mgr inż. Julia Słaby

Julia Słaby, M.Sc. - ORCID: 0009-0002-1906-076X

The topic of my dissertation is: “Application of functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for the elimination of proliferating and non-proliferating melanoma cells in vitro”

Skin cancers are among the most frequently diagnosed cancers worldwide, with the number of new cases rising annually. In Poland alone, nearly 3,000 people died from skin cancer two years ago, placing the country 10th in global skin cancer mortality in 2022 (WCRF International). Melanoma, a malignant tumor, is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. It originates from melanocytes, the cells responsible for producing melanin. Melanocytes play a crucial role in protecting the body from harmful UV radiation. However, with age or cellular dysfunction, their protective functionality declines, leading to the accumulation of UV-induced DNA damage and cellular senescence (Victorelli et al., 2019).

Melanoma cells have the ability to modulate various cellular processes, making this cancer particularly challenging to treat. Standard treatments, including chemotherapy, surgical excision, and immunotherapy, are often employed. However, resistance to these therapies can develop, significantly reducing their effectiveness (Dhanyamraju & Patel, 2022).

A promising avenue in cancer therapy is senolysis, the targeted elimination of senescent cells. While this approach holds potential, it faces challenges related to selectivity, bioavailability, and toxicity (Carpenter et al., 2021). To mitigate these limitations, my research team aims to develop novel drug delivery systems. These systems combine senolytic drugs with specific antibodies designed to recognise marker(s) of senescent cancer cells. A particularly promising strategy we are working on involves the use of nanoparticles as scaffolds for multifunctional senolytic nanoplatforms. Among these, magnetic nanoparticles stand out due to their unique properties, including heat generation via hyperthermia and potential synergistic interactions with senolytic drugs.

The medical potential of nanomaterials has been recognized since the 1950s. Nanoparticles can act as drug delivery vehicles, facilitate enzyme immobilization, or target and eliminate abnormal cells. Among the most widely studied are iron oxide (Fe3O4)-based nanomaterials. These nanoparticles are biocompatible and can be functionalized with various compounds, enhancing their versatility. Additionally, Fe3O4 nanoparticles exhibit anti-cancer properties through mechanisms such as hyperthermia and oxidative stress. With appropriate modifications, they represent a highly effective material for drug delivery and the eradication of cancer cells (Lewińska et al., 2024).

Despite these advances, the effects of targeted nano-senolytics on senescent melanoma cells remain unexplored, presenting an exciting frontier for future research.

  1. Carpenter, V. J., Saleh, T., & Gewirtz, D. A. (2021). Senolytics for Cancer Therapy: Is All that Glitters Really Gold? Cancers, 13(4), 723. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers130407232.
  2. Dhanyamraju, P. K., & Patel, T. N. (2022). Melanoma therapeutics: A literature review. The Journal of Biomedical Research, 36(2), 77. https://doi.org/10.7555/JBR.36.202101633.
  3. Lewińska, A., Radoń, A., Gil, K., Błoniarz, D., Ciuraszkiewicz, A., Kubacki, J., Kądziołka-Gaweł, M., Łukowiec, D., Gębara, P., Krogul-Sobczak, A., Piotrowski, P., Fijałkowska, O., Wybraniec, S., Szmatoła, T., Kolano-Burian, A., & Wnuk, M. (2024). Carbon-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Promote Reductive Stress-Mediated Cytotoxic Autophagy in Drug-Induced Senescent Breast Cancer Cells. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 16(12), 15457–15478. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.3c174184.
  4. Victorelli, S., Lagnado, A., Halim, J., Moore, W., Talbot, D., Barrett, K., Chapman, J., Birch, J., Ogrodnik, M., Meves, A., Pawlikowski, J. S., Jurk, D., Adams, P. D., Van Heemst, D., Beekman, M., Slagboom, P. E., Gunn, D. A., & Passos, J. F. (2019). Senescent human melanocytes drive skin ageing via paracrine telomere dysfunction. The EMBO Journal, 38(23), e101982. https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.20191019825.
  5. World Cancer Research Fund International (WCRF). Skin cancer statistics. https://www.wcrf.org/cancer-trends/skin-cancer-statistics/

Publication:

  1. Kulak K, Kuska K, Colineau L, Mckay M, Maziarz K, Slaby J, Blom AM, King BC. Intracellular C3 protects β-cells from IL-1β-driven cytotoxicity via interaction with Fyn-related kinase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2024 Feb 20;121(8):e2312621121. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2312621121.