• Resistance under treatment in breast cancer Grant scheme: ERA-NET Programme: ERACoSysMed Acronym: RESCUER Start: 1 August 2020 End: 31 May 2024 Coordinated by University of Oslo, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Norway. Number of partners: 5; Funding for the BMC SAS: 120,000 €; responsible person on behalf of the BMC SAS: Marína Cihová https://www.era-learn.eu/network-information/networks/eracosysmed/3rd-joint-transnational-call-for-european-researchprojects-on-systems-medicine/resistance-under-treatment-in-breast-cancer
• Establishing an algorithm for the early diagnosis and follow-up of patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors Grant scheme: ERA-NET Programme: TRANSCAN-2 Acronym: NExT Start: 1 September 2019 End: 31 March 2023 Coordinated by Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT, Germany. Number of partners: 5 Funding for the BMC SAS: 105,000 € Responsible person on behalf of the BMC SAS: Božena Smolková https://www.next-project.eu
• Reprogramming pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma microenvironment towards immunotherapy. APVV-21-0197 Coordinated by BMC SAS, total funding: 250,000 € Funding for the BMC SAS: 140,000€ Responsible person: Božena Smolková
• Identification of novel biomarkers linked to the relapse of metastatic colorectal cancer after metastasectomy. APVV-21-0296 Coordinated by Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Medicine in Bratislava, total funding: 249,575 € Funding for the BMC SAS: 88,342 € Responsible person on behalf of the BMC SAS: Miroslava Matúšková
• Identification of new treatment options in refractory testicular germ cell tumors. APVV-20-0158 Acronym: REZTEST Start: 01.07.2021 End: 30.06.2025 Coordinated by Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Medicine in Bratislava, total funding: 249,772 € Funding for the BMC SAS: 62 023 € Responsible person on behalf of the BMC SAS: Silvia Schmidtová
• Suicide gene therapy mediated by mesenchymal stromal and pancreatic tumor cell-excreted extracellular vesicles in the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. APVV-20-0143 Acronym: ExoTREAT Start: 01.07.2021 End: 30.06.2025 Coordinated by BMC SAS. Total funding: 250,000 € Funding for the BMC SAS: 164,000 € Responsible person on behalf of the BMC SAS: Marína Cihová
• TArgetiNg Dna mEthylation by epigenetic editing and its implementation into personalised diagnostics and therapy of uveal Melanoma. APVV-17-0369 Acronym: TANDEM Start: 01.08.2018 End: 30.06.2022 Coordinated by BMC SAS. Total funding: 249,000 € Funding for the BMC SAS: 164,000 € Responsible person on behalf of the BMC SAS: Božena Smolková
• Identification of chemoresistant cell populations with metastatic potential in colorectal carcinoma. VEGA 2/0050/19 Start: 1.1.2019 End: 31.12.2022; Responsible person: Miroslava Matúšková
• Exosomes secreted by cancer cells of digestive organs, their characterization and modification by the CRISPR/Cas9 system for the aim of use in therapy. VEGA 2/0178/21 Start: 1.1.2021 End: 31.12.2024; Responsible person: Zuzana Kozovská
• The role of mitochondria in progression of colorectal cancer. VEGA 2/0185/21 Start: 1.1.2021 End: 31.12.2024; Responsible person: Silvia Tyčiaková
• Study of Exosome Nanoparticle Properties Secreted by Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Transduced by the HerpesSimplex Virus Thymidine Kinase (TK/HSV) Suicide Gene to Be Used for Innovative Glioblastoma Therapy. VEGA 1/0489/20 Start: 1.1.2020 End: 31.12.2022 Coordinated by Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava Responsible person on behalf of the BMC SAS: Čestmír Altaner
• Evaluation of the role of tumor microenvironment stromal component in breast cancer treatment outcome using an organoid model. VEGA 2/0067/22 Start: 1.1.2022 End: 31.12.2025 Coordinated by Jana Plavá
