Head:
Elżbieta Salińska; PhD, Professor, phone: +48 22 608 6528; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., room B-402
Research staff:
• Elżbieta Ziemińska; PhD, assistant professor; phone: + 48 22 608 6533; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Justyna Augustyniak: PhD ; phone: +48 22 608 6534; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Ewelina Bratek-Gerej; PhD ; phone: +48 22 608 6530; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Damian Mielecki; PhD ; phone: +48 22 6086534; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Technical staff:
Aleksandra Gwiazdowska, M.Sc.; phone: +48 22 6086 531; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., room B-431
Secretariat:
Aleksandra Stafiej; M.Sc.; phone: +48 22 608 6528; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Research profile:
The role of natural adaptation processes and exogenous and endogenous substances with neuroprotective potential in the prevention, diagnosis and therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.
• Searching for mechanisms of brain damage caused by ischemia and effective methods of neuroprotection.
• Research on the molecular mechanisms of learning and memory, with particular emphasis on the role of glutamatergic neurotransmission and activated channels permeable to calcium ions.
• The use of gene expression analysis (RT-qPCR, RNA-seq) in the study of neurodevelopmental changes induced by drugs and neurotoxic substances in cell and animal models.
• The use of metabolic profile analysis to assess the mechanisms of action of environmental factors and drugs in cellular and animal models (research in cooperation with IBIB PAN).
• Evaluation of the mechanisms of the formation and development of lesions at the metabolome level in humans (research in cooperation with IBIB PAN).
Research methods:
• rat brain microdialysis
• rat brain perfusion
• oxygen and air hypobaria and hyperbaria
• fluorescence and confocal microscopy imaging
• assessment of ligand affinity to membranes (binding)
• determination of antioxidant enzymes activity by ELISA
• apoptosis determination (TUNEL)
• Western blot analysis of protein expression
• nucleic acids isolation (RNA i DNA)
• gene expression analysis: PCR, RT- PCR, qRT-PCR, RNA-seq
• metabolic profiles analysis: NMR spectroscopy
Research models:
in vivo:
• model of perinatal asphyxia in 7-day-old rat puppies
• model of global ischemia in gerbils
• model of passive avoidance task in one-day old chickens
in vitro:
• primary culture of rat cerebellar granule cell
• cultures of neural progenitors and vascular endothelial cells obtained by differentiation of hiPSCs
• cerebral and vascular organoids
Collaboration:
domestic
• Maj Institute of Pharmacology, PAS, Cracow
• Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, PAS, Warsaw
• Institute of Organic Chemistry PAS, Warsaw
• Warsaw University, Warsaw
• Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics PAS, Warsaw
foreign
• Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India;
• University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, NY, USA;
• University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Grants:
• Investigations into molecular mechanisms of neuroprotective effects of metabotropic glutamate receptors group II (mGluR2/3) agonists in animal model of birth asphyxia, was supported by the Polish National Science Centre, grant number 2016/23/N/NZ7/01942, project manager: mgr inż. Ewelina Bratek (2017-2019)
https://projekty.ncn.gov.pl/index.php?projekt_id=355361
• Study of the gene expression potentially involved in the pathogenesis of autism in two animal models: valproate and thalidomide. was supported by the Polish National Science Centre ; grant number: 2017/01/X/NZ3/01049, project manager:
dr hab. Elżbieta Ziemińska (2017-2018)
• Study of SNAP-25 protein expression, NMR metabolomic analysis and behavioral characteristics in animal models of infantile autism: reference to glutamate hypothesis, was supported by the Polish National Science Centre ; grant number 2014/15/B/NZ4/04490, project manager: prof. dr hab. Jerzy Wojciech Łazarewicz (2015-2018)
https://projekty.ncn.gov.pl/en/index.php?projekt_id=277342
• Participation of transient receptor potential channels (TRP) permeable for calcium ions in memory formation and retrieval and their connections with group I metabotropic glutamate receptors. Studies on the model of passive avoidance task in one-day old chicks, was supported by the Polish National Science Centre ; grant number 2014/15/B/NZ4/04487, project manager: prof. dr hab. Elżbieta Salińska (2015-2018)
https://projekty.ncn.gov.pl/index.php?projekt_id=274136
Selected publications:
2026
Tobiasz P, Mielecki D, Stachurska-Skrodzka A, Miętus J, Borys F, Krawczyk H. Synthesis and Study of Substituted Chalcones Combined with Fluoroazobenzenes-New Photoswitches for Application in Biological Systems. Molecules. 2026 Jan 20;31(2):362. doi: 10.3390/molecules31020362
2025
Augustyniak J, Toczylowska B, Dąbrowska-Bouta B, Adamiak K, Sulkowski G, Zieminska E, Struzynska L. Nanoplastic Disrupts Intestinal Homeostasis in Immature Rats by Altering the Metabolite Profile and Gene Expression. Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Jul 25;26(15):7207. doi: 10.3390/ijms26157207.
