Anna Malik and Marta Maleszewska from the University of Warsaw made unprecedented discoveries while researching glioblastoma multiforme which was described in the Western medical press.
Microscopic image of a cross-section of a mouse brain with glioma. Photo: dr hab. Anna Malik
Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive and deadly brain tumor. Due to its high degree of malignancy and poor prognosis, it remains one of the greatest medical challenges in the field of oncology.
A breakthrough in research on the pathogenesis of glioma was made by Dr. hab. Anna Malik from the Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw. Research under her supervision was conducted by the Cellular Neurobiology Research Group from the Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw and fellow colleagues from Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark.
Ph.D. Anna Malik. Source: private archive
– The main reason for the poor prognosis of people suffering from glioblastoma multiforme is the faulty response of the immune system to the tumor. Paradoxically, cells that should inhibit the development of glioma are involved in supporting its growth. This phenomenon is primarily caused by microglia and macrophages, which in the glioma microenvironment acquire pro-tumor characteristics and become its allies. We found that the SorLA receptor plays an important role in this process. High or low levels of expression of the gene encoding SorLA are associated with specific cell properties: pro-cancer or pro-inflammatory - says Dr. Hab. Anna Malik.
New perspectives for the treatment of patients affected by this disease are also opened by the discovery of Dr. Marta Maleszewska from the Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw. The scientist's research was carried out in cooperation with the team of the Institute of Experimental Biology. Marceli Nencki, National Institute of Oncology. Maria Skłodowska-Curie in Warsaw and the Children's Health Center.
Dr. Marta Maleszewska. Source: private archive
– Cancer cells with stem cell properties are responsible for tumor initiation and resistance to chemotherapy. We discovered that the ability of their population to reproduce is inhibited by turning off a transcription factor called DMRTA2. The results of our research also suggest that DMRTA2 may be involved in the creation of new blood vessels that supply the tumor with nutrients. This factor may thus become both a biomarker of the disease and a target for new therapeutic strategies in glioblastoma multiforme - points out Dr. Marta Maleszewska.
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