Research areas, Laboratories
- Hereditary forms of cancer A detailed molecular characterization of tumours in order to improve the management of cancer and treatment modalities; identification of novel molecular markers and introduction of novel molecular–genetic methods into clinical practise for early cancer diagnosis or prognosis. Cancer types: polyposis and non-polyposis colorectal cancer (FAP and HNPCC – Lynch syndrome); breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC); multiple endocrinne neoplasia type 2 syndrome
- Cancer epigenetics The analyses of the methylation status in gene associated with tumour progression and metastasis in cancer patient`s samples/biopsies to identify novel molecular markers for early cancer diagnosis or prognosis
- Mesenchymal stem cells Mesenchymal stromal cell directed enzyme/prodrug cancer therapy on experimental tumour and lung metastasis models; role of activated stromal fibroblasts in controlling progression to malignancies; antitumor therapy of human tumour xenografts by interfering with tumour microenvironment and angiogenesis; regulated expression of therapeutic gene(s) for antitumor therapy of human tumour xenografts; tumor cell (subset) chemoresistance and its relevance for its tumour-initiating properties
- DNA Repair and Cancer a key role of DNA damage response and repair mechanisms in cancer prevention, may have implications on cancer treatment; can be used as prognostic and predictive cancer biomarkers These include (i) three forms of excision repair, nucleotide excision repair (NER), base excision repair (BER) and mismatch repair (MMR), (ii) the two main DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathways, homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), (iii) interstrand cross-link (ICL) repair, (iv) direct DNA damage reversal such as demethylation, (v) DNA damage tolerance and (vi) translesion DNA synthesis (TLS)
- Cancer immunology immunophenotyping of blood malignancies by multiparametric flow cytometry; detection of aberrant phenotypes (LAP), minimal residual disease, control of normal hematopoiesis in regenerating bone marrow etc.
- Cancer biology, Multidrug resistence Apoptosis, autophagy, EMT (epithelial to mesenchymal transition); to understand factors regulating these processes at molecular and cellular levels; modulation of cisplatin (CDDP) resistance and alterations of signaling/apoptotic pathways associated with CDDP resistance in human ovarian cancer cells
- Chemical carcinogenesis, chemoprevention, nanotoxicology and experimental therapy to understand basic molecular and cellular mechanisms of DNA damage induction and removal; mechanism(s) of action; metabolism; protective effects of natural substances (aromatic oils, extracts from fruits, medical plants), with emphasis on antioxidant activity including the mechanisms of selenium (Se) toxicity; nano:bio interactions/nanotoxicology (magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, natural mineral Realgar (As4S4), gold nanoparticles), mechanism(s) of internalization, accumulation; impact on basic cellular processes
- Radiobiology the research is focused on the development and validation of sensitive biomarkers to predict the patient`s response to radiotherapy that could lead to personalization and optimization of their treatment.
Laboratory of Molecular Oncology
LABORATORIES
Head of laboratory: Kučerová Lucia
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Laboratory of Cancer Genetics
Head of laboratory: Fridrichová Ivana
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Laboratory of Molecular Genetics
Head of laboratory: Chovanec Miroslav
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Laboratory of Tumor Immunology
Head of laboratory: Sedlák Ján
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Laboratory of Mutagenesis and Carcinogenesis
Head of laboratory: Gábelová Alena
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Laboratory of Radiobiology
Head of laboratory: Beliaev Igor
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