LABORATORY OF CELL CULTURES AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

About the lab

The laboratory focuses on the cultivation of various types of human stem cells, both primary cultures as well as commercially available cell lines. The main area of our research are human dental stem cells, which have a high potential to be used in the field of regenerative medicine and autologous transplantations.

These cells have also become a core of our “Adult Stem Cell Biobank.” We have successfully established methods for isolation, in vitro cultivation, phenotypic characterizations, analyses of biological, biochemical and molecular processes of dental stem cells. Using modern approaches, we analyze complex profiles of microRNAs and proteins that are specific for the differentiation of dental stem cells with a potential to be used for targeted regeneration of oral tissues.

We study the effect of different types of organic compounds on individual cellular processes of stem cells as well as on the regulation of cellular metabolism with an emphasis on applied research focused on a treatment of dental tissue defects.

The laboratory develops new 3D cell lines from dental stem cells using biopolymers with a potential of being used for future research and commercial purposes. Our priority is the implementation of the results of medical research into clinical practice.

Staff

Video tour

Watch a video tour of our Laboratory of Cell Cultures and Regenerative Medicine.

Laboratory infrastructure

Thanks to the state-of-the-art and high-quality equipment, we can specify cultivated cells and characterize them at biological, cytological and molecular level. These are the following:

  1. Class IIA biological safety cabinets are used to handle primary cultures as well as cell lines under strict aseptic conditions. Basic equipment of cell culture laboratory also includes CO2 incubators, a light microscope, a refrigerated centrifuge and a cell counter.
  2. Fluorescence scanning microscope for high-quality screening of samples which very effectively combines two main characteristics, and that is the image quality and imaging speed. This automated system is used for cell counting, cell cycle analysis, cell morphology, and protein expression.
  3. Microdissecting instrument is a high-quality inverted fluorescence microscope enabling dissection of live cells, both from the plates and the tissue for subsequent cultures. It can also be used for dissection of paraffin and cryostat sections, while dissection at the subcellular level can be used for micromanipulations (cell fusion and laser microinjections).

Virtual tour

Watch a virtual tour of Laboratory of Cell Cultures and Regenerative Medicine.

Projects

    1. ITMS 304011P09; “Enhancement of research and development capacity of the Slovak-Czech border region in the field of plasma technologies for medical use.” (In cooperation with University of Žilina and VUT Brno).
    2. APVV-15-0217; “Molecular mechanisms of the statins effect on the inhibition, proliferation and differentiation of selected stem and tumour cells and their application in regenerative medicine.” (In collaboration with FM CU).
    3. APVV-17-0345; “Research of the optimization procedures for improvement of transfer, safety and reliability of WET systems.” (In cooperation with FEIT UŽ).
    4. VEGA 1/0178/17; “Characterization and proteomic analysis of dental stem cells and their differentiated cells.”

The most important publications

Okajcekova T, Strnadel J, Pokusa M, Zahumenska R, Janickova M, Halasova E, Skovierova H. A Comparative In Vitro Analysis of the Osteogenic Potential of Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells Using Various Differentiation Conditions. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21(7):2280. doi: 10.3390/ijms21072280

Nova Z, Skovierova H, Strnadel J, Halasova E, Calkovska A. Short-term vs long-term culture of A549 cells for evaluating the effects of Lipopolysaccharide on oxidative stress, surfactant proteins and cathelicidin LL-37. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21,1148. doi: 10.3390/ijms21031148

Braný D, Dvorská D, Halašová E, Škovierová H. Cold Atmospheric Plasma: A Powerful Tool for Modern Medicine. Int J Mol Sci. 2020;21(8):2932. doi: 10.3390/ijms21082932

Nováková S, Šubr Z, Kováč A, Fialová I, Beke G, Danchenko M. Cucumber mosaic virus resistance: Comparative proteomics of contrasting Cucumis sativus cultivars after long-term infection. J Proteom 2020; 214:103626. doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2019.103626

Halašová E, Tóthová B, Pavelek M, Okajčeková T, Kmeťová Sivoňová M, Špánik P, Frivaldský M, Škovierová H. Effect of acute intermediate frequency electromagnetic field exposure on human neural cells. ELEKTRO 2020. doi: 10.1109/ELEKTRO49696.2020.9130239

Škovierová H, Okajčeková T, Strnádel J, Vidomanová E, Halašová E. Molecular regulation of epithelial- to-mesenchymal transition in tumorigenesis. Int J Mol Med 2018; 41(3):1187-1200. doi: 10.4149/neo_2018_180430N281

Sopková J, Vidomanová E, Strnádel J, Škovierová H, Halašová E. The role of statins as therapeutic agents in cancer. Gen Physiol Biophys 2017; 36(5):501-511. doi: 10.4149/gpb_2017045

Škovierová H, Vidomanová E, Mahmood S, Sopková J, Drgová A, Červeňová T, Halašová E, Lehotský J. The Molecular and Cellular Effect of Homocysteine Metabolism Imbalance on Human Health. Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17(10); pii: E1733. doi: 10.3390/ijms17101733

Sarlinova M, Halasa M, Mistuna M, Musak L, Iliev R, Slaby O, Mazuchova J, Valentova V, Plank L, Halasova E. miR-21, miR-221 and miR-150 are deregulated in peripheral blood of patients with colorectal cancer. Anticancer Res 2016; 36(10):5449-5454. doi: 10.21873/anticanres.11124

Škovierová H, Mahmood S, Blahovcová E, Hatok J, Lehotský J, Murín R. Effect of homocysteine on survival of human glial cells. Physiol Res 2015; 64(5):747-754. doi: 10.33549/physiolres.932897