Accessibility
Page map
Search
Contrast
Font size A- A A+

Research topics

The research interests of the team include innate immunity, primarily factors involved in complement activation via the lectin pathway (LP). First, we have been investigating the mechanisms of late-phase endotoxic shock (anaphylactoid shock), dependent on the interaction of the MBL-MASP complex with lipopolysaccharide. Subsequently, we undertook studies to assess the importance of MBL (recently also other complement-activating collectins), ficolins and MASP proteases in infectious, neoplastic and autoimmune diseases as well as the involvement of these factors in pathophysiological processes. We investigate mutations/polymorphisms of genes encoding proteins involved in LP activation, their expression and regulation as well as concentrations/activity of these factors in body fluids.

We are also interested in interaction of lectin pathway-associated pattern-recognition factors with pro- and eukaryotic cells, their products/fragments, viral antigens as well as the molecular basis and biological consequences of this interaction. In some studies related to both clinical aspects and interactions of recognition factors with microbes, we also analyze collectins lacking ability to activate complement, which are components of the lung surfactant.

Complement-activating collectins:

  • mannose-binding lectin (MBL)
  • collectin liver 1 (collectin-10) (CL-L1, CL-10)
  • collectin kidney 1 (collectin-11) (CL-K1, CL-11)

Ficolins:

  • ficolin-1 (M-ficolin)
  • ficolin-2 (L-ficolin)
  • ficolin-3 (H-ficolin)

MBL-associated serine proteases and non-enzymatic related proteins:

  • MASP-1
  • MASP-2
  • MASP-3
  • MAp-19 (sMAP)
  • MAp-44 (MAP-1)

Collectins lacking ability to activate complement:

  • surfactant protein A (SP-A)
  • surfactant protein D (SP-D)

Our main research topics has been concerning:

  1. Mechanisms of anaphylactoid shock dependent on the interaction of collectins and ficolins with bacterial endotoxins
  2. The significance of complement lectin pathway activation factors in newborns (e.g. associations with susceptibility to infections, prematurity, low birthweight, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome)
  3. The significance of complement lectin pathway activation factors in recurrent/severe infections, diseases of the digestive system (chronic gastritis, inflammatory bowel disease), arthropaties, postoperative complications in children
  4. The significance of complement lectin pathway activation factors in haematologic cancers, some infections and autoimmune diseases in adults
  5. Identification of microbial target structures for pattern-recognition molecules related to complement activation via the lectin pathway
  6. Bacterial microvesicles, their interaction with the complement system and its consequences
  7.  Identification of target structures for complement activation factors in cancer cells

Scientific collaboration:

International:

  • Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, National Science Laboratory (Great Britain)
  • Aarhus University (Denmark)
  • Southern Denmark University (Denmark)
  • Fukushima University (Japan)
  • Tokai University (Japan)
  • University of Helsinki (Finland).

Domestic:

  •  L. Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, PAS (Wrocław)
  • University of Silesia (Katowice)
  • Warsaw Medical University
  • Medical University of Łódź
  • Gdańsk Medical University
  • Karol Marcinkowski Poznań University of Medical Sciences
  • BioNanoPark (Łódź)
  • Polish Mother’s Memorial Hospital – Reserach Institute (Łódź)
  • Copernicus Memorial Hospital (Łódź),
  • Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology (Gliwice Branch)
  • Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies, PAS (Łódź)
›