• Unraveling the role of genetic predispositions in the context of breast cancer tumor microenvironment. VEGA 2/0138/20 Start: 1.1.2020 End: 31.12.2023 Coordinated by Marína Cihová
• Inhibition of carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) circumventing cisplatin resistance in refractory testicular germ cell tumours. VEGA 1/0349/21 Start: 1.1.2021 End: 31.12.2023 Coordinated by Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava. Responsible person on behalf of the BMC SAS: Silvia Schmidtová
• Identification of Potential Therapeutic Targets Associated with Cisplatin Resistance in Yolk Sac Tumors. VEGA 2/0124/21 Start: 1.1.2021 End: 31.12.2024 Coordinated by Silvia Schmidtová
• Development of patients derived xenografts models and their utilization for personalized treatment of uveal melanoma. VEGA 1/0395/21 Start: 1.1.2021 End: 31.12.2024 Coordinated by Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava. Responsible person on behalf of the BMC SAS: Lucia Demková
• Markers Overlapping Chemoresistance and Metastatic Potential in Colorectal Cancer – Aldehyde Dehydrogenase and Its Clinical Relevance. Grant agreement ID: 2019/60-BMCSAV-4 Funded by Ministry of Health Acronym: CAScADE Start: 1.11.2019 End: 31.12.2022 Coordinated by BMC SAS Total funding: 98,013 € Responsible person: Miroslava Matúšková
• Targeted combination therapy of colon cancer with therapeutic gene/drug loaded novel dendritic nanocarriers. SAS-TUBITAK 398784; Funding body: Slovak Academy of Sciences Start: 3.9.2018 End: 30.11.2022 Coordinated by BMC SAS Total funding: 75,000 € Responsible person: Miroslava Matúšková

Selected publications:

• Timmerman, M Dennis – Eleveld, FThomas – Sriram, Sruthi – Dorssers, C J Lambert – Gillis, J M Ad – Schmidtova, Silvia – Kalavska, Katarina – van de Werken, J G Harmen – Oing,Christoph – Honecker, Friedemann – Mego,Michal – Looijenga, H JChromosome 3p25.3 Gain Is Associated with Cisplatin Resistance and Is an Independent Predictor of Poor Outcome in Male Malignant Germ Cell Tumors Journal of Clinical Oncology 2022 Apr 20; JCO2102809. Online ahead of print. 10.1200/jco.21.02809
• BUOCIKOVÁ, Verona – LONGHIN, Eleonora Marta – PILALIS, Eleftherios – MASTROKALOU, Chara – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana – CIHOVÁ, Marína – POTURNAYOVÁ Alexandra – MACKOVÁ, Katarína – BÁBELOVÁ, Andrea – TRNKOVÁ, Lenka – … – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava – CIMPAN, Mihaela Roxana – DUŠINSKÁ, Mária – BABÁL, Pavel -CHATZIIOANNOU, Aristotelis – GÁBELOVA, Alena – RUNDEN-PRAN, Elise – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena**. Decitabine potentiates efficacy of doxorubicin in a preclinical trastuzumab-resistant HER2-positive breast cancer models. In Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 2022, vol. 147, no (2021: 7.419 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.194 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC).  10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112662
• URBANOVÁ, Mária – BUOCIKOVÁ, Verona – TRNKOVÁ, Lenka – STRAPCOVÁ, Sabina – KAJABOVÁ HORVÁTHOVÁ, Viera –  MELIAN BARRETO, Emma – NOVISEDLÁKOVÁ, Mária  -TOMÁŠ, Miroslav – DUBOVAN, Peter – EARl, Julie – BÍZIK, Jozef – ŠVASTOVÁ, Eliška -ČIERNIKOVÁ, Soňa – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena**. DNA Methylation Mediates EMT Gene Expression in Human Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines. In International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2022, vol. 23, no 2117. (2021: 6.208 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.176 – SJR, Q1 – SJR). 3390/ijms23042117
• POTURNAJOVÁ, Martina**- KOZOVSKÁ, Zuzana – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 and 1A3 isoforms – mechanism of activation and regulation in cancer. In Cell Signal. 2021 (2020: 4.315 – IF, Q3 – JCR, 1.435 – SJR, Q2 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). 1016/j.cellsig.2021.110120
