Different place, same customs!

‘Interregional collaboration ideally consists in the formation of larger consortia, essentially informal ones, which enable for instance the processing of larger numbers of samples. Within multicentric studies or collection, it can help create a competitive sample that can then be successful in top quality publications, even within international context’, says Václav Liška, head of the Laboratory of Cancer Treatment and Tissue Regeneration of the Faculty of Medicine of CU in Pilsen, which is part of NICR.

He adds: ‘I personally find inspiration in countries of a size similar to Czechia or just a little larger but significantly more economically advanced. For instance, The Netherlands or Switzerland, where cooperation within multicentric studies is highly developed. It shows that if you use your potential to its full capacity, you can finish a project earlier – and healthy competitiveness within teams can then lead to competitive results.’

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Elena Garcia Borja:
Local partnerships are strong

Young researchers in some regions can struggle with issues such as limited international visibility. That can be an obstacle to wider collaboration and networking, but also in terms of access to specialised facilities. But these challenges are balanced by often underestimated advantages. For instance, smaller research communities support stronger and more personal partnership and collaboration, which helps young scientists create influential networks on a local level. 

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Jiří Šána: Senior scientists are returning to the regions

I do not think that scientists in individual regions work in worse conditions than in the capital city. They can definitely benefit from the dynamic development of research infrastructures we have seen in recent years across the entire Czech Republic. Regions can provide equally good opportunities – and this is attested by the fact that many senior scientists are, after many years spent at often highly prestigious institutes abroad, returning to regional centres.

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Clinical and Prognostic Significance of Additional Chromosomal Abnormalities at Diagnosis of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

 

Jiří Mayer, Petra Čičátková…, Tomáš Pavlík.

 

Am J Hematol.

2025 January

 

DOI: 10.1002/ajh.27608

PMID: 39873232

 

Microtubule-associated NAV3 regulates invasive phenotypes in glioblastoma cells

 

Aneta Škarková, Markéta Pelantová…, Jan Brábek.

 

Brain Pathol. 

2025 January

 

DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13294

PMID: 39097525

 

Search for germline gene variants in colorectal cancer families presenting with multiple primary colorectal cancers

 

Asta Försti, Filip Ambrozkiewicz…, Kari Hemminki.

 

Int J Cancer.

2024 December

 

DOI: 10.1002/ijc.35283

PMID: 39654522

 

 

Pathologists are irreplaceable in research

She has entered his life almost thirty years ago. He remained faithful to her and considers her to be the smart beauty of medicine.

We are speaking about Jan Bouchal and pathology. As head of the Laboratory of molecular pathology at the Palacky University in Olomouc, which is part of the NICR, Bouchal also manages and supervises over sixty colleagues: physicians, biologists, and laboratory technicians. He thus really does not feel lonely. Quite the opposite: he says that work life is quite lively at the pathology department! His research team among other things works on identifying new prognostic and predictive biomarkers in the liquid biopsies of patients with disseminated tumours, focusing on metastatic prostate carcinomas, whose treatment and prognosis are still unsatisfactory. In all this, Bouchal is also acutely aware of the fact that physicians lack some dedicated time for research, which is a pity.

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11th February – International Day of Women and Girls in Science

RP4: Successes in the early detection and prevention of tumours

The results so far achieved in RP4 confirm the importance of multidisciplinary approach to early detection and prevention of tumours. Broadening of collaboration in the study of non-invasive diagnostic methods, especially the analysis of exhaled condensate, brings new opportunities for 

early detection of lung cancer. Advances in the assessment of genetic predispositions leads to a more precise stratification of risk groups and more effective personalised prevention. The key factor in this effort is the close collaboration between various directions of research, which enables a more comprehensive analysis of risk factors and a more effective implementation of results into clinical practice, as noted by Petr Džubák and Marek Svoboda, the main leaders of RP4.

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There is more to indicators than just publications…

By increasing both the excellence of domestic cancer research and its internationalisation, NICR contributes to meeting the targets of the Innovation Strategy of the Czech Republic for 2019–2030 in the area of Innovation and Research Centres in state-designated priority areas of research, development, and innovation. The goal is to achieve European, eventually worldwide excellence and a position of equal and respected

player in the European research space, which participates in creating trends of excellent European research. We bring you an overview of international collaboration projects in research, development, and innovation financed from international sources that had so far been launched during the existence of NICR. 

