Laboratory of Cancer Immunotherapy
Head of laboratory:
Ph.D. students:
Students:
Bc. Andrea Frejlachová
Bc. Radka Lencová
Bc. Markéta Skaličková
Bc. Anna Venhauerová
Focusing of research:
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. The incidence of cancer is rising permanently.
Surgery plays still the main role in cancer therapy. However, in the moment of diagnosis 30% of patients have already metastases and their chance to be cured is very low. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy have many sides effects and their efficacy is limited. Nowadays immunotherapy using own immune system is expanding rapidly and offers new chance for patients. However, this therapy is not easy as tumors are able to protect themself against immune attack.
The team of cancer immunotherapy at Department of Medical Biology headed by Dr. Ženka studies the possibility how to overcome mentioned resistance. Immunotherapy proposed by Dr. Ženka is based on activation of innate immunity cells and directing of their attack to tumors using labelling them by ligands of phagocytic receptors.
Team of Dr. Ženka collaborates closely with laboratories of prof. Karel Pacák and prof. Zhengping Zhuang (NIH, Bethesda, Maryland). Our student Mgr. Veronika Caisová finished her Ph.D. study in laboratory of prof. Pacák recently. Our another student Mgr. Ondřej Uher works on his Ph.D. thesis in this laboratory at the present days.
Running projects:
Immunotherapy of pancreatic adenocarcinoma