• POTURNAJOVÁ, Martina**- FURIELOVÁ, Tatiana – BÁLINTOVÁ, Soňa – SCHMIDTOVÁ, Silvia – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Molecular features and gene expression signature of metastatic colorectal cancer. In Oncology Reports 2021, vol 45, no 10. (2020: 3.906 – IF, Q3 – JCR, 1.094 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). 10.3892/or.2021.7961
• PLAVÁ, Jana – CIHOVÁ, Marína – BURÍKOVÁ, Monika – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana**. Recent advances in understanding tumor stroma-mediated chemoresistance in breast cancer. In Molecular Cancer, 2019, vol. 18, p. 67. (2018: 10.679 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 3.274 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 1476-4598. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-019-0960-z 90
• DEMKOVÁ, Lucia – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia**. Role of the HGF/c-MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors in metastasic melanoma. In Molecular Cancer, 2018, vol. 17, no. 1, p. 26. (2017: 7.776 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 2.778 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 1476-4598. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-018-0795-z 91
• KOZOVSKÁ, Zuzana** – PATSALIAS, A. – BAJZIK, V. – ĎURINÍKOVÁ, Erika – DEMKOVÁ, Lucia – JARGASOVA, S. – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena – PLAVÁ, Jana – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava. ALDH1A inhibition sensitizes colon cancer cells to chemotherapy. In BMC Cancer, 2018, vol. 18, no. 1, art. no. 656. (2017: 3.288 – IF, Q2 – JCR, 1.464 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 1471-2407. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-018- 4572-6 92)
• MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana – MINÁRIK, Gabriel – SEDLACKOVA, T. – PLAVÁ, Jana – CIHOVÁ, Marína – JURIŠOVÁ, Silvia – KAĽAVSKÁ, Katarína – KARABA, Marián – BENCA, Juraj – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena – MEGO, Michal**. Inflammation-based scores increase the prognostic value of circulating tumor cells in primary breast cancer. In Cancers, 2020, vol. 12, no. 5, art.no. 1134. (2019: 6.126 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.938 – SJR, Q1 – SJR). ISSN 2072-6694. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12051134 93)
• ALTANEROVÁ, Uršula – JAKUBECHOVÁ, Jana – BENEJOVÁ, K. – PRISCAKOVÁ, Petra – REPISKÁ, Vanda – BÁBELOVÁ, Andrea – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena – ALTANER, Čestmír**. Intracellular prodrug gene therapy for cancer mediated by tumor cell suicide gene exosomes. In International Journal of Cancer, 2021, vol. 148, no. 1, p. 128- 139. (2020: 7.396 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 2.475 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 0020-7136. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.33188 94)
• PLAVÁ, Jana** – BURÍKOVÁ, Monika – CIHOVÁ, Marína – TRNKOVÁ, Lenka – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena – BABÁL, Pavel – KRIVOŠÍKOVÁ, Lucia – JANEGA, Pavol – ROJIKOVÁ, Lucia – DRAHOŠOVÁ, S. – BOHÁČ, Martin – DANIŠOVIČ, Ľuboš – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana. Chemotherapy-triggered changes in stromal compartment drive tumor invasiveness and progression of breast cancer. In Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research, 2021, vol. 40, art. no. 302. (2020: 11.161 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 2.752 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 1756-9966. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-021-02087-2 95)
