Head: Bożena Kamińska-Kaczmarek

Degrees:
2003 Professor, nomination by the President of the Republic of Poland
1997 DSc Habl, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, PAS
1991 PhD in Biochemistry, University of Warsaw
1985 MSc, University of Warsaw

Research trainings:
2001-2002 Visiting scientist, Brain Research Institute, UCLA, USA
1994-1996 Postdoctoral training, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

Professional employments:
2013-present Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, PAS
1997-2013 Head of the Laboratory of Transcription Regulation, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, PAS
1994-1996 Postdoctoral researcher, Dept. Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
1985-1997 Assistant, Laboratory of Biosynthetic Processes, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, PAS

Honors and fellowships:
2016-present Corresponding member of the Polish Academy of Sciences (elected)
2014 Polish Academy of Sciences Biology Division Award  for scientific achievements
2004 Foundation for Polish Science SCHOLAR GRANT
1998 Prime Minister Award for the best habilitation Member of the Editorial Boards: Glia, Journal of Neuroscience Research; International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology. Published 120 publications in PUBMED journals, and 6 book chapters; 3500 citations, H-index = 34.

Staff: Iwona Ciechomska, Salwador Cyranowski, Aleksandra Ellert-Miklaszewska, Bartłomiej Gielniewski (PhD student), Rafał Guzik, Adria-Jaume Roura Canalda (PhD student), Chinchu Jayaprakash, Agnieszka Kaczmarczyk, Wenson Karunakaran, Beata Kaza, Sylwia Król, Marta Maleszewska - Bobińska, Jakub Mieczkowski, Natalia Ochocka (PhD student), Maria Pasierbińska, Paulina Pilanc - Kudlek, Katarzyna Poleszak, Paweł Segit (PhD student), Karolina Stępniak (PhD student), Paulina Szadkowska, Kacper Walentynowicz (PhD student), Paulina Wiechecka, Kamil Wojnicki (PhD student), Bartosz Wojtaś

Research profile:                             

We study molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate innate immune cell recruitment into neoplastic tissue, and the subsequent regulation of those cells exert on cancer cells. We are interested in: a role of innate immune cells in regulating tissue remodeling, angiogenesis, immune suppression and cancer development, analyses of clinical samples obtained from patients with cancer, the development of novel reagents to modulate immune response in tumours. We identified several factors responsible for the protumorigenic activity of microglia and we are developing RNAi or short interfering peptide-based technologies to inhibit tumour growth. Another long-range goal of our research program is to gain mechanistic insights into the functions of histone covalent modifications and mechanisms of transcription regulation underlying pathogenesis of brain tumours. Using next generation sequencing, we search for novel genomic alterations in epigenetic enzymes, chromatin modifiers and factors influencing chromatin structure in brain tumours.  Using ATAC-seq, chromatin immunoprecipitation, NGS sequencing and bioinformatics, we map open chromatin, transcription factor binding sites and epigenetic modifications in gliomas and 3-D spheres cultures enriched in cancer stem  cells. Our long-term goal is to translate basic observations made in the animal models, toward rational design of novel therapeutics whose aim will be to block and/or alter rate-limiting events critical for tumor growth or recurrence in humans.

Current research activities:

We study heterogeneity and roles of immune infiltrates in brain tumours and brain ischemia models using RNA sequencing and functional analyses. We dissect transcriptomic profiles and roles of selected transcription factors and epigenetic modifications in the protumorigenic reprogramming of microglia in vitro. Using ATAC-seq, chromatin immunoprecipitation, NGS sequencing and bioinformatics, we map open chromatin, DNA methylation profiles, transcription factor binding sites and epigenetic modifications in gliomas of different grades to develop brain specific gene regulatory regions. We characterize gene regulatory network operating in cancer stem cells in patient derived glioma sphere cultures. These experimental studies are conducted in parallel with evaluation of representative human cancer specimens to affirm that mechanisms revealed in the experimental setting represent fundamental features of cancer development in humans.

Current projects involve screening for epigenetic enzyme inhibitors, development of RNAi and small interfering peptide-based molecules against signalling factors driving the protumorigenic reprogramming of microglia. In collaboration with small companies we perform preclinical testing of various inhibitors targeting immune response related proteins, epigenetic enzymes, signalling molecules in rat and murine models of gliomas. As part of the Polish Glioma Network we established a biobank composed of 220 glioma DNA/RNA samples.

More information at the web site: www.kaminska-lab.pl

Selected publications:

Gieryng A., Pszczółkowska D., Walentynowicz K.A., Rajan W.D., Kamińska B. (2016) Immune microenvironment of gliomas. Lab Inves, doi: 10.1038/labinvest.2017.19.

Ellert-Miklaszewska A., Wiśniewski P., Kijewska M., Gajdanowicz P., Pszczółkowska D., Przanowski P., Dąbrowski M., Maleszewska M., Kamińska B. (2016) Tumour-processed osteopontin and lactadherin drive the protumorigenic reprogramming of microglia and glioma progression. Oncogene, 35(50):6366-6377.

Kijewska M., Kocyk M., Kloss M., Stępniak K., Korwek Z., Polakowska R., Dąbrowski M., Gieryng A., Wojtas B., Ciechomska I.A., Kamińska B. (2016) The embryonic type of SPP1 transcriptional regulation is re-activated in glioblastoma. Oncotarget doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.14092.

Ciechomska I.A., Przanowski P., Jackl J., Wojtas B., Kamińska B. (2016) BIX01294, an inhibitor of histone methyltransferase, induces autophagy-dependent differentiation of glioma stem-like cells. Sci. Rep. 6:38723.

Mieczkowski J., Kocyk M., Nauman P., Gabrusiewicz K., Sielska M., Przanowski P., Maleszewska M., Rajan W.D., Pszczółkowska D., Tykocki T., Grajkowska W., Kotulska K., Roszkowski M., Kostkiewicz B., Kaminska B. (2015) Down-regulation of IKKβ expression in glioma-infiltrating microglia/macrophages is associated with defective inflammatory/immune gene responses in glioblastoma. Oncotarget,  6(32):33077-90.