Research summary of the Department.

The main direction of the research work of the Department concerns the assessment of the usefulness of hematopoietic cytokines, also known as hematopoietic growth factors (HGFs) as tumor markers and the analysis of the usefulness of determination of selected protein concentrations, i.e. acute phase proteins - C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and extracellular matrix metalloproteinases, including metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) in the blood of cancer patients. Another area is research focused on the usefulness of determination of selected biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid and in the blood of patients with Alzheimer's disease. The above tasks were carried out as part of the statutory work: "The role of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) in Alzheimer's disease" and the National Scientific Leading Center (KNOW): "Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and its tissue inhibitor 1 (TIMP -1) in Alzheimer's disease "," Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase - 3 (MMP-3) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase - 2 (TIMP-2) in Alzheimer's disease. " In addition, the usefulness of selected MMPs and their tissue inhibitors in patients with central nervous system (CNS) cancers was determined, and this issue was implemented as part of the statutory work titled "Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and its tissue inhibitor (TIMP-1) ) in the diagnosis of patients with central nervous system (CNS) cancers. What is more, the Department's scientific activity focuses on the investigation of novel, useful biomarkers of both gastrointestinal cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

The scientific activity of the Department is carried out in cooperation with other UMB Departments and Clinics as part of its statutory work. Scientific projects are also conducted in cooperation with national centers, i.e. the Department and the Clinic of Neurology of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Medicine of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, the Research-Scientific-Didactic Center of Dementia Diseases of the Medical University of Wrocław (Independent Public Health Care Center in Ścinawa) and the Podlasie Psychogeriatrics Center in Bialystok, as well as from foreign centers: the Clinic of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy at the University of Erlangen, the Clinic of Neurology at the University of Georg-August in Göttingen (Paracelsus-Elena-Klinik) as part of the international project JPND Research BiomarkAPD and the National Scientific Leading Center (KNOW).