Purpose
The Molecular Biology Laboratories host one of the leading genomic platforms in Romania and an outstanding biological resource center, currently possessing a retrospective collection of biospecimens such as tumor and normal tissues obtained after curative surgery, from over 2000 patients, mainly with digestive tumors. The laboratories are actively involved in the development of antitumor therapies through identification of molecular markers for diagnosis and prognosis, as well as therapeutic targets. As a key result, we will deliver a personalized medicine approach by translating the scientific results into clinical practice.
Currently, our main focus is the analysis of tissue samples through histological methods, and molecular biology methods such as real-time PCR, microarray, flow-cytometry, and high-throughput technologies (Next Generation Sequencing, protein sequencing) for the identification of new biomarkers involved in early diagnosis, progression and metastasis of gastro-intestinal cancers that have the potential to become new targets for personalized therapy.
The main research themes addressed in the laboratory and financed by grants are:
- Evaluation of the molecular mechanisms involved in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) by multi-omic approach: transcription profiles of PDAC through RNAseq; relationship between metastases and their corresponding PDAC primary tumor, as well as the evaluation of the prognostic role of genomic changes (mutations and changes in gene expression levels).
- Identification of circulating biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for detection and evaluation of disease aggressiveness in patients at risk.
- Investigation of immune responses in HCC and the impact of microRNA expression on key immune pathways by performing scRNA-Seq and miRNA-Seq of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from primary and metastatic HCC tissue.
- Validation of specific miRNA signatures in ovarian cancer, highlighting potential targets for personalized treatment anddefining ovarian cancer subtypes, based on their miRNA profile.
- Identification of biomarkers and potential therapy targets in gastric cancer subtypes, response and resistance biomarkers to standard therapy, as well as vascular stroma particularities and the role on immune checkpoints in gastric cancer subtypes.