Olejniczak B, Balakrishnan A, Augustyniak J, Salińska E, Bronisz A, Godlewski J. Transcriptomic analysis of the TRP gene family in human brain physiopathology. Front Mol Neurosci. 2025 Apr 24;18:1576941. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2025.1576941. eCollection 2025
Salińska E, Introduction to the special issue: Gut microbiota modulation - a new factor in the treatment of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Pharmacol Rep. 2025 Dec;77(6):1445. doi: 10.1007/s43440-025-00797-4
Toczylowska B, Kalinowski P, Kacka-Piotrowska A, Duda P, Grąt M, Zieminska E. Metabolic Pattern of Brain Death-NMR-Based Metabolomics of Cerebrospinal Fluid. Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Mar 18;26(6):2719. doi: 10.3390/ijms26062719.
Toczylowska B, Skowronska M, Kurkowska-Jastrzebska I, Ruszczynska A, Zieminska E. Serum metabolomics indicates ferroptosis in patients with pantothenate kinase associated neurodegeneration. Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 20;15(1):9592. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-94838-w.
Nalepa M, Toczyłowska B, Owczarek A, Skweres A, Ziemińska E, Węgrzynowicz M. Striatum-enriched protein, arginase 2 localizes to medium spiny neurons and controls striatal metabolic profile. Neurochem Int. 2025 Jan;182:105907. doi:10.1016/j.neuint.2024.105907.
Dylewska M, Dąbrowska I, Ćwiek K, Padoł K, Mielecki D, Sokołowska B, Poznański J, Maciejewska AM. AlkA Glycosylase and AlkB Dioxygenase Constitute an Effective Protective System for Endogenously Arising Acrolein: E. coli AlkA Glycosylase Excises Acrolein Adduct to Adenine. J Mol Biol. 2025 Jan 15;437(2):168912. doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168912.
2024
Struzynska L, Toczylowska B, Dabrowska-Bouta B, Zieminska E. Exposure of cerebellar granule cells to nanosilver: Oxidative stress parameters and the protective effect of exogenous glutathione. Folia Neuropathol. 2024. 62(3):223-236. doi: 10.5114/fn.2024.143561.
Dhiman S, Manoj N, Liput M, Sangwan A, Diehl J, Balcerak A, Sudhakar S, Augustyniak J, Jornet JM, Bae Y, Stachowiak EK, Dutta A, Stachowiak MK. Systems Genome: Coordinated GeneActivity Networks, Recurring Coordination Modules, and Genome Homeostasis in Developing Neurons. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 May 22;25(11):5647. doi: 10.3390/ijms25115647.
Mielecki D, Salińska E. Group III metabotropic glutamate receptors: guardians against excitotoxicity in ischemic brain injury, with implications for neonatal contexts. Pharmacol Rep. 2024 Dec;76(6):1199-1218. doi: 10.1007/s43440-024-00651-z
Mielecki D, Bratek-Gerej E, Salińska E. Metabotropic glutamate receptors-guardians and gatekeepers in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Pharmacol Rep. 2024 Dec;76(6):1272-1285. doi: 10.1007/s43440-024-00653-x.
Salinska E, Stary C. Editorial: Reviews in cellular neuropathology 2023: cerebral ischemia. Front Cell Neurosci. 2024 May 2;18:1420026. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1420026. eCollection 2024.PMID: 38756861
Mielecki D, Godlewski J, Salinska E. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for the treatment of hypoxic/ischemic injury upon perinatal asphyxia-are we there yet? Front Neurol. 2024 Apr 15;15:1386695. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1386695. eCollection 2024.
