Research Team of Jiřina Medalová

     Despite the major advances in transplantation medicine, there is still a huge need for organs and tissues to be transplanted. The goal of many researches is thus to develop such biomaterial that could carry different populations of cells (ideally coming from the acceptor himself) that simulate the particular organ. Many natural and synthetic materials can be modified to create a more effective weapon in the hands of modern medicine. Synthetic polymers can be produced easily in many shapes and sizes but they are mostly hydrophobic, thus they need to be covered by some function group to suit the cell requirements.

    We aim to test surfaces functionalized by amines, which are produced by The plasma technology group (CEITEC). Our main goal is to get polycaprolacton nanofibrous membrane that would be covered by amines from both sides – one side will be optimized for the growth of endothelial cells and the other for vascular smooth muscle cells. We aim to produce sheets, which could be rolled up and used as vessel replacements.

    The main feature of such a synthetic vessel is the good adhesion of cells on the surface and their ability to proliferate accordingly to the needs of organs. Therefore, we need to analyze the cytokinetic parameters of cells growing on these plasma-treated surfaces. Besides proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation we are also focused on the behavior of cells – their motility, spreading area, and morphology.

Graphene Quantum Dots

   On the boundary of medicine and physic is a new field of theranostics. Those agents can be used to acquire diagnostic images and also deliver a therapeutic dose of the appropriate drug at once. We aim to test zero-dimensional nanoparticles made from carbon called graphene quantum dots (GQDs) as they are autofluorescent in a wide spectrum. Those GQDs could be doped by many atoms (we are testing amines, Cobalt, Kalium, and Gadolinium). The ideal GQD would be nontoxic, permeable through the cell membrane, and emitting fluorescence in the far red part of the spectrum. Such a vector we can then conjugate with a drug that can either kill or protect the target cell. Those GQDs are already in use in cancer treatment, however, we aim to develop neuroprotective theranostics.

• Biomaterials: Assoc. prof. Mgr. Lenka Zajíčková, Ph.D., Plasma Technology Group, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic 

• Biomaterials: Assoc. prof. MUDr. Lucie Bačáková, CSc., Institute of Physiology, Academy of Science of the Czech Republic, Praha, Czech Republic

• GQDs: Inmaculada Jennifer Gomez Perez, Ph.D. Plasma Technology Group, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

Ph.D. student:      Mgr. Petra Černochová

                               Mgr. Lucius Fridrich

Diploma students:  Bc. Eliška Maljarová

                                  Bc. Patrik Matušů

                                  Bc. Petra Seifertová

Bachelor student: Andrea Halasová

                                Zdenka Šillerová