Ongoing grants

INTERNATIONAL

Horizon Europe

• Comprehensive Cancer Infrastructure 4 Europe. Project code: 101103746, PI BMC: Marína Cihová, duration 5/2023 – 3/2026
• Nanobiotechnologies for Innovative Therapeutic Approaches for Cancer (NanoBio4Can) postdoctoral programme COFUND Programme, Horizon Europe Grant Agreement No. 101126492. start 1/2024 Project partner Miroslava Matúšková, https://nanobio4can.net/

TRANSCANs

• Reversing Epitranscriptomic Alterations for CHemosensitization of Pancreatic Cancer (REACH) TRANSCAN2023-1858-117, PI BMC: Božena Smolková, duration 9/2024-8/2027, Funding 1,269,965.04 EUR, for BMC SAS 120,000 EUR

COST actions

• Modelling immunotherapy response and toxicity in cancer (IMMUNO-model), MC member: Božena Smolková, WG members (BS, VB, MC, MU, LJ, LD, PD, MT) Project code: COST CA21135, action chair Eva Martinez-Balibrea, Spain, duration: 11/2022–11/2026, https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA21135/
• Identification of biological markers for prevention and translational medicine in pancreatic cancer (TRANSPAN), Project code: COST CA21116, action chair Federico Canzian, Germany, WG members (BS, MU, LT), duration: 10/2022–10/2026, https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA21116/
• International networking on in vitro colon models simulating gut microbiota mediated interactions (INFOGUT) Project code: CA23110, action chair Andrea Gianotti, Italy, MC member: Miroslava Matúšková, duration 10/2024–10/2028, https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA23110/#tabs+Name:Description

NATIONAL

SRDA projects (Slovak Research and Development Agency)

• ExoTREAT – Suicide gene therapy mediated by mesenchymal stromal and pancreatic tumor cell-excreted extracellular vesicles in the treatment of PDAC. Project code: APVV-20-0143, PI: Marína Cihová, duration: 7/2021 – 6/2025, funding 250,000 EUR
• HeatME – Reprogramming pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma microenvironment towards immunotherapy. Project code: APVV-21-0197, PI: Božena Smolková, duration: 7/2022 – 6/2026, funding 250,000 EUR
• INCAM – Identification of novel biomarkers linked to the relapse of metastatic colorectal cancer after metastasectomy. Project code: APVV-21-0296, PI BMC: Miroslava Matúšková, duration: 7/2022 – 6/2026, BMC SAS project partner, funding 249,575 EUR
• Targeting high-order chromatin regulation for the treatment of poor prognosis uveal melanoma. Project code: APVV-23-0294, PI: Božena Smolková, BMC SAS project partner, duration: 7/2024 – 6/2028, funding 199,736 EUR

VEGA projects (Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, of the SR and the Slovak Academy of Sciences)

• Verification of clinically relevant biomarkers for the stratification of CRC patients by molecular and bioinformatic methods. Project code: VEGA /2/0170/22, PI: Martina Poturnajová, duration: 1/2022 – 12/2025
• Evaluation of the role of tumor microenvironment stromal component in breast cancer treatment outcome using an organoid model. Project code: VEGA/2/0067/22, PI: Monika Buríková, duration: 1/2022 – 12/2025
• Analysis of the clinical relevance of EDA2R gene duplication in autistic boy stem cells to his disease. Characterization of EDA2R receptor expression in stem cells obtained from the dental pulp of permanent and temporary teeth. Project code: VEGA 1/0483/23, PI BMC: Čestmír Altaner, duration: 1/2023 – 12/2025
• DNA methylation biomarkers as a tool for the implementation of liquid biopsy in uveal melanoma. Project code: VEGA/2/0027/24, PI: Viera Horváthová Kajabová, duration: 1/2024 – 12/2027

Participation in large institutional grants

European Union Structural Funds projects:

• LISPER- Integrative strategy in the development of personalized medicine of selected malignant tumours and its impact on quality of life. Project code: 313011V446, PI: Lukáš Plank; PI BMC: Miroslav Chovanec. duration: 2019-2023; several members of our team participate in this project
• BIOFORD – Integrovaná infraštruktúra pre projekt: Systémová verejná výskumná infraštruktúra – biobanka pre nádorové a zriedkavé ochorenia. Project code: ITMS: 313011AFG5, duration:2020 – 2024; several members of our team participate in this project

Selected publications:

• Timmerman, M Dennis – Eleveld, FThomas – Sriram, Sruthi – Dorssers, C J Lambert – Gillis, J M Ad – Schmidtova, Silvia – Kalavska, Katarina – van de Werken, J G Harmen – Oing,Christoph – Honecker, Friedemann – Mego,Michal – Looijenga, H JChromosome 3p25.3 Gain Is Associated with Cisplatin Resistance and Is an Independent Predictor of Poor Outcome in Male Malignant Germ Cell Tumors Journal of Clinical Oncology 2022 Apr 20; JCO2102809. Online ahead of print. 10.1200/jco.21.02809
• BUOCIKOVÁ, Verona – LONGHIN, Eleonora Marta – PILALIS, Eleftherios – MASTROKALOU, Chara – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana – CIHOVÁ, Marína – POTURNAYOVÁ Alexandra – MACKOVÁ, Katarína – BÁBELOVÁ, Andrea – TRNKOVÁ, Lenka – … – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava – CIMPAN, Mihaela Roxana – DUŠINSKÁ, Mária – BABÁL, Pavel -CHATZIIOANNOU, Aristotelis – GÁBELOVA, Alena – RUNDEN-PRAN, Elise – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena**. Decitabine potentiates efficacy of doxorubicin in a preclinical trastuzumab-resistant HER2-positive breast cancer models. In Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 2022, vol. 147, no (2021: 7.419 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.194 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC).  10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112662
• URBANOVÁ, Mária – BUOCIKOVÁ, Verona – TRNKOVÁ, Lenka – STRAPCOVÁ, Sabina – KAJABOVÁ HORVÁTHOVÁ, Viera –  MELIAN BARRETO, Emma – NOVISEDLÁKOVÁ, Mária  -TOMÁŠ, Miroslav – DUBOVAN, Peter – EARl, Julie – BÍZIK, Jozef – ŠVASTOVÁ, Eliška -ČIERNIKOVÁ, Soňa – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena**. DNA Methylation Mediates EMT Gene Expression in Human Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines. In International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2022, vol. 23, no 2117. (2021: 6.208 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.176 – SJR, Q1 – SJR). 3390/ijms23042117
• POTURNAJOVÁ, Martina**- KOZOVSKÁ, Zuzana – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 and 1A3 isoforms – mechanism of activation and regulation in cancer. In Cell Signal. 2021 (2020: 4.315 – IF, Q3 – JCR, 1.435 – SJR, Q2 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). 1016/j.cellsig.2021.110120
• POTURNAJOVÁ, Martina**- FURIELOVÁ, Tatiana – BÁLINTOVÁ, Soňa – SCHMIDTOVÁ, Silvia – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Molecular features and gene expression signature of metastatic colorectal cancer. In Oncology Reports 2021, vol 45, no 10. (2020: 3.906 – IF, Q3 – JCR, 1.094 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). 10.3892/or.2021.7961
• PLAVÁ, Jana – CIHOVÁ, Marína – BURÍKOVÁ, Monika – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana**. Recent advances in understanding tumor stroma-mediated chemoresistance in breast cancer. In Molecular Cancer, 2019, vol. 18, p. 67. (2018: 10.679 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 3.274 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 1476-4598. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-019-0960-z 90
• DEMKOVÁ, Lucia – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia**. Role of the HGF/c-MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors in metastasic melanoma. In Molecular Cancer, 2018, vol. 17, no. 1, p. 26. (2017: 7.776 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 2.778 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 1476-4598. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-018-0795-z 91
• KOZOVSKÁ, Zuzana** – PATSALIAS, A. – BAJZIK, V. – ĎURINÍKOVÁ, Erika – DEMKOVÁ, Lucia – JARGASOVA, S. – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena – PLAVÁ, Jana – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava. ALDH1A inhibition sensitizes colon cancer cells to chemotherapy. In BMC Cancer, 2018, vol. 18, no. 1, art. no. 656. (2017: 3.288 – IF, Q2 – JCR, 1.464 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 1471-2407. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-018- 4572-6 92)
• MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana – MINÁRIK, Gabriel – SEDLACKOVA, T. – PLAVÁ, Jana – CIHOVÁ, Marína – JURIŠOVÁ, Silvia – KAĽAVSKÁ, Katarína – KARABA, Marián – BENCA, Juraj – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena – MEGO, Michal**. Inflammation-based scores increase the prognostic value of circulating tumor cells in primary breast cancer. In Cancers, 2020, vol. 12, no. 5, art.no. 1134. (2019: 6.126 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.938 – SJR, Q1 – SJR). ISSN 2072-6694. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12051134 93)
• ALTANEROVÁ, Uršula – JAKUBECHOVÁ, Jana – BENEJOVÁ, K. – PRISCAKOVÁ, Petra – REPISKÁ, Vanda – BÁBELOVÁ, Andrea – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena – ALTANER, Čestmír**. Intracellular prodrug gene therapy for cancer mediated by tumor cell suicide gene exosomes. In International Journal of Cancer, 2021, vol. 148, no. 1, p. 128- 139. (2020: 7.396 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 2.475 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 0020-7136. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.33188 94)