Mielecki D, Detman A, Aleksandrzak-Piekarczyk T, Widomska M, Chojnacka A, Stachurska-Skrodzka A, Walczak P, Grzesiuk E, Sikora A. Unlocking the genome of the non-sourdough
Kazachstania humilis MAW1: insights into inhibitory factors and phenotypic properties. Microb Cell Fact. 2024 Apr 15;23(1):111. doi: 10.1186/s12934-024-02380-7.
2023
Augustyniak J, Kozlowska H, Buzanska L. Genes Involved in DNA Repair and Mitophagy Protect Embryoid Bodies from the Toxic Effect of Methylmercury Chloride under Physioxia Conditions. Cells. 2023 Jan 21;12(3):390. doi: 10.3390/cells12030390.
Toczylowska B, Woznica M, Zieminska E, Krolicki L. Metabolic Biomarkers Differentiate a Surgical Intervertebral Disc from a Nonsurgical Intervertebral Disc. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jun 24;24(13):10572. doi: 10.3390/ijms241310572.
2022
Augustyniak J, Lipka G, Kozlowska H, Caloni F, Buzanska L. Oxygen as an important factor modulating in vitro MeHgCl toxicity associated with mitochondrial genes in hiPSCs. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2022 Aug;241:113737. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113737.
Bratek-Gerej E, Ziembowicz A, Salinska E. Group II Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors Reduce Apoptosis and Regulate BDNF and GDNF Levels in Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury in Neonatal Rats. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Jun 23;23(13):7000. doi: 10.3390/ijms23137000.
Toczylowska B, Zieminska E, Polowy R, Olszynski KH, Lazarewicz JW. NMR-Based Metabolomics of Rat Hippocampus, Serum, and Urine in Two Models of Autism. Mol Neurobiol. 2022 Sep;59(9):5452-5475. doi: 10.1007/s12035-022-02912-5
Toczylowska B, Zieminska E, Podlecka-Pietowska A, Ruszczynska A, Chalimoniuk M. Serum metabolic profiles and metal levels of patients with multiple sclerosis and patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders - NMR spectroscopy and ICP-MS studies. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2022 Apr;60:103672. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2022.103672.
2021
Janik A, Perlińska-Lenart U, Gawarecka K, Augustyniak J, Bratek-Gerej E, Bernat P, Piłsyk S, Skalmowska P, Palamarczyk G, Swiezewska E, Kruszewska JS. Synthesis of Dolichols in Candida albicansIs Co-Regulated with Elongation of Fatty Acids. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Dec 30;23(1):409. doi: 10.3390/ijms23010409.
Zieminska E, Ruszczynska A, Augustyniak J, Toczylowska B, Lazarewicz JW. Zinc and Copper Brain Levels and Expression of Neurotransmitter Receptors in Two Rat ASD Models. Front Mol Neurosci. 2021 Jun 29;14:656740. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.656740. eCollection 2021.
Bratek-Gerej E, Ziembowicz A, Godlewski J, Salinska E. The Mechanism of the Neuroprotective Effect of Kynurenic Acid in the Experimental Model of Neonatal Hypoxia-Ischemia: The Link to Oxidative Stress. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Nov 5;10(11):1775. doi: 10.3390/antiox10111775.
Bratek-Gerej E, Bronisz A, Ziembowicz A, Salinska E. Pretreatment with mGluR2 or mGluR3 Agonists Reduces Apoptosis Induced by Hypoxia-Ischemia in Neonatal Rat Brains. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2021 Mar 6;2021:8848015. doi: 10.1155/2021/8848015. eCollection 2021.
Sowińska M, Szeliga M, Morawiak M, Ziemińska E, Zabłocka B, Urbańczyk-Lipkowska Z. Peptide Dendrimers with Non-Symmetric Bola Structure Exert Long Term Effect on Glioblastoma and Neuroblastoma Cell Lines. Biomolecules. 2021 Mar 15;11(3):435. doi: 10.3390/biom11030435.
