About Publications Research projects Collaborations Awards

Department of Molecular Pathology

The Department of Molecular Pathology focuses on research on the molecular basis of human diseases, with particular emphasis on lifestyle diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. We are committed to developing innovative cell therapies, including those based on CAR-T technology. We have a wide portfolio of techniques allowing for the functional characterization of non-coding genome sequences in cellular processes and tumor pathogenesis. We use pluripotent cells (iPSC) to create advanced tissue models, such as Engineered Heart Tissue (EHT), used to study the interactions between cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts in the heart and develop new therapeutic approaches. We conduct research on cellular models both in traditional cultures and in 3D. Our preclinical studies are mainly based on the use of immunocompromised animal models enabling the evaluation of proposed therapeutic approaches in a xenogeneic system.

There are two independent research groups within the Department:

Independent Research Group of Non-coding Parts of the Genome led by prof. IHG PAS Ph.D. Agnieszka Dzikiewicz Krawczyk.

Independent Research Group for Advanced Tissue Modelling led by prof. IHG PAS Ph.D. Tomasz Kolanowski.

Keywords:
  • autoimmune diseases
  • cancer
  • non-coding genome sequences
  • tissue models

Featured publications

HDAC10 and its implications in Sezary syndrome pathogenesis.

Pieniawska M, Rassek K, Skwara B, Żurawek M, Ziółkowska-Suchanek I, Visser L, Lodwewijk M, Sokołowska-Wojdyło M, Olszewska B, Nowicki RJ, Stein T, Dańczak-Pazdrowska A, Polańska A, Szymoniak-Lipska M, Rozwadowska N, Iżykowska K

Front Cell and Develop Biol, 2025, 13, 1480192, 16 str., doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1480192, 1-16

IF-4.6 MNiSW-100

Featured research projects

1. Research project NSC SONATA 20

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

“Unraveling proarrhythmic mechanisms of ventricular intramyocardial fat in heart failure through spatial transcriptomics: from bedside to cutting-edge molecular imaging:

Consorcium CPME/IHG PAS

Principal investigator: dr Aleksandra Paterek

PI in research and development IHG PAS: dr hab. Natalia Rozwadowska

Duration: 2025 – 2028

2. Foundation for Polish Science - TEAM NET FENG

“Next-generation medicinal products based on extracellular vesicles for cardiology applications (Card-EV)”

Consorcium JU/IHG PAS

Principal investigator JU: prof. Ewa Zuba-Surma

Principal investigator IHG PAS: dr hab. Natalia Rozwadowska, prof. IHG PAS

Duration: 2025–2028

3. Medical Research Agency

MRA

“Cardiac Advanced Regenerative Design Integrating Organic PRINTing (CARDIOPRINT)”

Principal investigator: dr hab. Tomasz Kolanowski

Duration: 2025–2026

4. Research project NSC SONATA BIS-13

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

“Targeting IGH enhancer RNAs as a therapeutic approach in B-cell lymphoma”

Principal investigator: dr hab. Agnieszka Dzikiewicz-Krawczyk

Duration: 2024–2028

5. Research project NSC SONATA 19

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

„CAR(dio)-T(oxicity)- Engineered Heart Tissue model for CAR-T cardiotoxicity evaluation.”

Principal investigator: dr Agnieszka Zimna

Duration: 2024–2027

6. Research project NSC OPUS 26

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

“Cellular senscence as a new mechanism in development and progression of head and neck cancer.”

Consorcium MUG/IHG PAS

Principal investigator MUG: prof. Michał Masternak

PI in research and development IHG PAS: dr hab. Natalia Rozwadowska

Duration: 2024-2027

7. 18. MEiN Industrial PhD Program

Duration: 2019-2023

  1. “Development of an advanced therapy medicinal product based on WJ-MSC in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)”

PI in research and development IHG PAS: dr hab. Natalia Rozwadowska

Duration: 2022-2025

  1. “CAR-T therapy in solid tumors – new strategies for targeted therapy in the tumor microenvironment”
  2. “AlloCAR – allogeneic CAR-T products in the therapy of hematologic malignancies”

 

PI in research and development IHG PAS: dr hab. Natalia Rozwadowska; dr hab. Tomasz Kolanowski

8. Travel grant STSM

Travel grant STSM (Short-Term Scientific Missions) within the project COST Action CorEuStem (CA20140)

Beneficiary: mgr Agnieszka Nadel

Duration:

9. Research project NSC PRELUDIUM 22

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

„Overcoming CAR-T cell exhaustion via CRISPR- based enhancer modification”