• PLAVÁ, Jana** – BURÍKOVÁ, Monika – CIHOVÁ, Marína – TRNKOVÁ, Lenka – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena – BABÁL, Pavel – KRIVOŠÍKOVÁ, Lucia – JANEGA, Pavol – ROJIKOVÁ, Lucia – DRAHOŠOVÁ, S. – BOHÁČ, Martin – DANIŠOVIČ, Ľuboš – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana. Chemotherapy-triggered changes in stromal compartment drive tumor invasiveness and progression of breast cancer. In Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, 2021, vol. 40, art. no. 302. (2020: 11.161 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 2.752 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 1756-9966. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-021-02087-2 95)
• SCHMIDTOVÁ, Silvia** – KAĽAVSKÁ, Katarína* – GERČÁKOVÁ, Katarína – ČIERNA, Zuzana – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena – BUOCIKOVÁ, Verona – MIŠKOVSKÁ, V. – ĎURINÍKOVÁ, Erika – BURÍKOVÁ, Monika – CHOVANEC, Michal – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava – MEGO, Michal – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia. Disulfiram overcomes cisplatin resistance in human embryonal carcinoma cells. In Cancers, 2019, vol. 11, art.no. 1224. (2018: 6.162 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 2.142 – SJR, Q1 – SJR). ISSN 2072-6694. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers11091224 96)
• KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – ĎURINÍKOVÁ, Erika – TORO, Lenka – CIHOVÁ, Marína – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana – POTURNAJOVÁ, Martina – KOZOVSKÁ, Zuzana – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava. Targeted antitumor therapy mediated by prodrug-activating mesenchymal stromal cells. In Cancer Letters, 2017, vol. 408, p. 1-9. (2016: 6.375 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 2.372 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 0304-3835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canlet.2017.08.016 97)
• ĎURINÍKOVÁ, Erika – KOZOVSKÁ, Zuzana – POTURNAJOVÁ, Martina – PLAVÁ, Jana – ČIERNA, Zuzana – BÁBELOVÁ, Andrea – BOHOVIČ, Roman – SCHMIDTOVÁ, Silvia – TOMÁŠ, Miroslav – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia** – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava**. ALDH1A3 upregulation and spontaneous metastasis formation is associated with acquired chemoresistance in colorectal cancer cells. In BMC Cancer, 2018, vol. 18, no. 1, p. 848. (2017: 3.288 – IF, Q2 – JCR, 1.464 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). (2018 – Current Contents). ISSN 1471-2407. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-018-4758-y 98
• Ďuriníková, Erika – Plavá, Jana – Tyčiaková, Silvia – Škvára, Pavel – Stanová Vojs, Andrea – Kozovská, Zuzana – Kučerová, Lucia – Matúšková, Miroslava. Cytotoxic response of 5-fluorouracil-resistant cells to gene- and cell-directed enzyme/prodrug treatment. In Cancer Gene Therapy, 2018, vol. 25, p. 285-299. (2017: 4.044 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.359 – SJR, Q2 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC).  ISSN: 0929-1903 10.1038/s41417-018-0030-5
• SCHMIDTOVÁ, Silvia – KAĽAVSKÁ, Katarína – LIŠKOVÁ, Veronika – PLAVÁ, Jana – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava – ROJIKOVÁ, Lucia – ČIERNA, Zuzana – ROGOZEA, Adriana – KONIG, Heiko – ALBANY, Constantine – MEGO, Michal – CHOVANEC, Michal**. Targeting of Deregulated Wnt/βCatenin Signaling by PRI-724 and LGK974 Inhibitors in Germ Cell Tumor Cell Lines In International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021, vol. 22, 8, art. no. 4263. (2020: 5.924 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.455 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). (ISSN 1422-0067. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22084263 99)
• BUOCIKOVÁ, Verona – RIOS-MONDRAGON, Ivan – PILALIS, Eleftherios – CHATZIIOANNOU, Aristotelis – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana – MEGO, Michal – PAJUSTE, Karlis – RUCINS, Martins – YAMANI, Naouale El – LONGHIN, Eleonora Marta – SOBOLEV, Arkadij – FREIXANET, M. – PLOTNIECE, Aiva – DUŠINSKÁ, Mária – CIMPAN, M. R. – GÁBELOVÁ, Alena* – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena*. Epigenetics in breast cancer therapy – new strategies and future nanomedicine perspectives. In Cancers, 2020, vol. 12, art. no. 3622. (2019: 6.126 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.938 – SJR, Q1 – SJR). ISSN 2072-6694. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12123622 100)
• CHOKHACHI BARADARAN, Pooneh – KOZOVSKÁ, Zuzana – FURDOVÁ, Alena – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena**. Targeting epigenetic modifications in uveal melanoma. In International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020, vol. 21, art. no. 5314. (2019: 4.556 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.317 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 1422-0067. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21155314 101)