Testicular Tumor Investigation Group Prague (TTIP)
Head: Ludmila Boublíková
Prague node
HOME INSTITUTION
First Faculty of Medicine CU
RESEARCH PROGRAMME(S)
RP 3 - Biomarkers of cancers and cancer diagnostics
RP 5 - Translational oncology: Verification clinical studies of the proof-of-concept type
Someone has to explore the dead end of human knowledge and announce to the world: Not this way, guys!
- Mission: Identifying molecular aberrations in solid tumors that are responsible for disease progression and treatment resistance, and ways to prevent them or engage in targeted therapy.
- Vision: Employing molecular testing and monitoring for individualization of therapy and development of novel efficient approaches to improve the prognosis of patients with advanced and refractory tumors.
We have been long time devoted to patients with rare germ cell tumors, in addition, we also focus on patients with colorectal cancer and other solid malignancies. We conduct complex molecular profiling of these tumors during the disease course, in both the tissue samples and liquid biopsies, using next-generation sequencing (NGS) on DNA, RNA, and epigenetic levels and specific bioinformatic analyses of the data. By these means, we follow the evolving molecular background of tumors at all consecutive stages of the disease, identify alterations responsible for resistance to therapy and tumor progression, and examine the options for how to influence them.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Boublikova L, Novakova A, Simsa J, Lohynska R. Total neoadjuvant therapy in rectal cancer: the evidence and expectations. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2023; 192:104196. DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104196
- Boublikova L, Kramarzova KS, Zwyrtkova M, Bakardjieva-Mihaylova V, Stuchly J, Rosova B, Kolostova K, Sonsky J, Kindlova E, Zachoval R, Buchler T, Trka J. The clinical value of circulating free tumor DNA in testicular germ cell tumor patients. Urol Oncol. 2022;40(9):412.e15-412.e24. DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2022.04.021
- Bakardjieva-Mihaylova V, Skvarova Kramarzova K, Slamova M, Svaton M, Rejlova K, Zaliova M, Dobiasova A, Fiser K, Stuchly J, Grega M, Rosova B, Zachoval R, Klezl P, Eis V, Kindlova E, Buchler T, Trka J, Boublikova L. Molecular Basis of Cisplatin Resistance in Testicular Germ Cell Tumors. Cancers (Basel). 2019;11(9):1316. DOI: 10.3390/cancers11091316
- Boublikova L, Bakardjieva-Mihaylova V, Skvarova Kramarzova K, Kuzilkova D, Dobiasova A, Fiser K, Stuchly J, Kotrova M, Buchler T, Dusek P, Grega M, Rosova B, Vernerova Z, Klezl P, Pesl M, Zachoval R, Krolupper M, Kubecova M, Stahalova V, Abrahamova J, Babjuk M, Kodet R, Trka J. Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1), TP53, RAS/BRAF and KIT aberrations in testicular germ cell tumors. Cancer Lett. 2016;376(2):367-76. DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2016.04.016
- Boublikova L, Buchler T, Stary J, Abrahamova J, Trka J. Molecular biology of testicular germ cell tumors: unique features awaiting clinical application. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2014;89(3):366-85. DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2013.10.001
COLLABORATION WITHIN THE NICR
Jan Trka
(Prague node, Second Faculty of Medicine CU)
Pavel Vodička
(Prague node, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences)
SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE AND TECHNOLOGY
Liquid biopsy techniques
NGS sequencing on DNA, RNA, and methylome levels
Cell models, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing – single gene, large-scale screens
Design and conduct of translational clinical trials in molecular oncology
COLLABORATION WITH LARGE RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURES AND RESEARCH CENTRES
Czech Clinical Research Infrastructure Network CZECRIN
European Reference Network for Rare Adult Solid Cancers ERN-EURACAN
European Reference Network for Rare Urogenital Diseases ERN-eUROGEN