DEPARTMENT NAME
Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer

CONTACT DETAILS FOR HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
Full Professor Malgorzata Czyż, PhD malgorzata.czyz@umed.lodz.pl
+48 42 272 57 03

Department of Molecular Biology of Cancer
ul. Mazowiecka 6/8
92-215 Lodz, Poland

TEAM MEMBERS
Head of department:
Full Professor Malgorzata Czyż, PhD

Assistant Professors:
Małgorzata Sztiller-Sikorska Ph.D., Michał Woźniak Ph.D., Mariusz Hartman Ph.D. Anna Gajos-Michniewicz Ph.D.

Technical assistance:
Karolina Niewinna M. Eng., Ewa Lewandowska M.Sc.

PhD students:
Izabela Zaleśna M.D., Aleksandra Mielczarek M.Sc., Michał Różański M.Eng., Marta Ośrodek M.Sc.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH ACTIVITY
Melanoma cells from patient-derived tumors are grown in different microenvironments to establish the growth conditions most suitable for preserving the phenotype of the original tumor. 3D multicellular structures are used to study melanoma biology and melanoma cell response to anticancer drugs, including targeted therapeutics, library of drugs and newly synthesized compounds. The activity also concerns the genome-phenotype relationship, including the mechanism of resistance.

Keywords: Melanoma, genome, phenotype

DEPARTMENTAL ACHIEVEMENTS: PROJECTS AND PAPERS

Projects:
Inhibitors of anti-apoptotic proteins from the BCL-2 family as agents enhancing BRAFV600E inhibition in melanoma cells. PI: M. Hartman (2017-2020), SONATA
Next generation in vitro experimental model of melanoma for pharmacological studies. PI: M. Czyz (2015-2018), OPUS
Identification of potential therapeutic targets in melanoma stem-like cells. PI: M. Czyz (2013-2015), HARMONIA Characterization of melanospheres derived from clinical melanoma specimens in terms of their capability to recapitulate parental tumor phenotype, the frequency of cells with stem cell properties (…) PI: M. Czyz (2012-2014), OPUS
The comparative analysis of miRNA expression profiles (…) PI: M. Wozniak (2012-2014), SONATA

Papers:
Hartman ML (…) Czyz M; Lab Invest 2017; 97:217-27
Hartman ML, (…) Czyz M; Oncotarget 2016; 7:9026-40
Sztiller-Sikorska M, (…) Czyz M; Lab Invest 2015; 95:672-83
Hartman ML & Czyz M; J Invest Dermatol 2015; 135:352-8
Hartman ML, (…) Czyz M; PLoS ONE 2014; 9:e