Medical University of Lublin

I^st Chair and Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Gynecology, Medical University of Lublin conducts research activities in multiple medical conditions. These are focused in oncologic gynecology (tumors of uterus and ovary) but also in benign gynecological diseases (endometriosis, cervical diseases).

 

Scientific interests of our team include wide range of fields such as immunology and sonographic diagnostics of  ovarian cancer, mesenchymal-epithelial transition, targeted treatment of uterine sarcomas, the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on function and immunology of female genital organs, the role of immunologic and oxidative factors in endometriosis.

 

 

Multi-direct approach to cancer research resulted with bilateral cooperation with University of Michigan, results of common scientific projects were published i.a. in Nature, Cell and International Reviews of Immunology.

 

• Cancer SLC43A2 alters T cell methionine metabolism and histone methylation

• Tissue-resident memory T cells in tumor immunity and immunotherapy

• Effector T Cells Abrogate Stroma-Mediated Chemoresistance in Ovarian Cancer

In 2019 Multiomics Reserach Group, dedicated to carrying multiomic research in field of oncology was established by our Department members. The group gathers researchers from Poland and United States.

 

 

 

 

Multicenter projects

The team of I^st Chair and Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Gynecology actively participate in multicenter studies, carried by international research groups:

 

• IOTA (International Ovarian Tumour Analysis group)

List of publications:

• Validation of models to diagnose ovarian cancer in patients managed surgically or conservatively: multicentre cohort study
• Vessel morphology depicted by three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound as second-stage test in adnexal tumors that are difficult to classify: prospective diagnostic accuracy study
• Imaging in gynecological disease (16): clinical and ultrasound characteristics of serous cystadenofibromas in adnexa

 

• ENITEC (European Network of Individualized Treatment in Endometrial Cancer)

List of publications:

• Fucoidan Structure and Activity in Relation to Anti-Cancer Mechanisms
• Isobolographic Analysis Demonstrates the Additive and Synergistic Effects of Gemcitabine Combined with Fucoidan in Uterine Sarcomas and Carcinosarcoma Cells

Currently within ENITEC group we conduct scientific project: „Personalized Clinical Management of Endometrial Cancer using Liquid Biopsy, Genomics and Artificial Intelligence ECLAI and “Validation of liquid biopsy-based ncRNAs as biomarkers for the diagnosis of breast and gynecological cancers” in collaboration with University of Friburg, Germany.

 

 

• CEEGOG (Central and Eastern European Gynecologic Oncology Group)

In cooperation with CEEGOG members we successfully conducted FERTISS trial “Fertility sparing surgery in cervical cancer patients outside controlled trials – a multicenter retrospective cohort trial” (CEEGOG Cx-03; ENGOT-CX14), the final results are expected in early 2022. Currently we take part in REGYS „Rare gynecological sarcoma study”, both in collaboration with Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.

 

 

• In time of COVID pandemics our team actively joined efforts to investigate this new disease within COVIDSurg collaborative.

The result of this activity were published in multicenter papers released in the most renowned journals such as Lancet Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology.

 

List of publications:

• Effect of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns on planned cancer surgery for 15 tumour types in 61 countries: an international, prospective, cohort study
• Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study

 

 

 

Scientific grants

As a part of their research activity members of our team conduct externally founded research grants:

 

• “Multi-omics profiling of circulating myeloid-derived suppressor cells (cMDSCs) in epithelial ovarian cancer”, principal investigator: Karolina Okła, MSc, PhD (PRELUDIUM grant, National Science Center)
  Project abstract
   
• “The impact of ovarian cancer heterogeneity and microenvironment on organoid based drug sensitivity assessment”, principal investigator: prof. Jan Kotarski MD, PhD (OPUS grant, National Science Center)
  Project abstract
   
• “Personalized Clinical Management of Endometrial Cancer using Liquid Biopsy, Genomics and Artificial Intelligence, ECLAI”, principal investigator: Marcin Bobiński, MD, PhD. Project consortium members: CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIÓN BIOMÉDICA EN RED M.P in Madrid, Medical University of Lublin, Competence Centre on Health Technologies in Tartu, University of Bergen (ERA PerMED, grant in IC PerMed program, financially supported by European Comission)
  Project abstract

 

 

 

Offer of collaboration

As a part of conducted research projects, clinical data as well as tissue samples are gathered, the department dispose both database and biological samples of tumor tissue, blood and urine (in selected cases wider panel of samples is collected: mononuclear cells from peripheral blood, cervical swab, endometrial samples).

 

All the samples are collected upon approval of Local Ethical Committee (Institutional Review Board) and informed, written consent of patient.

 

Clinical data and biological samples from following patients are collected (in brackets estimated numbers of cases in each cohort are listed):

• Endometrial cancer patients (n=100)
• Patients with suspicion of ovarian cancer (n=120)
• Patients with suspicion of endometriosis
• Patients with diagnosed COVID (samples from both acute phase of the disease and follow-up) (n=120)

 

The team of I^st Chair and Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Gynecology has long time experience in conduction of clinical trials, both commercial and academic ones.

 

We have necessary abilities as well as technical conditions to independently plan and conduct scientific and clinical trials with enrollment of both patients with gynecologic cancers and benign diseases.

 

We are open for collaboration with external scientific units both in conduction of scientific work and in preparation of joint grant applications. Additionally we ready to rise cooperation with medical and pharmaceutical industry in field of pre-clinical and clinical research.