Julita Kulbacka

• Professor
• Head of Department at Wroclaw Medical University

The tumor microenvironment is a dynamic and complex three-dimensional network comprising the extracellular matrix and diverse non-cancerous cells, including fibroblasts, adipocytes, endothelial cells and various immune cells (lymphocytes T and B, NK cells, dendritic cells, monocytes/macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and innate lymphoid...

Several molecular pathways are likely involved in the regulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) via Ras-associated C3 botulinum toxin substrate 2, RAC2, and pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 product, PTTG1, given their roles in cellular signaling, survival, proliferation, and metastasis. RAC2 is a member of the Rho GTPase family and plays a crucial...

Background Electroporation (EP) leverages electric pulses to permeabilize cell membranes, enabling the delivery of therapeutic agents like calcium in cancer treatment. Calcium electroporation (CaEP) induces a rapid influx of calcium ions, disrupting cellular calcium homeostasis and triggering cell death pathways. This study aims to compare the cell...

Due to the high mortality rate of ovarian cancer, there is a need to find novel strategies to improve current treatment modalities. Natural compounds offer great potential in this field but also require the careful design of systems for their delivery to cancer cells. Our study explored the anticancer effects of novel resveratrol (RSV)- and curcumi...

Introduction NF-κB plays a pivotal role in the progression of cancers, including myosarcomas such as fibrosarcoma. Plants possess considerable potential for the provision of chemotherapeutic effects against cancer. The present study assessed, among others, the cytotoxicity, migration capacity and DNA damage induced by several natural compounds (ber...

This Special Issue is dedicated to the memory of Professor Jolanta Saczko (1964–2023), a remarkable leader whose guidance and dedication were instrumental in advancing electroporation-based research in Poland [...]

Understanding morphological, biochemical, and functional aspects of cell death is essential for targeting new cancer therapies. Even though many different mechanisms of cell death are identified, it is crucial to highlight the role of new and lesser-known pathways, including methuosis, alkaliptosis, and oxeiptosis. The aim of this review was to sum...

Calcium electroporation (CaEP) is an efficient approach for ovarian cancer treatment. It causes cell death by introducing elevated levels of calcium into cells. In this work, the research focused on two types of cell lines: CHO-K1, representing normal ovary cells, and OvBH-1, representing ovarian clear carcinoma cells. Those cell lines exhibited di...

Numerous studies have demonstrated the significant influence of immune cells on cancer development and treatment. This study specifically examines tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), detailing their characteristics and roles in tumorigenesis and analyzing the impact of the ratio of TAM subtypes on patient survival and prognosis. It is established...

Xenoestrogens (XEs) are a group of exogenous substances that may interfere with the functioning of the endocrine system. They may mimic the function of estrogens, and their sources are plants, water or dust, plastic, chemical agents, and some drugs. Thus, people are highly exposed to their actions. Together with the development of industry, the num...

Calcium electroporation (CaEP) involves the combination of calcium ions with electroporation, which is induced by pulsed electric fields (PEFs). This study explores the application of high-frequency unipolar nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs: 8–14 kV/cm, 200 ns, 10 kHz, 100 kHz, 1 MHz repetition frequency pulse bursts, n = 100) and their po...

Background. Avelumab is a human antibody that targets the programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) protein in cancer cells. Novel anticancer therapies for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) consider cluster of differentiation 15 (CD15) and interleukin 17 receptor A (IL-17RA) as potential targets. Notably, the expression of PD-L1, CD15 and IL-17RA is dependen...

Autophagy is a molecular process essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis, with its impairment or dysregulation linked to the progression of various diseases in mammals. Specific lipids, including phosphoinositides, sphingolipids, and oxysterols, play pivotal roles in inducing and regulating autophagy, highlighting their significance in this...

Objectives The development of additive manufacturing has the potential to revolutionize the fabrication of medical devices. This technology, also known as 3D printing, offers precise, cost-effective, and personalized approaches, which could be particularly beneficial in the production of intraoral appliances. Despite its promise, research on the bi...

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) play a critical role in regulating transport-dependent gene expression, influencing various stages of cancer development and progression. Dysregulation of nucleocytoplasmic transport has profound implications, particularly in the context of cancer-associated protein mislocalization. This review provides specific inform...

Resistance of cancer cells to anticancer drugs remains a major challenge in modern medicine. Understanding the mechanisms behind the development of chemoresistance is key to developing appropriate therapies to counteract it. Nowadays, with advances in technology, we are paying more and more attention to the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME)...

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a safe and efficient method of targeted drug delivery using pulsed electric fields (PEF), one that is based on the phenomenon of electroporation. However, the problems of electric field homogeneity within a tumor can cause a diminishing of the treatment efficacy, resulting only in partia...

The liver is one of the most common sites for metastasis, which involves the spread from primary tumors to surrounding organs and tissues in the human body. There are a few steps in cancer expansion: invasion, inflammatory processes allowing the hepatic niche to be created, adhesions to ECM, neovascularization, and secretion of enzymes. The spread...

Lab-on-chips supported by hydrogel matrices are excellent solutions for cell culture; thus, this literature review presents examples of scientific research in this area. Several works are presenting the properties of biocompatible hydrogels that mimic the cellular environment published recently. Hydrogels can also be treated as cell transporters or...

Liver failure profoundly affects the immune system, leading to dysregulation of innate and adaptive immune response. This review explores the intricate relationship between liver function and immune homeostasis. The role of the liver as a central hub in immune response initiation is elucidated, emphasizing its involvement in hepatic inflammation in...

Ultrasound-mediated cell membrane permeabilization-sonoporation, enhances drug delivery directly to tumor sites while reducing systemic side effects. The potential of ultrasound to augment intracellular calcium uptake-a critical regulator of cell death and proliferation-offers innovative alternative to conventional chemotherapy. However, calcium th...

The phenomenon known as bipolar cancellation is observed when biphasic nanosecond electric field pulses are used, which results in reduced electroporation efficiency when compared to unipolar pulses of the same parameters. Basically, the negative phase of the bipolar pulse diminishes the effect of the positive phase. Our study aimed to investigate...

Recently, magnetic fields (MFs) have received major attention due to their potential therapeutic applications and biological effects. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the cellular and molecular impacts of MFs, with a focus on both in vitro and in vivo studies. We investigate the mechanisms by which MFs influence cell behavior, inclu...

Background: Liver failure profoundly affects the immune system, leading to dysregulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. Body: This review explores the intricate relationship between liver function and immune homeostasis. The role of the liver as a central hub in immune response initiation is elucidated, emphasizing its involvement in hepa...

Adaptogeny to grupa roślinnych surowców lub substancji w nich zawartych, stosowanych w medycynie naturalnej i suplementacji. Mają one właściwości zwiększające odporność organizmu oraz pomagają w utrzymaniu homeostazy. Działanie adaptogenów związane jest z modulacją procesów na poziomie genetycznym, białkowym i metabolicznym, dzięki czemu mogą chron...

Gene electrotransfer (GET) is non-viral gene delivery technique, also known as electroporation-mediated gene delivery or electrotransfection. GET is a method used to introduce foreign genetic material (such as DNA or RNA) into cells by applying external pulsed electric fields (PEFs) to create temporary pores in the cell membrane. This study was und...

The unique structure of G4.0 PAMAM dendrimers allows a drug to be enclosed in internal spaces or immobilized on the surface. In the conducted research, the conditions for the formation of the active G4.0 PAMAM complex with doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) were optimized. The physicochemical properties of the system were monitored using dynamic light...

The unique structure of G4.0 PAMAM dendrimers allows the drug to be enclosed in internal spaces or immobilized on the surface. In the conducted research, the conditions for the formation of the active G4.0 PAMAM complex with doxorubicin (DOX) were optimized. The physicochemical properties of the system were monitored using DLS, CD, and fluorescence...

