Laboratory of Molecular Bases of Aging
Head: Ewa SIKORA
Staff: Olga Alster (PhD student), Anna Bielak-Żmijewska, Magdalena Dudkowska, Wioleta Grabowska (PhD student), Dorota Janiszewska, Anna Karpa, Zbigniew Korwek (PhD student), Grażyna Mosieniak, Dorota Przybylska (PhD student), Halina Waś
Research profile:
The research profile of the laboratory is focused on the mechanisms of cell cycle regulation, cellular senescence and cell death of primary, immortalized and cancer cells. Particu- larly, we are interested in:
• the role of reactive oxygen species and DNA double strand breaks involved in the DNA damage response (DDR) lead- ing to stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS) of normal, immortalized and cancer cells and replicative senescence of normal human cells including T cells
• the connection between DNA damage and mitotic check- points and its role in genomic instability and cellular senescence
• the role of apoptosis and autophagy in cellular senescence and organismal ageing
• the natural polyphenol curcumin, derived from the rhi- zome of Curcuma longa and its synthetic derivatives as hormetins protecting against (low concentration) and inducing (high concentration) cellular senescence- the influence on the secretome and low grade inflammation
Methods:
• flow and scanning cytometry and cell sorting
• bioimaging by using electron, confocal, fluorescent an optical microscopy
• tissue culture in vitro
• molecular biology methods such as Western blotting, RNAi technique and plasmid transfection
Current research activities:
• immunosenescence focused on searching for immuno- logical markers (T cell phenotypes, propensity to undergo activation- and damage-induced apoptosis) possibly determining healthy ageing and longevity (in the frame- work of FP7 Mark-Age)
• studies on cellular senescence in vitro elucidating the mechanisms of cell cycle regulation, polyploidy forma- tion, functional activities and the cell capacity to undergo apoptosis
• investigation of the molecular mechanisms leading to cancer senescence induced by low doses of DNA dam- aging agents and curcumin; cancer cell senescence as a potential anticancer strategy
Selected publications:
Sikora E., Arendt T., Bennett M., Narita M. (2011) Impact of cellular senescence signature on ageing research. Ageing Research Review, 10: 146-152.
Bielak-Żmijewska A., Sikora-Polaczek M., Nieznański K., Mosieniak G., Kolano A., Maleszewski M., Styrna J., Sikora E. (2010) Curcumin disrupts meiotic and mitotic divisions via spindle impairment and inhibition of CDK1 activity. Cell Proliferation,
43: 354-364.
Sikora E., Bielak-Żmijewska A., Mosieniak G., Piwocka K. (2010) The promise of slow down ageing may come from curcumin. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 16: 884-892.
Mosieniak G., Sikora E. (2010) Polyploidy: the link between senescence and cancer. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 16: 734-740.
Śliwińska M.A., Mosieniak G., Wolanin K., Babik A., Piwocka K., Magalska A., Szczepanowska J., Fronk J., Sikora E. (2009) Induction of senescence with doxorubicin leads to increased genomic instability of HCT116 cells. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, 130: 24-32.