Principal investigator: dr Karolina Rassek

Duration: 2024–2027

10. Research project NSC OPUS 25

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

„Functional consequences of loss of chromosome Y (LOY) in immune cells in the context of cancer – ex vivo and in vitro studies of human cells”

Consorcium MUG/IHG PAS

Principal investigator MUG: Prof. Jan Dumański

PI in research and development IHG PAS: dr hab. Natalia Rozwadowska

Duration:

11. Research project NSC OPUS 25

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

“Anticancer potential of TMPyP4 porphyrin in breast cancer photodynamic therapy and evaluation of the treatment safety”

Consortium PUMS/IHG PAS

Principal investigator PUMS: Prof. Błażej Rubiś

PI in research and development IHG PAS: dr hab. Natalia Rozwadowska

Duration:

12. Research project NSC OPUS 24

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

„It takes two to tango_ a decryption of Marfan cardiomyopathy using human iPSC- derived cardiac cells and engineered heart tissues”

Principal investigator: dr hab. Natalia Rozwadowska

Duration: 2023-2027

13. Research project NSC SONATA 15

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

„The role of class II histone deacetylases: HDAC9 and HDAC10 in Sézary syndrome”

Principal investigator: dr Katarzyna Iżykowska

Duration: 2020–2024

14. Research project NSC PRELUDIUM BIS

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

“The survey of genes regulated by RBM protein family member – a component of splicing machinery in human spermatogenesis”

Principal investigator: dr hab. Natalia Rozwadowska

Duration: 2020-2023

15. Research project FIRST TEAM FNP

„Functional dissection of IGH regulatory regions in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma”

Principal investigator: dr hab. Agnieszka Dzikiewicz-Krawczyk

Duration: 2019-2023

16. National Centre for Research and Development: 1st Polish-Chinese/Chinese-Polish Joint Research Call

„Double impact of BCL11B gene suppression for the targeted therapy of T-cell neoplasms”

Principal investigator: prof. Grzegorz Przybylski (IHG PAS)

Principal investigator: Yangqiu Li (Jinan University, Guangzhou, China)

Duration: 2019-2022

17. Research project NSC SONATA 13

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

„FIBROdrive – just a passenger or the driver? Investigating the mechanism of the cardiac fibroblast influence on heart tissue function – tissue engineering study to define differentiation proces of human atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes”

Principal investigator: dr hab. Tomasz Kolanowski

Duration: 2019-2024

18. Research project NSC SONATA 13

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

„Caged bioluminogenic substrates for a selective molecular imaging of biochemical parameters in cancer”

Consortium IBCH PAS/IHG PAS

Principal investigator: dr Jacek Kolanowski

PI in research and development IHG PAS: dr hab. Natalia Rozwadowska

Duration: 2018 – 2023

19. Research project NSC OPUS 14

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

„Elucidating the function of the transmembrane protein TMEM244 and its role in the development of lymphoid malignancies”

Principal investigator: prof. Grzegorz Przybylski

Duration: 2018-2021

20. Research project NSC OPUS 14

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

„Identification and functional characterization of long non-coding RNAs involved in the ATM-dependent response to DNA damage”

Principal investigator: dr hab. Agnieszka Dzikiewicz-Krawczyk

Duration: 2018-2023

21. Research project NSC OPUS 13

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

„Human spermatogenesis in vitro model for study, diagnosis and treatment of male infertility”

Principal investigator: dr hab. Natalia Rozwadowska

Duration: 2018-2023

22. Research project NSC SONATA 12

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

„CRISPR/Cas9 screen for identification of functional MYC binding sites and target genes essential for cancer cell growth”

Principal investigator: dr hab. Agnieszka Dzikiewicz-Krawczyk

Duration: 2017-2021

23. Research project NSC SONATA 11

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

„The FAM13A silencing effect on lung cancer cells”

Principal investigator: dr hab. Iwona Ziółkowska-Suchanek

Duration: 2017-2021

24. Research project NSC MINIATURA 1

https://www.ncn.gov.pl/sites/all/themes/ncn-nowa/img/logo-en.png

“Global analysis of microRNA in CD4+ T lymphocytes of patients with autoimmune polyglandular syndrome”

Principal investigator: dr hab. Magdalena Żurawek

Duration: 2017-2018

Collaborations

Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland

Department of Dermatology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland

1st Department of Cardiology, University Clinical Hospital in Poznan, Poland

Ghent University (UGent), Belgium – Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences – Department of Human Structure and Repair

Medical Center for Postgraduate Education – Department of Clinical Physiology, Warsaw, Poland

3P-Medicine Laboratory, Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland

Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Internal Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland

Department of Paediatric Diabetes and Obesity, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland

Department of Paediatrics, Diabetology and Endocrinology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland

Center for Advanced Technology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Poland

