Genome Integrity
The Bartek group explores how human cells control their proliferation, and employ an extensive hierarchically organized network of proteins, termed DNA damage response (DDR) to maintain genome integrity and result into cell survival, senescence or cell death after exposure to genotoxic stresses such chemotherapeutic drugs or radiation.
Our Research
Our work aims at better understanding of cancer development and discovery of cancer cell vulnerabilities. The latter aspect of our work focuses on discovery of new candidate targets for cancer therapy, biomarkers for early detection of cancer and guidance of existing treatments, as well as formulation of innovative strategies for drug repurposing in oncology.
We are using a wide spectrum of state-of-the art cell and molecular biology techniques, complemented by high-throughput screening approaches, super-resolution microscopy and other imaging technologies, and DNA/RNA sequencing approaches combined with biochemical methods.
Maya-Mendoza A, Moudry P, Merchut-Maya JM, Lee M, Strauss R, Bartek J: High speed of fork progression induces DNA replication stress and genomic instability. Nature 2018;559(7713):279-284
Skrott Z, Mistrik M, Andersen KK, Friis S, Majera D, Gursky J, Ozdian T, Bartkova J, Turi Z, Moudry P, Kraus M, Michalova M, Vaclavkova J, Dzubak P, Vrobel I, Pouckova P, Sedlacek J, Miklovicova A, Kutt A, Li J, Mattova J, Driessen C, Dou QP, Olsen J, Hajduch M, Cvek B, Deshaies RJ, Bartek J: Alcohol-abuse drug disulfiram targets cancer via p97 segregase adaptor NPL4. Nature 2017;552(7684):194-199
Jackson SP, Bartek J: The DNA-damage response in human biology and disease. Nature 2009;461(7267):1071-1078
Halazonetis TD, Gorgoulis VG, Bartek J: An oncogene-induced DNA damage model for cancer development. Science 2008;319(5868):1352-1355
Bartkova J, Horejsi Z, Koed K, Kramer A, Tort F, Zieger K, Guldberg P, Sehested M, Nesland JM, Lukas C, Ørntoft T, Lukas J, Bartek J: DNA damage response as a candidate anti-cancer barrier in early human tumorigenesis. Nature 2005;434(703
Group Leader: Jiri Bartek
Jiri Bartek’s work elucidates mechanisms of cell cycle control, genome integrity, and cancer.
He has studied and worked in the Czech Republic, UK, Germany, Denmark and Sweden, published over 460 original articles and reviews on cell and cancer biology that are widely cited (approx. 57.000 citations; h-Index: 115). His work has been acknowledged by a number of prestigious awards in Denmark, Sweden, Israel, the Czech Republic and Norway.
Jiri Bartek is a member of editorial boards of multiple biomedical journals and a member of EMBO.
ORCID: 0000-0003-2013-7525