Joanna Zawacka-Pankau Project
Therapeutic potential of activation of p53 family members to treat cancer.
The ability of p73 to enhance chemotherapeutic response in cancers lacking p53 and the important role of p63 in tumor growth could be exploited to combat cancer. Therefore, the members of p53 family have emerged as potential therapeutic targets for anti-cancer drug development.
My research is focused on elucidation of molecular mechanisms underlying the biological responses induced in cancer cells upon reinstatement of p53 family members by small molecules and photodynamic reaction (PDT). My goal is to gain insights into the protein-ligand interactions using biophysical in vitro assays supported by cell-based approaches. Further, my ambition is to pinpoint the key nodes in cellular networks crucial for cancer cell death and the process of metastasis.
Collaborations
Professor Galina Selivanova
Karolinska Institute, MTC Advanced Cancer Therapies (ACT) On p53 project- E-mail:
Professor Klas Wiman
Karolinska Institute, CCK Advanced Cancer Therapies (ACT) On p63 project and on mtp53- E-mail:
Assistant Professor Margareta Wilhelm
Karolinska Institute, MTC On p73 project- E-mail:
Professor Krzysztof Bielawski
Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, Department of Biotechnology On photodynamic therapy project- E-mail:
Associate Professor Bogdan Banecki
Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology On development of biophysical assays to study protein-ligand interactions- E-mail:
Associate Professor, Chief Physician, MD PhD Sören Lehmann
Dept. of Medicine, Hematology Center, Huddinge collaboration on anticancer treatment strategy with small molecules in leukemias- E-mail:
Selected publications
Induction of apoptosis in HL-60 cells through the ROS-mediated mitochondrial pathway by ramentaceone from Drosera aliciae.
J Nat Prod. 2012 Jan 27;75(1):9-14. Epub 2012 Jan 17.
Plumbagin Induces Apoptosis in Her2-Overexpressing Breast Cancer Cells through the Mitochondrial-Mediated Pathway
J Nat Prod. 2012 Apr 27;75(4):747-51
Evaluation of the role of the pharmacological inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus multidrug resistance pumps and the variable levels of the uptake of the sensitizer in the strain-dependent response of Staphylococcus aureus to PPArg(2)-based photodynamic inactivation
Photochem Photobiol. 2010 Sep-Oct;86(5):1118-26. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2010.00772.x.
Inhibition of glycolytic enzymes mediated by pharmacologically activated p53: targeting Warburg effect to fight cancer
J Biol Chem. 2011 Dec 2;286(48):41600-15
Targeting of p53 tumor suppressor and its homolog p73 by protoporphyrin IX - a promising approach to cancer treatment
FEBS Lett 2011; 585(1):255-60
p73 tumor suppressor protein: A close relative of p53 not only in structure but also in anti-cancer approach?
Cell cycle 2010 9(4) 720-8
p53-dependent inhibition of TrxR1 contributes to the tumor-specific induction of apoptosis by RITA.
Cell Cycle. 2009;8(21):3576-83.
The p53-mediated cytotoxicity of photodynamic therapy of cancer: recent advances
Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 232; 2008 487-497
Protoporphyrin IX interacts with wild-type p53 protein in vitro and induces cell death of human colon cancer cells in a p53-dependent and independent manner
J Biol Chem 2007; 282(4): 2466-72
