stančić A, Ilić V, Rabasović MD, Pantelić D, Jelenković B, Bugarski B, Krmpot AJ. Mapping of hemoglobin in erythrocytes and erythrocyte ghosts using two photon excitation fluorescence microscopy. (2017) Journal of Biomedical Optics, 22(2):26003.
DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.22.2.026003.
Kovačić M, Marković D, Maslovarić I, Obrenović S, Grujić-Milanović J, Arsić A, Milanović Z, Savić O, Fratrić N, Ilić V. (2017) Serum proteins and lipids in mild form of calf bronchopneumonia: Candidates for reliable biomarkers Acta Veterinaria-Beograd, 67(2), DOI:10.1515/acve-2017-0018.
Bjelica J, Jovanović IB, Ilić V, Valčić O, Kirovski D, Gvozdić D, Milanović S. (2017) Effects of selenium and thyroid hormone deficiency on peritoneal macrophages adhesion and occurrence of naturally occurring IgM antibodies in juvenile rats. Acta Veterinaria-Beograd,67(3): 340-355.
DOI: 10.1515/acve-2017-0028; UDK: 615.326:546.23; 612.444
Stojić M, FratrićN, KovačićM, Ilić V, Gvozdić D, Savić O, Đoković R, Valčić O. (2017) Brix refractometry of colostrum from primiparous dairy cows and new-born calf blood serum in the evaluation of failure of passive transfer. Acta Veterinaria-Beograd, 67(4): 508-524.
DOI: 10.1515/acve-2017-0041
Buač M, Mojsilović S, Mišić D, Vuković D, Savić O, Valčić O, Marković D, Gvozdić D, Ilić V, Fratrić N. (2016) Circulating immune complexes of calves with bronchopneumonia modulate the function of peripheral blood leukocytes: In vitro evaluation. Research in Veterinary Science, 106: 135-142.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2016.04.002
Drvenica I, Bukara K, Ilić V, Mišić D, Vasic B, Gajic R, Djordjević V, Veljović Dj, Belić A, Bugarski B. Biomembranes from slaughterhouse blood erythrocytes as prolonged release systems for dexamethasone sodium phosphate. (2016) Biotechnology Progress, 32: 1046-1055.
https://doi.org/10.1002/btpr.2304
Bukara K, Drvenica I, Ilić V, Stančić A, Mišić D, Vasić B, Gajić R, Vučetić D, Kiekens F, Bugarski B. (2016) Comparative studies on osmosis based encapsulation of sodium diclofenac in porcine and outdated human erythrocyte ghosts. Journal of Biotechnology 240: 14-22.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiotec.2016.10.017
Vučetić D, Ilić V, Vojvodić D, Subota V, Todorović M, Balint B. (2016) Flow cytometry analysis of platelets’ populations is useful in monitoring storage lesions in pooled buffy-coat platelet concentrates. Blood Transfusion 6(1):83-92.
DOI 10.2450/2016.0193-16.
Obrenović S, Ristanović E, Čekanac R, Radulović Ž, Ilić V. (2015) Seroprevalence of IgG antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi in dogs in Belgrade area, Serbia. Acta Veterinaria-Beograd 65: 99-110.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/acve-2015-0008
Vučetić D, Kecman G, Ilić V, Balint B. Blood donors' transfusion-transmissible infection positivity - the Serbian Military Medical Academy experience. (2015) Blood Transfusion, 13: 569-575.
DOI: 10.2450/2015.0314-14
Kostić IT, Ilić VL, Bukara KM, Mojsilović SB, Đurić Z, Draškovič P, Bugarski BM. (2015) Flow cytometric determination of osmotic behaviour of animal erythrocytes toward their engineering for drug delivery. Hemijska industrija, 69: 67–76.
https://doi.org/10.2298/HEMIND140124021K
Kostić IT, Ilić VLj, Ðorđević VB, Bukara KM, Mojsilović SB, Nedović VA, Bugarski DS, Veljović ÐN, Mišić DM, Bugarski BM (2014) Erythrocyte membranes from slaughterhouse blood as potential drug vehicles: Isolation by gradual hypotonic hemolysis and biochemical and morphological characterization. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 122, 250-259.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2014.06.043
Djunic I, Elezovic I, Vucic M, Srdic-Rajic T, Konic-Ristic A, Ilic V, Milic N, Bila J, Suvajdzic-Vukovic N, Virijevic M, Antic D, Vidovic A, Tomin D. (2013) Specific binding of paraprotein to platelet receptors as a cause of platelet dysfunction in monoclonal gammopathies. Acta Haematologica. 130: 101-107.
https://doi.org/10.1159/000345418
Trivanović D, Mojsilović S, Ilić V, Krstić J, Jauković A, Okić-Đorđević I, Santibanez JF, Jovčić G, Bugarski D. (2013) Immunomodulatory capacity of human mesenchymal stem cells isolated from adipose tissue, dental pulp, peripheral blood and umbilical cord Wharton’s Jelly. Central European Journal of Immunology 38: 421-429.
DOI: 10.5114/ceji.2013.39756
Fratrić N, Gvozdić D, Vuković D, Savić O, Buač M, Ilić V. (2012) Evidence that calf bronchopneumonia may be accompanied by increased sialylation of circulating immune complexes` IgG. Veterinary immunology and immunopathology, 150: 161– 168.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2012.09.009
Kovačević-Filipović M, Ilić V, Vujčić Z, Dojnov B, Stevanov-Pavlović M, Mijačević Z, Božić T. (2012) Serum amyloid A isoforms in serum and milk from cows with Staphylococcus aureus subclinical mastitis. Veterinary immunology and immunopathology, 145: 120-128.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetimm.2011.10.015
Stojanović R, Ilić V, Manojlović V, Bugarski D, Dević M, Bugarski B. (2012) Isolation of hemoglobin from bovine erythrocytes by controlled hemolysis in the membrane bioreactor. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 166: 1491-1506.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-012-9543-9
Ilić V, Mojsilović S, Marković D, Maslovarić I, Milošević-Jovčić N. (2012) Anion exchange chromatographic distribution of human monoclonal immunoglobulin G is determined by heavy chain subclass and level of sialic acid expression. Hemijska industrija, 66: 531–540.
DOI: 10.2298/HEMIND110930011I
Ana Stančić (2020) Effect of extracellular hemoglobin of xenogeneic origin on functional characteristics of mesenchymal cells in vitro. Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade.
Role of inactivated influenza vaccine in regulation of autoimmune processes in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade