In the Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at the Department of Embryology at the Medical University of Gdańsk, research on new biologically active compounds, biomaterials and stem cells, as well as epigenetic ad tissue regeneration are carried out.

Tissue engineering is a relatively new branch of science based on biotechnology, molecular biology, nanotechnology and related sciences. The tissue engineering triad includes three main elements: cells, scaffolds and growth factors. Finding an appropriate combination of these elements enables the creation of an advanced medicinal product for a number of clinical applications. Thanks to its translational nature, tissue engineering constitutes the basis of regenerative and personalized medicine today.

Our research currently focuses on stem cells (mainly skin and adipose-derived stem cells), biologically active peptides (pro-regenerative and immunoregulatory) and epigenetic mechanisms of the regeneration and activity of the immune system.

More details on our website medreg.mug.edu.pl

Research grants:

Grant founded by National Science Centre “Identification of the adipogenic niche derived molecules as the factors driving the colorectal cancer cell progression.” (2021/43/B/NZ3/01458), Project in cooperation with the University of Wrocław – leader, (duration 10.2022-10.2026).

Grant founded by National Centre for Research and Development “New generation bioactive molecules delivery systems, based on chemically synthesised and obtained through genetic engineering nanobiomaterials” TECHMATSTRATEG2/410747/11/NCBR2019). Leader of Work Package WP9 – Prof. Michał Pikuła, PhD. Consortium Bionanova: University of Gdańsk, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk University of Technology, Innovabion company. Project within the programme: Modern materials technologies – TECHMATSTRATEGII (2019-2022).Consortium Bionanova >>>

Research grant founded by National Science Centre „Effect of adipose-derived stem cells on in vitro cultured skin cells obtained from patients undergoing chemotherapy” (UMO-2019/33/B/NZ7/02676). Medical University of Gdańsk, (2020-2023). Principal Investigator: Prof. Michał Pikuła, PhD.

Project within the Operational Programme: Intelligent Development 2014-2020 (Activity 4.4): Incubator of Innovation+ programme of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, grant “New antibacterial peptidomimetics as potential drugs stimulating infected wound healing” (ID: 2.0/1/2019). Project in cooperation with the Faculty of Chemistry, the University of Gdansk (duration 2019-2020). Principal Investigator: Michał Pikuła, PhD.

Research grant founded by National Science Centre „Effect of adipose-derived stem cells on in vitro cultured skin cells obtained from diabetic patients ” (Miniatura, ID: 2019/03/X/NZ3/00276). Medical University of Gdańsk. Principal Investigator: Milena Deptuła, PhD.

Research project founded by Medical University of Gdańsk “Effect of preoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy on the activity of skin cells in in vitro culture” (MN, ID: 01-0415/08/213). Medical University of Gdańsk. Principal Investigator: Milena Deptuła, PhD.

Grant founded by the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) „Keratinocyte-derived exosomes in the induction of allergy and tolerance to environmental allergens” (TEAM/2016-2/1) in cooperation with University of Gdansk (leader) and Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford.

Research project founded by the Polish National Science Center (NCN) “Inhibitors of BTLA-HVEM complex formation as potential targets for cancer immunotheraphy”, grant No. 2017/26/D/ST5/00919, (2018-2021) in cooperation with University of Gdansk (leader).

Scientific cooperation:

• Department of Surgical Oncology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland

• Department of Clinical Anatomy, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland

• Department of Plastic Surgery, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland

• Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland

• International Research Agenda 3P – Medicine Laboratory (Preventive, Personalized, Precision)

• Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland

• Laboratory for Regenerative Biotechnology, Gdansk University of Technology, Gdansk, Poland

• Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Poland

• Department of Molecular Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland

• Department of Biomedicinal Chemistry, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland

• Department of Biochemistry, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland

• Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wrocław

• Ceramic and Concrete Division, Łukasiewicz Research Network Institute of Ceramics and Building Materials, Warsaw

• Laboratory of Neurobiology, Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Warsaw, Poland

• Department of Clinical Chemistry, Lund University

• Heflin Center for Genomic Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama

• Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford

Selected Publications:

Bioorg Chem. 2022 Targeting the HVEM protein using a fragment of glycoprotein D to inhibit formation of the BTLA/HVEM complex.

Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2022 Regenerative Drug Discovery Using Ear Pinna Punch Wound Model in Mice.

Front Immunol. 2022 Exposure of Keratinocytes to Candida Albicans in the Context of Atopic Milieu Induces Changes in the Surface Glycosylation Pattern of Small Extracellular Vesicles to Enhance Their Propensity to Interact With Inhibitory Siglec Receptors.

Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Functionalized Peptide Fibrils as a Scaffold for Active Substances in Wound Healing

Med Res Rev. 2021 Adipose-derived stromal cells for nonhealing wounds: Emerging opportunities and challenges

More informations>>>

Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Fragments of gD Protein as Inhibitors of BTLA/HVEM Complex Formation – Design, Synthesis, and Cellular Studies

Molecules. 2020 Imunofan-RDKVYR Peptide-Stimulates Skin Cell Proliferation and Promotes Tissue Repair

Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Double-Headed Cationic Lipopeptides: An Emerging Class of Antimicrobials

Int J Appl Ceram Technol. 2020 Porous chitosan/ZnO‐doped bioglass composites as carriers of bioactive peptides

Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl. 2020 A vector-enzymatic DNA fragment amplification-expression technology for construction of artificial, concatemeric DNA, RNA and proteins for novel biomaterials, biomedical and industrial applications

EBioMedicine. 2019 Epigenetic inhibitor zebularine activates ear pinna wound closure in the mouse.

Front Immunol. 2019 Transcriptomic and Epigenetic Alterations in Dendritic Cells Correspond With Chronic Kidney Disease in Lupus Nephritis

Adv Dermatol Allergol 2019 Wound healing complications in oncological patients: perspectives for cellular therapy

Immunol Invest. 2019 Changing microRNA Expression during Three-Month Wasp Venom Immunotherapy.

Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Prophylactic Ketamine Treatment Promotes Resilience to Chronic Stress and Accelerates Recovery: Correlation with Changes in Synaptic Plasticity in the CA3 Subregion of the Hippocampus.

Adv Med Sci. 2019 Transcriptional activity of epigenetic remodeling genes declines in keratinocytes after in vitro expansion.

Neurochem Int. 2018 CXCR7+ and CXCR4+ stem cells and neuron specific enolase in acute ischemic stroke patients.

Sci Rep. 2018 Immunophenotyping and transcriptional profiling of in vitro cultured human adipose tissue derived stem cells.

Molecules. 2018 Antibacterial Peptides in Dermatology-Strategies for Evaluation of Allergic Potential.

Elective courses for students:

Therapies of the future (WL, PL, ED, 3-5 y.)

Courses cover both practical and theoretical aspects of modern medicine, clinical immunology and biotechnology.

Contact:

Prof. Michał Pikuła, MSc, PhD

Full Professor, Deputy Director of the First MUG Doctoral School

Laboratory of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Department of Embryology, Faculty of Medicine

Medical University of Gdansk (MUG)

80-210 Gdansk, Poland

Tel. 0048 58 3491368

E-mail: pikula@gumed.edu.pl

ORCID: 0000-0001-7751-9781