Bożena Kamińska-Kaczmarek

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.