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Medical Tribune, 27 December 2024

An annual scientific conference on cancer research, the Czech Annual Cancer Research Meeting, has taken place in Olomouc. The meeting took place in collaboration with the European Infrastructure for Translational Medicine and, for the third time, also in cooperation with the NICR. 

Flowee, 8 January 2025
‘Generally speaking, the Czech biomedical science is becoming an ever better and more important component of global research. In this respect, we have definitely nothing to be ashamed of,’ said NICR Director Aleksi Šedo in an interview. 

Zdravotnický deník, 16 January 2025

‘The particular goals of NICR projects encompass the entire chain of innovation, starting with the study of control principles at the cellular level all the way to preclinical studies. Another key part is the preparation of future experts,’ said researchers at the European Oncology Conference to the  reporters of Zdravotnický deník.

21. století, 20 January 2025

‘In both healing wounds and the tumour microenvironment, cells communicate using cytokines, but while after a wound heals the communication is “switched off” and the multiplication of cells stops, a tumour keeps growing and its cells keep sending signals that stimulate the formation of new tissue,’ notes Karel Smetana when introducing current research. 

Žena-IN, 1 February 2025

The cells of chronic lymphocytic leucaemia can resist treatment even before developing treatment-resistant mutations. Scientists from the CEITEC MU and NICR have, as the first ones in the world, described the non-genetic mechanism which leucaemia cells use to launch an alternative signalling pathway and continue in uncontrolled growth and division. 

Český rozhlas, Věda Plus, 4 February 2025

‘One of the fast-improving instruments of doctors is so-called precision oncology suitably supplemented by complementary immunotherapy, be it in the form of cell therapy or for instance antibodies,’ said Jaroslav Štěrba, Scientific Director of NICR, to reporters of the Czech Radio.

Czech Television, ‘Sama doma’, 27 January, 30 January, 10–13 February 2025

In the last week of January, the ‘Sama doma’ show was dedicated to the successes of Czech science. Invited guests included Jaroslav Šterba, who spoke about tumours in children in the context of precision medicine, and Pavel Klener, who spoke among other things about innovative treatments of lymphoma. During the second week of February, the show invited NICR researchers from all the institute’s nodes – Aleksi Šedo, Lenka Kotrchová, Zdeněk Andrysík, and Martin Mistrík – who spoke about the various ways of defeating cancer cells. 

This year, we continue with our podcast in a slightly modified form. You will be able to enjoy discussion with two guests touching upon both the academic and the more broadly social aspects of biomedical research. In the January episode, we have welcomed Jan Konvalinka, director of the IOCB of the CAS, and NICR Director Aleksi Šedo. In February, we have invited two experts in precision medicine from the Brno node of NICR, Jaroslav Štěrba and Ondřej Slabý. In March, we will discuss the preparation of the future generation of scientists with Michal Kolář from the IMG of the CAS, and Petr Mazouch, member of the board of Secondary-School Expert Activities (SOČ).

10–16 March 2025

The Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague

Petr Bušek from the Institute of Biochemistry and Experimental Oncology of the First Faculty of Medicine CU and NICR will have a talk on ‘How (and why) should we light up tumours in the brain?’. His lecture starts at 6pm, Wednesday 12 March in the headquarters of CAS (Národní 1009/3, Prague 1) as part of a festival of neurosciences that is part of the worldwide Brain Awareness Week. 

3–5 September 2025

BVV, Brno

This year, this well-established oncology congress takes place a little earlier than in the past: right after the summer break. For the second time, NICR, too, will have its stand here. 

16–19 October 2025

Prague Congress Centre

This year, the anniversary meeting of the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) will take place in the Czech Republic with significant participation of the Neuro-Oncology Section of Czech Medical Association of Jan Evangelista Purkyně  and NICR. President of the congress is Aleksi Šedo and NICR will offer a workshop as part of the scientific programme. 

24–26 November 2025

Hotel NH Collection Olomouc Congress