LABORATORY OF FLOW CYTOMETRY, CELL PHENOTYPING AND ENGINEERING

About the lab

Research in our lab focuses on development and preparation of unique in vitro models (3D and 2D cancer cell lines), derived from human tumor tissues. Our scientists have several years of experience with the technology of derivation of such models from several types of cancer (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, colorectal carcinoma and neuroendocrine tumors). De novo established cancer cell lines are routinely being characterized on in vitro level (by flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, protein chip technology, Western blot and PCR analysis) and in vivo by xenotransplantation (grafting) of human cancer cells into athymic (nude, Crl:NU(NCr)-Foxn1nu) mice, for verification the similarity of xenografts and original tumors on histolopathological level. Our lab pioneered this technology at Jessenious faculty of Medicine in Martin. Currently, in collaboration with the Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and with the use of our original human cell lines, we started project “XenoPig” in which we aim to develop a large, close-to-human animal model for modeling cancer.

Our technology is based on original protocol that was used for the establishment of the first 3D neuroendocrine cancer cell line abbreviated as 3DiNET. Independent testing of this cell line that was prepared by researcher from our lab is currently in progress in laboratories of Harvard Medical School, in Boston, USA. With the development of unique in vitroand in vivo models we would like to join the worldwide effort to fight cancer.

Our laboratory was also one of the first in Slovak Republic to master the technology of induced pluripotency and the preparation of ethically kosher pluripotent stem cells – induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSc). We utilize our 12-years of experience with technology, awarded with Nobel prize (in 2012) for international collaboration projects for development of in vitro models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. We optimized this technology for unrestricted preparation of practically unlimited number of hard-to-get cells, necessary for research (in case of ALS these cells are represented by motor neurons, that can not be easily obtained due to enormous invasivity to patient).

In our lab, we recently prepared and fully characterized the first Slovak iPSc cell line that was registered in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) Charité Universitatsmedizin Berlin registry (https://hpscreg.eu/cell-line/ORIONi001-A).

Research team members from the lab also responded to call of duty and joined the anti COVID-19 team from very beginning of global outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.

Staff

  • Head:
    Ing. Ján Strnádel, PhD.
    jan.strnadel@uniba.sk
    +421 43 2633 652

  • Researchers:
    RNDr. Dušan Braný, PhD.
    Mgr. Sandra Meršaková, PhD.

Video tour

Watch a video of our laboratory of Flow Cytometry, Cell Phenotyping and Engineering.

Laboratory infrastructure

The lab is equipped with several sophisticated instruments, such as a flow cytometer/sorter FACS Aria II, fluorescence microscope Olympus iX72, light microscope, BSL-2 laminar hoods, cell incubators, PCR thermocyclers and electrophoretic equipment for Western blot and PCR.

The lab offers introduction and training in flow cytometry, magnetic sorting method (MACS), imunohistochemistry, imunocytochemistry, antibody array protein chips, Western blot analysis of protein expression. We also provide training and consultations about derivation of primary cancer cell lines from cancer tissue or stem cells from skin biopsies. As a part of scientific cooperation, we also offer training about in vivo xenotransplantation methods and patent consulting services in the field of biotechnologies.

Virtual tour

Take a virtual tour of our modern Laboratory of Flow Cytometry, Cell Phenotyping and Engineering.

Projects

APVV-17-0037, project title: Development of new in vitro models for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and testing the safety of neural precursors derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells.

VEGA 1/0279/18, project title: The use of newly developed 3D in vitro cancer cell models in testing of DNA repair inhibiting nanoparticles.  

The most important publications

Strnadel J, Choi S, Fujimura K, Wang H, Zhang W, Wyse M, Wright T, Gross E, Peinado C, Park H.W, Bui J, Kelber J, Bouvet M, Guan K.L, Klemke R.L (2017). eIF5A-PEAK1 signaling regulates YAP1/TAZ protein expression and pancreatic cancer cell growth. Cancer Res 77, 1997–2007. (IF=9,122)

Strnadel J, Carromeu C, Bardy C, Navarro M, Platoshyn A, Glud A.N, Marsala S, Kafka J, Miyanohara A, Kato T, Tadokoro T, Hefferan M.P, Kamizato K, Yoshizumi T, Juhas S, Juhasova J, Ho C.S, Kheradmand T, Chen P, Bohaciakova D, Hruska-Plochan M, Todd A.J, Driscoll S.P, Glenn T.D, Pfaff S.L, Klima J, Ciacci J, Curtis E, Gage F.H, Bui J, Yamada K, Muotri A.R, Marsala M. (2018). Survival of syngeneic and allogeneic iPSC-derived neural precursors after spinal grafting in minipigs. Sci Transl Med 10, 1-14. (IF=16,796)

Strnadel J, Woo S. M, Choi S, Wang H, Grendar M, Fujimura K. (2018). 3D Culture Protocol for Testing Gene Knockdown Efficiency and Cell Line Derivation. Bio-protocol 8, e2874.

Strnadel J, Wang H, Carromeu C, Miyanohara A, Fujimura K, Blahovcova E, Nosal V, Skovierova H, Klemke R,  Halasova E. (2018). Transplantation of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neural Precursors into Early-Stage Zebrafish Embryos. Journal of molecular neuroscience 65(3), 351–358 (IF=2,678)

Strnadel J, Zahumenska R, Nosal V,  Smolar M, Marcinek J, Kalman M, Juhas S, Juhasova J, Studenovska H, Dumortier H, et al. (2020). Generation of ORIONi001-A induced pluripotent stem cell line for in vitro modeling of sporadic form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Stem. Cell Res. 4, 101981 (IF=4,489)

Zahumenska R, Nosal V, Smolar M, Okajcekova T, Skovierova H, Strnadel J,  Halasova E. (2020). Induced Pluripotency: A Powerful Tool for In Vitro Modeling. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(23), 8910 (IF=4,456)

Kertys M, Grendar M, Horak V, Zidekova N, Kupcova Skalnikova H, Mokry J, Halasova E, Strnadel J. (2021). Metabolomic characterisation of progression and spontaneous regression of melanoma in the melanoma-bearing Libechov minipig model. Melanoma research, 31(2), 140–151 (IF=2,750)