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Molecular and personalized medicine

Laboratory of Experimental Medicine
Senior research group

Group of Dr. Hajdúch is one of the pioneers of personalized medicine in the Czech Republic. We focus on the molecular basis of human diseases, especially cancer. We are involved in identification and description of metabolic and signaling pathways, genetic and epigenetic changes causing human cancers. This includes tumors of various origins and underlying mechanisms of carcinogenesis, including genetic tumor predisposition syndromes, infectious or inflammatory diseases. Our research generates new therapeutically exploitable molecular targets and biomarkers for the diagnosis and targeted treatment of human disorders.

In the field of drug research and development, the group focuses mainly on anticancer drugs, specifically small molecules, including natural compounds. We test the biological activity of synthesized chemical compounds, in the case of biologically active substances, we identify the mechanisms of action through the methods of cellular biology, biochemistry, chemical proteomics and genetics. In the case of known molecular targets, we perform high-throughput screening and screen for pharmacological inhibitors or activators of the biological activity of the molecular target or cellular phenotype. Furthermore, in collaboration with medicinal chemists we optimize the chemical structures to increase effectiveness and pharmacological properties of candidate molecules. Promising compounds enter pre-clinical testing and few of them proof-of-concept first in man or drug repurposing clinical trials. 

In the field of biomarkers, we focus mainly on their identification, validation and implementation for diagnostic, prognostic and predictive purposes in cancer research and for routine clinical use. These biomarkers can be used in situations directly related to patient care, drug development and research. To this end, we leverage our expertise and knowledge in the identification and validation of biomarkers at the multiomic level through comprehensive profiling and analysis of the genome, transcriptome, proteome and metabolome. We perform comprehensive genomic, metabolic and proteomic analyses to find alterations of signaling and regulatory pathways in healthy versus tumor cells. Selected validated biomarkers are subsequently developed as diagnostic kits or directly licensed to industrial partners.