• SCHMIDTOVÁ, Silvia** – KAĽAVSKÁ, Katarína* – GERČÁKOVÁ, Katarína – ČIERNA, Zuzana – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena – BUOCIKOVÁ, Verona – MIŠKOVSKÁ, V. – ĎURINÍKOVÁ, Erika – BURÍKOVÁ, Monika – CHOVANEC, Michal – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava – MEGO, Michal – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia. Disulfiram overcomes cisplatin resistance in human embryonal carcinoma cells. In Cancers, 2019, vol. 11, art.no. 1224. (2018: 6.162 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 2.142 – SJR, Q1 – SJR). ISSN 2072-6694. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers11091224 96)
• KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – ĎURINÍKOVÁ, Erika – TORO, Lenka – CIHOVÁ, Marína – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana – POTURNAJOVÁ, Martina – KOZOVSKÁ, Zuzana – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava. Targeted antitumor therapy mediated by prodrug-activating mesenchymal stromal cells. In Cancer Letters, 2017, vol. 408, p. 1-9. (2016: 6.375 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 2.372 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 0304-3835. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canlet.2017.08.016 97)
• ĎURINÍKOVÁ, Erika – KOZOVSKÁ, Zuzana – POTURNAJOVÁ, Martina – PLAVÁ, Jana – ČIERNA, Zuzana – BÁBELOVÁ, Andrea – BOHOVIČ, Roman – SCHMIDTOVÁ, Silvia – TOMÁŠ, Miroslav – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia** – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava**. ALDH1A3 upregulation and spontaneous metastasis formation is associated with acquired chemoresistance in colorectal cancer cells. In BMC Cancer, 2018, vol. 18, no. 1, p. 848. (2017: 3.288 – IF, Q2 – JCR, 1.464 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). (2018 – Current Contents). ISSN 1471-2407. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-018-4758-y 98
• Ďuriníková, Erika – Plavá, Jana – Tyčiaková, Silvia – Škvára, Pavel – Stanová Vojs, Andrea – Kozovská, Zuzana – Kučerová, Lucia – Matúšková, Miroslava. Cytotoxic response of 5-fluorouracil-resistant cells to gene- and cell-directed enzyme/prodrug treatment. In Cancer Gene Therapy, 2018, vol. 25, p. 285-299. (2017: 4.044 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.359 – SJR, Q2 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC).  ISSN: 0929-1903 10.1038/s41417-018-0030-5
• SCHMIDTOVÁ, Silvia – KAĽAVSKÁ, Katarína – LIŠKOVÁ, Veronika – PLAVÁ, Jana – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana – KUČEROVÁ, Lucia – MATÚŠKOVÁ, Miroslava – ROJIKOVÁ, Lucia – ČIERNA, Zuzana – ROGOZEA, Adriana – KONIG, Heiko – ALBANY, Constantine – MEGO, Michal – CHOVANEC, Michal**. Targeting of Deregulated Wnt/βCatenin Signaling by PRI-724 and LGK974 Inhibitors in Germ Cell Tumor Cell Lines In International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021, vol. 22, 8, art. no. 4263. (2020: 5.924 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.455 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). (ISSN 1422-0067. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22084263 99)
• BUOCIKOVÁ, Verona – RIOS-MONDRAGON, Ivan – PILALIS, Eleftherios – CHATZIIOANNOU, Aristotelis – MIKLÍKOVÁ, Svetlana – MEGO, Michal – PAJUSTE, Karlis – RUCINS, Martins – YAMANI, Naouale El – LONGHIN, Eleonora Marta – SOBOLEV, Arkadij – FREIXANET, M. – PLOTNIECE, Aiva – DUŠINSKÁ, Mária – CIMPAN, M. R. – GÁBELOVÁ, Alena* – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena*. Epigenetics in breast cancer therapy – new strategies and future nanomedicine perspectives. In Cancers, 2020, vol. 12, art. no. 3622. (2019: 6.126 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.938 – SJR, Q1 – SJR). ISSN 2072-6694. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12123622 100)
• CHOKHACHI BARADARAN, Pooneh – KOZOVSKÁ, Zuzana – FURDOVÁ, Alena – SMOLKOVÁ, Božena**. Targeting epigenetic modifications in uveal melanoma. In International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020, vol. 21, art. no. 5314. (2019: 4.556 – IF, Q1 – JCR, 1.317 – SJR, Q1 – SJR, Current Contents – CCC). ISSN 1422-0067. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21155314 101)