Karel Smetana

Cancer microenvironment

Head: Karel Smetana
Prague node

karel.smetana@lf1.cuni.cz
website of the Institute

HOME INSTITUTION

First Faculty of Medicine CU

RESEARCH PROGRAMME(S)

RP 3 - Biomarkers of cancers and cancer diagnostics

Intercellular crosstalk in cancer: new route to diagnostics and therapy.

COLLABORATION WITH INFRASTRUCTURES

Mission: Intercellular crosstalk in cancer: new route to diagnostics and therapy.
Vision: Any therapy without knowledge of vocabulary.

Cancer microenvironment represents factors influencing the properties of tumors including the local aggressive growth and metastazation. Our research is mainly focused on study of cancer-associated fibroblasts, their products and their influence on the biological properties of cancer cells from solid tumors (head and neck, skin incl. melanoma and ductal adenocarcinoma of pancreas). We also participate in the development of new substances influencing the intercellular signalization in cancer ecosystem with therapeutic purpose.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Abramenko N, Vellieux F, Veselá K, Kejík Z, Hajduch J, Masařík M, Babula P, Hoskovec D, Pacák K, Martásek P, Smetana K Jr, Jakubek M. Investigation of the potential effects of estrogen receptor modulators on immune checkpoint molecules. Sci Rep. 2024 Feb 6;14(1):3043. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51804-2
Gál P, Brábek J, Holub M, Jakubek M, Šedo A, Lacina L, Strnadová K, Dubový P, Hornychová H, Ryška A, Smetana K Jr. Autoimmunity, cancer and COVID-19 abnormally activate wound healing pathways: critical role of inflammation. Histochem Cell Biol. 2022 Nov;158(5):415-434. DOI: 10.1007/s00418-022-02140-x
Groza Y, Lacina L, Kuchař M, Rašková Kafková L, Zachová K, Janoušková O, Osička R, Černý J, Petroková H, Mierzwicka JM, Panova N, Kosztyu P, Sloupenská K, Malý J, Škarda J, Raška M, Smetana K Jr, Malý P. Small protein blockers of human IL-6 receptor alpha inhibit proliferation and migration of cancer cells. Cell Commun Signal. 2024;22:261, in press. DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01630-w
Procházka V, Lacina L, Smetana K Jr, Svoboda M, Skřivanová K, Beňovská M, Jarkovský J, Křen L, Kala Z. Serum concentrations of proinflammatory biomarker interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a predictor of postoperative complications after elective colorectal surgery. World J Surg Oncol. 2023 Dec 14;21(1):384. DOI: 10.1186/s12957-023-03270-9
Urban L, Čoma M, Lacina L, Szabo P, Sabová J, Urban T, Šuca H, Lukačín Š, Zajíček R, Smetana K Jr, Gál P. Heterogeneous response to TGF-β1/3 isoforms in fibroblasts of different origins: implications for wound healing and tumorigenesis. Histochem Cell Biol. 2023 Dec;160(6):541-554. DOI: 10.1007/s00418-023-02221-5
Brábek, J., Rösel, D., Smetana, K. Jr.: Treatment of COVID-19. US Patent US 11,246,874B1 (2022).