  1. Identification of new targets for antitumor drugs by studying molecular processes in cancer, infectious and rare diseases.
  2. Research and development of candidate drugs for cancer.
  3. Research and development of diagnostic, prognostic and predictive tumor biomarkers, especially with the use of non-invasive sampling techniques.
  4. Search for new translational models of human cancers in vitro and in vivo (tumor spheroids, organoids, patient derived tumor xenografts).
  5. Utilization and comprehensive processing of biomedical data, development of data stewardship tools and implementation of artificial intelligence methods for data analysis.
REISSIG, F., K. ZACHSLER, Z. NOVÝ, M. PETŘÍK, K. DVOŘÁKOVÁ BENDOVÁ, D. KURFÜRSTOVÁ, J. BOUCHAL, M. ĹUDIK, F. BRANDT, K. KOPKA, M. KHOYLOU, H. PIETZSCH, M. HAJDÚCH, C. MAMAT
Modulating the pharmacokinetic profile of Actinium-225-labeled macropa-derived radioconjugates by dual targeting of PSMA and albumin. Theranostics. 2022, 12(17), 7203-7215, ISSN: 1838-7640, PMID: 36438496,
YANG, C., L. POSTOVA SLAVETINSKA, M. FLEUTI, B. KLEPETAROVA, M. TICHÝ, S. GURSKÁ, P. PAVLIŠ, P. DŽUBÁK, M. HAJDÚCH, M. HOCEK
Synthesis of Polycyclic Hetero-Fused 7-Deazapurine Heterocycles and Nucleosides through C-H Dibenzothiophenation and Negishi Coupling. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2022, 144(42), 19437-19446, ISSN: 0002-7863, PMID: 36245092,
KVAKOVA, K., M. ONDRA, J. SCHIMER, M. PETŘÍK, Z. NOVÝ, H. RAABOVA, M. HAJDÚCH, P. CIGLER
Visualization of Sentinel Lymph Nodes with Mannosylated Fluorescent Nanodiamonds. Advanced Functional Materials. 2022, 32(23), 2109960, ISSN: 1616-301X,
New use of Old Drugs: Repurposing of Non-oncology Drugs for Cancer and Oncology Drugs for other Human Diseases. Anti-cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry. 2023, 23(10), 1103, ISSN: 1871-5206, PMID: 37271990,
DVOŘÁKOVÁ BENDOVÁ, K., V. RACLAVSKÝ, R. NOVOTNY, D. LUPTAKOVA, M. POPPER, Z. NOVÝ, M. HAJDÚCH, M. PETŘÍK
[68Ga]Ga-Ornibactin for Burkholderia cepacia complex Infection Imaging Using Positron Emission Tomography. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 2023, ISSN: 0022-2623, PMID: 37252893,
Randomizing for Alzheimer's disease drug trials should consider the cancer history of participants. Brain. 2023, ISSN: 0006-8950, PMID: 37243427,  PDF.
Project: Systems approaches to understanding aging and neurodegeneration
Supervisors: Das Viswanath M.Sc., Ph.D.
Available: 2
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Role of axonal transport and pathology in neurodegeneration
Supervisors: Das Viswanath M.Sc., Ph.D.
Available: 2
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Research and development of agents for cancer, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases
Supervisors: De Sanctis Juan Bautista Ph.D., Hajdúch Marián M.D., Ph.D., Džubák Petr M.D., Ph.D., Urban Milan Ph.D., Das Viswanath M.Sc., Ph.D.
Available: 5
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Research and development of agents for cancer, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases
Supervisors: De Sanctis Juan Bautista Ph.D., Hajdúch Marián M.D., Ph.D., Džubák Petr M.D., Ph.D., Urban Milan Ph.D., Das Viswanath M.Sc., Ph.D.
Available: 5
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Isolation and analysis of membrane lipid rafts using a non-targeted metabolomics and lipidomics approach
Supervisors: Najdekr Lukáš Ph.D.
Available: 1
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Use of open-source software approaches for analysis of metabolomic and lipidomic clinical data
Supervisors: Najdekr Lukáš Ph.D.
Available: 1
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Use of open-source software approaches for analysis of metabolomic and lipidomic clinical data
Supervisors: Najdekr Lukáš Ph.D.
Available: 1
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Identification of proteomic biomarkers in proximal fluids and tissues
Supervisors: Džubák Petr M.D., Ph.D., Hajdúch Marián M.D., Ph.D.
Available: 2
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Preclinical development of molecular imaging agents
Supervisors: Petřík Miloš Ph.D.
Available: 2
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Plasmonic nanomaterials in cancer theranostics
Supervisors: Ranc Václav Ph.D.
Available: 2
Intended for: Doctoral training
Summary: 2 places in full-time or part-time study
Project: Ligand- and structure-based modeling of biologically active compounds
Supervisors: Polishchuk Pavlo Ph.D., M.Sc.
Available: 1
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Biologically active molecules and their therapeutic combinations
Supervisors: Hajdúch Marián M.D., Ph.D.
Available: 2
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Anticancer drugs targeting nucleic acid metabolism
Supervisors: Hajdúch Marián M.D., Ph.D., Džubák Petr M.D., Ph.D.
Available: 2
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Identification of proteomic biomarkers in exhaled breath condensate patients with systemic or pulmonary disease
Supervisors: Džubák Petr M.D., Ph.D., Hajdúch Marián M.D., Ph.D.
Available: 2
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Development of 3D pharmacophore signatures and their application in anticancer drug design
Supervisors: Polishchuk Pavlo Ph.D., M.Sc.
Available: 1
Intended for: Doctoral training
Project: Genetic and epigenetic biomarkers in health and disease
Supervisors: Slavkovský Rastislav Ph.D., Džubák Petr M.D., Ph.D., Hajdúch Marián M.D., Ph.D., Drábek Jiří Ph.D., Koudeláková Vladimíra Ph.D.
Available: 5
Intended for: Doctoral training
IMTM, LEM, STAFF
IMTM, LEM, STAFF, SUPERVISOR
IMTM, LEM, STAFF
IMTM, LEM, STAFF
IMTM, LEM, STAFF
IMTM, LEM, POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW, STAFF
IMTM, LEM, STAFF
IMTM, LEM, STAFF
IMTM, LEM, METABOLOMICS, STAFF, SUPERVISOR
IMTM, LEM, POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW, STAFF
IMTM, LEM, STAFF
IMTM, LEM, STAFF
IMTM, LEM, STAFF
IMTM, LEM, POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW, STAFF
IMTM, LEM, STAFF
IMTM, LEM, STAFF
DOCTORAL STUDENT, EXSTAFF, IMTM, LEM