IMTM

Three-dimensional (3D) cultures of cancer cells are increasingly being recognized as physiologically-relevant in vitro tumor models. My current research is focused on the use of 3D cultures of cancer cells for effective characterization of anticancer compounds.

The project focuses mainly on identification, verification, and implementation of biomarkers for prognostic and predictive purposes in colorectal, lung, thyroid cancer and melanoma with utilization of instrumental capacities of Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine. These biomarkers can be applied in situations directly linked to patient care, drug development, and research. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the knowledge base in identification and validation of biomarkers on the molecular level.

Glycosylation of cellular proteins post-translation has been reported to be an indicator of altered cellular physiology. The larger goal of the work is to identify marker glycoproteins for the different gastrointestinal cancers using the HCT116 mouse xenograft model system.