Laboratory of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic

Department of Rheumatology, Rehabilitation, and Internal Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, poland

Department of Thoracic Surgery, University of Medical Sciences in Poznań, Poland

University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands

University Medical Center Amsterdam, Netherlands

Clinic for Internal Medicine C, University Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine of Ministry of Education, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China

Institute of Pharmacology & Toxicology, TU Dresden, Germany

BIOSENSE INSTITUTE – RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INS, Serbia

UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA, Spain

VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL, Belgium

Awards

Awarded: mgr Monika Pieniawska
Finalistka prestiżowego konkursu "Młodzi Badacze w Wiedniu", którego celem było umożliwienie doktorantom Szkół Doktorskich Polskiej Akademii Nauk (PAN) prezentacji wyników swoich badań w międzynarodowym środowisku akademickim w Wiedniu.
Given by: PAN

W ramach wygranej, Monika spędziła 5 dni w Stacji Naukowej PAN w Wiedniu w ramach pobytu badawczego, gdzie wygłosiła wykład pt. "The molecular background of Sezary Syndrome". Udział w tym wydarzeniu pozwolił jej zaprezentować swoje badania na forum międzynarodowym oraz nawiązać cenne kontakty naukowe.

Awarded: dr n. med. i n. o zdr. Karolina Rassek
Najlepsza publikacja doktoranta
Given by: The RNA Salon Poznan

za najlepszą publikację doktoranta 2023/2024: TMEM244 is a long non-coding RNA necessary for CTCL cell growth, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023.

Awarded:
dr n. chem. Tomasz Woźniak
dr n. biol. Weronika Sura
dr hab. n. med. i n. o zdr. Agnieszka Dzikiewicz-Krawczyk
nagroda za publikację
Given by: Komitet Biologii Molekularnej Komórki PAN

Komitet Biologii Molekularnej Komórki Polskiej Akademii Nauk nagrodził pracę Woźniak T, Sura W, Kazimierska M, Kasprzyk ME, Podralska M, Dzikiewicz-Krawczyk A. TransCRISPR-sgRNA design tool for CRISPR/Cas9 experiments targeting specific sequence motifs Nucleic Acids Research, 2023; 51(W1): W577-W586 w konkursie im. prof. W. Krzyżosiaka.

Awarded:
Given by:

Awarded: dr n. med. i n. o zdr. Karolina Rassek
Wyróżnienie
Given by: Oddział PAN w Poznaniu

na najlepszą oryginalną pracę twórczą doktoranta w 2023 r.: Rassek K, Iżykowska K, Żurawek M, Pieniawska M, Nowicka K, Zhao X, Przybylski GK. TMEM244 Is a Long Non-Coding RNA Necessary for CTCL Cell Growth. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Feb 9;24(4):3531. doi: 10.3390/ijms24043531.

Awarded: dr n. med. i n. o zdr. Karolina Rassek
Stypendium START
Given by: Fundacja na Rzecz Nauki Polskiej

Stypendium dla wybitnych młodych naukowców z całej Polski.

Awarded:
Given by:

Awarded: dr n. med. i n. o zdr. Karolina Rassek
Stypendium Naukowe Miasta Poznania dla młodych badaczy z poznańskiego środowiska naukowego za wyróżniający się dorobek naukowy w zakresie badania molekularnych mechanizmów leżących u podstaw chłoniaków skórnych T-komórkowych.

Given by: Stypendium Naukowe Miasta Poznania

Stypendia naukowe Miasta Poznania przyznawane są wyróżniającym się badaczom, wykazującym się sukcesami w swojej dziedzinie nauki.

Awarded: dr n. med. i n. o zdr. Karolina Rassek
In the competition for the best original work of a doctoral student in 2022 organized by The Poznan Branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences, MSc Karolina Rassen received an honorable mention for the publication in the field of medical sciences.
Given by: The Poznan Branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences,

Rassek K., Iżykowska K., Żurawek M, Nowicka K., Joks M., Olek-Hrab K., Olszewska B., Sokołowska- Wojdyło M., Biernat W., Nowicki R.J., G.K. Przybylski, TMEM244 Gene Expression as a Potential Blood Diagnostic Marker Distinguishing Sézary Syndrome from Mycosis Fungoides and Benign Erythroderma, J Invest Dermatol. 2022 Sep 8;S0022-202X(22)01899-1.doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2022.08.046.

Awarded: mgr Monika Pieniawska
Main prize of Prof. Kazimierz Ostrowski
Given by: XIV National Conference on Advances in Biomedical Research

oral presentation entitled "Influence of histone deacetylase 10 overexpression on cancer cell biology in Sezary Syndrome".