Research at the Department of Pharmacology (Faculty of Medicine UPJS Kosice) is focused on addressing some of the issues related to the therapy of oncology diseases, including the study of new, potentially anticancer drugs from naturally occurring substances. In this area, research efforts include the study of the mechanisms of antiproliferative action of (mainly but not exclusively) chalcone derivatives and indole phytoalexins as potential anti-neoplastic agents. Within this, the effect on cell cycle, cell proliferation, cell death induction (e.g. apoptosis, autophagy, methuosis), and signaling pathways associated with cell survival or death are studied. A relatively new issue researched at our department is the study of the dynamic interactions of cancer cells with their microenvironment (TME). It is suggested that the process of excessive connective tissue accumulation during tumor growth is characterized by a wide range of intercellular interactions which lead to numerous biological effects, cell proliferation, growth, angiogenesis, or modulation of immune processes. Based on this, we are focused on the study of cell interactions that contribute to the TME of selected types of tumors and subsequently search for new ways of their pharmacological modulation. Considerable attention is given to communication between normal skin fibroblasts, tumor fibroblasts, tumor cells, and lymphocytes as well as interactions of these cells with the extracellular matrix (ECM). In this context, we also investigate repurposed drugs with potential anticancer activity, with particular emphasis on how these agents modulate tumor–stromal interactions. Our research increasingly focuses on the role of fibroblasts within the tumor microenvironment, as these cells critically influence cancer progression, therapy response, and extracellular matrix remodeling.
The knowledge gained from tumor models is further translated into fibroblast-based studies in wound healing, since tumor stroma and wound microenvironments share many biological and molecular features. Among the fibroblast populations we investigate are cells isolated from various tumor types—most notably pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)—as well as fibroblasts derived from different types of scars.
Furthermore, we are also interested in the pharmacological modulation of basic steps in angiogenesis such as endothelial cell migration, proliferation, and tube formation. Additionally, in extramural collaboration, we study the antiangiogenic effect of natural compounds in vivo using a chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) angiogenesis assay.
Other areas of research include resistance to anticancer drugs and its pharmacological modulation and the role of SLAM receptors in chronic lymphocytic leukemia as one of the possible targets in anticancer therapy.