Jastrzebski D, Toczylowska B, Zieminska E, Zebrowska A, Kostorz-Nosal S, Swietochowska E, Di Giulio C, Ziora D. The effects of exercise training on lipid profile in patients with sarcoidosis. Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 10;11(1):5551. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-84815-4.
2020
Dutta A, Karanth SS, Bhattacharya M, Liput M, Augustyniak J, Cheung M, Stachowiak EK, Stachowiak MK. A proof of concept 'phase zero' study of neurodevelopment using brain organoid models with Vis/near-infrared spectroscopy and electrophysiology. Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 2;10(1):20987. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-77929-8.
Tuchalska-Czuroń J, Lenart J, Augustyniak J, Durlik M. Clinical value of tissue DNA integrity index in pancreatic cancer. Surgeon. 2020 Oct;18(5):269-279. doi: 10.1016/j.surge.2019.10.008
Sunderland P, Augustyniak J, Lenart J, Bużańska L, Carlessi L, Delia D, Sikora E. ATM-deficient neural precursors develop senescence phenotype with disturbances in autophagy. Mech Ageing Dev. 2020 Sep;190:111296. doi: 10.1016/j.mad.2020.111296.
Lenart J, Augustyniak J, Lazarewicz JW, Zieminska E. Altered expression of glutamatergic and GABAergic genes in the valproic acid-induced rat model of autism: A screening test. Toxicology. 2020 Jul;440:152500. doi: 10.1016/j.tox.2020.152500.
Graczyk S, Perlińska-Lenart U, Górka-Nieć W, Lichota R, Piłsyk S, Zembek P, Lenart J, Bernat P, Gryz E, Augustyniak J, Palamarczyk G. Kruszewska JS. Increased activity of the sterol branch of the mevalonate pathway elevates glycosylation of secretory proteins and improves antifungal properties of Trichoderma atroviride. Fungal Genet Biol. 2020 Apr;137:103334. doi: 10.1016/j.fgb.2020.103334.
Rzemieniec J, Bratek E, Wnuk A, Przepiórska K, Salińska E, Kajta M. Neuroprotective effect of 3,3'-Diindolylmethane against perinatal asphyxia involves inhibition of the AhR and NMDA signaling and hypermethylation of specific genes. Apoptosis. 2020 Oct;25(9-10):747-762. doi: 10.1007/s10495-020-01631-3.
Bratek E, Ziembowicz A, Salinska E. N-Acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) Pretreatment Reduces Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Damage and Oxidative Stress in Neonatal Rats. Antioxidants (Basel). 2020 Sep 17;9(9):877. doi: 10.3390/antiox9090877.
Lenart J, Bratek E, Lazarewicz JW, Zieminska E. Changes in the Expression of SNAP-25 Protein in the Brain of Juvenile Rats in Two Models of Autism. J Mol Neurosci. 2020 Sep;70(9):1313-1320. doi: 10.1007/s12031-020-01543-6.
Bronisz A, Rooj AK, Krawczyński K, Peruzzi P, Salińska E, Nakano I, Purow B, Chiocca EA, Godlewski J.The nuclear DICER-circular RNA complex drives the deregulation of the glioblastoma cell microRNAome. Sci Adv. 2020 Dec 16;6(51):eabc0221.doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abc0221.
Bronisz A, Salińska E, Chiocca EA, Godlewski J. Hypoxic Roadmap of Glioblastoma-Learning about Directions and Distances in the Brain Tumor Environment.Cancers (Basel). 2020 May 13;12(5):1213. doi: 10.3390/cancers12051213.
Krolik A, Diamandakis D, Zych A, Stafiej A, Salinska E. The involvement of TRP channels in memory formation and task retrieval in a passive avoidance task in one-day old chicks. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2020 May;171:107209. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107209
Toczylowska B, Zieminska E, Michałowska M, Chalimoniuk M, Fiszer U. Changes in the metabolic profiles of the serum and putamen in Parkinson's disease patients - In vitro and in vivo NMR spectroscopy studies. Brain Res. 2020 Dec 1;1748:147118. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147118.
Toczylowska B, Zieminska E, Senator P, Lazarewicz JW. Hippocampal Metabolite Profiles in Two Rat Models of Autism: NMR-Based Metabolomics Studies. Mol Neurobiol. 2020 Jul;57(7):3089-3105. doi: 10.1007/s12035-020-01935-0.
2019
Augustyniak J, Bertero A, Coccini T, Baderna D, Buzanska L, Caloni F. Organoids are promising tools for species-specific in vitro toxicological studies. J Appl Toxicol. 2019 Dec;39(12):1610-1622. doi: 10.1002/jat.3815. Review.
Augustyniak J, Lenart J, Lipka G, Stepien PP, Buzanska L. Reference Gene Validation via RT-qPCR for Human iPSC-Derived Neural Stem Cells and Neural Progenitors. Mol Neurobiol. 2019 Oct;56(10):6820-6832. doi: 10.1007/s12035-019-1538-x.
Bertero A, Augustyniak J, Buzanska L, Caloni F. Species-specific models in toxicology: in vitro epithelial barriers. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2019 Aug;70:103203. doi: 10.1016/j.etap.2019.103203. Review.
Augustyniak J, Lenart J, Gaj P, Kolanowska M, Jazdzewski K, Stepien PP, Buzanska L. Bezafibrate Upregulates Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Influence Neural Differentiation of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Mol Neurobiol. 2019 Jun;56(6):4346-4363.
doi: 10.1007/s12035-018-1368-2.
Zychowicz M, Pietrucha K, Podobinska M, Kowalska-Wlodarczyk M, Lenart J, Augustyniak J, Buzanska L. The collagen scaffold supports hiPSC-derived NSC growth and restricts hiPSC. Front Biosci (Schol Ed). 2019 Mar 1;11(1):105-121. doi: 10.2741/S529.
Tuchalska-Czuroń J, Lenart J, Augustyniak J, Durlik M. Is mitochondrial DNA copy number a good prognostic marker in resectable pancreatic cancer? Pancreatology. 2019 Jan;19(1):73-79. doi: 10.1016/j.pan.2018.11.009.
Flis S, Bratek E, Chojnacki T, Piskorek M, Skorski T. Simultaneous Inhibition of BCR-ABL1 Tyrosine Kinase and PAK1/2 Serine/Threonine Kinase Exerts Synergistic Effect against Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Cells. Cancers (Basel). 2019 Oct 12;11(10):1544. doi:10.3390/cancers11101544.
Diamandakis D, Zieminska E, Siwiec M, Tokarski K, Salinska E, Lenart J, Hess G, Lazarewicz JW. Tetrabromobisphenol A-induced depolarization of rat cerebellar granule cells: ex vivo and in vitro studies. Chemosphere. 2019 May;223:64-73. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.02.032.
Ogawa D, Ansari K, Nowicki MO, Salińska E, Bronisz A, Godlewski J. MicroRNA-451 Inhibits Migration of Glioblastoma while Making It More Susceptible to Conventional Therapy. Noncoding RNA. 2019 Mar 15;5(1):25. doi: 10.3390/ncrna5010025.
Godlewski J, Lenart J, Salinska E. MicroRNA in Brain pathology: Neurodegeneration the Other Side of the Brain Cancer.Noncoding RNA. 2019 Feb 23;5(1):20. doi: 10.3390/ncrna5010020.
Podlecka-Piętowska A, Kacka A, Zakrzewska-Pniewska B, Nojszewska M, Zieminska E, Chalimoniuk M, Toczylowska B. Altered Cerebrospinal Fluid Concentrations of Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Compounds in Early Stages of Multiple Sclerosis-Metabolic Profile Analyses. J Mol Neurosci. 2019 Sep;69(1):94-105. doi: 10.1007/s12031-019-01336-6.
Sowinska M, Morawiak M, Bochyńska-Czyż M, Lipkowski AW, Ziemińska E, Zabłocka B, Urbanczyk-Lipkowska Z. Molecular Antioxidant Properties and In Vitro Cell Toxicity of the p-Aminobenzoic Acid (PABA) Functionalized Peptide Dendrimers. Biomolecules. 2019 Mar 5;9(3):89. doi: 10.3390/biom9030089.