Neoplasms are one of the leading causes of human deaths worldwide and thus deserve exceptional attention. More effective and less invasive methods of treating cancer are still being sought. Ultrasound was initially used mainly for diagnostic purposes, but over time it has also become a therapeutic tool. Their use in oncology can be divided accordin...

Cancer diseases constitute a major health problem which leads to the death of millions of people annually. They are unique among other diseases because cancer cells can perfectly adapt to the environment that they create themselves. This environment is usually highly hostile and for normal cells it would be hugely difficult to survive, however neop...

Nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) has emerged as a promising approach for inducing cell death in melanoma, either as a standalone treatment or in combination with chemotherapeutics. However, to date, there has been a shortage of studies exploring the impact of nsPEF on the expression of cancer-specific molecules. In this investigation, we so...

Purpose Numerous failures in melanoma treatment as a highly aggressive form of skin cancer with an unfavorable prognosis and excessive resistance to conventional therapies are prompting an urgent search for more effective therapeutic tools. Consequently, to increase the treatment efficiency and to reduce the side effects of traditional administrati...

These authors contributed equally to this work. Abstract: Colon cancer (CC) management includes surgery, radio-and chemotherapy based on treatment with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or its derivatives. However, its application is limited to low-grade carcinomas. Thus, much research has been conducted to introduce new techniques and drugs to the therapy. CC...

Reproductive factors play significantly important roles in determining the breast cancer (BC) risk. The impact of pregnancy, abortion, and birth control methods on tumor development remains unclear. It has been found that early full-term pregnancies in young women can lower their lifetime risk of developing the type of cancer in question. However,...

NF-κB inhibitors are compounds that inhibit the activity of the NF-κB transcription factor, which is involved in many biological processes, including inflammation, immune responses, and apoptosis. Due to the fact that some muscle cancers are associated with abnormal activity of the NF-κB factor, research on the effect of natural inhibitors on these...

Simple Summary Among the many mechanisms developed by cancer cells in order to survive and sustain constant proliferation under stress conditions, a system based on heat shock proteins (Hsps) has attracted a lot of scientific attention. On the one hand, the activity of these proteins enables cancer cells to endure chemotherapy, while, on the other,...

Short electric field pulses represent a novel potential approach for achieving uniform electroporation within tissue containing elongated cells oriented in various directions, such as electroporation-based cardiac ablation procedures. In this study, we investigated how electroporation with nanosecond pulses with respect to different pulse shapes (u...

Short electric field pulses represent a novel potential approach for achieving uniform electroporation within tissue containing elongated cells oriented in various directions, such as electroporation-based cardiac ablation procedures. In this study, we investigated how electroporation with nanosecond pulses with respect to different pulse shapes (u...

Head and neck cancer continues to be among the most prevalent types of cancer globally, yet it can be managed with appropriate treatment approaches. Presently, chemotherapy and radiotherapy stand as the primary treatment modalities for various groups and regions affected by head and neck cancer. Nonetheless, these treatments are linked to adverse s...

The elevated occurrence of non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) and the adverse effects associated with available treatments adversely impact the quality of life in multiple dimensions. In connection with this, there is a necessity for alternative approaches characterized by increased tolerance and lower side effects. Natural compounds could be employed...

The colonisation of the surface of removable acrylic dentures by various types of microorganisms can lead to the development of various diseases. Therefore, the creation of a bioactive material is highly desirable. This study aimed to develop a denture base material designed to release bioactive ions into the oral environment during use. Four types...

Drug delivery using nanosecond pulsed electric fields is a new branch of electroporation-based treatments, which potentially can substitute European standard operating procedures for electrochemotherapy. In this work, for the first time, we characterize the effects of ultra-fast repetition frequency (1–2.5 MHz) nanosecond pulses (5–9 kV/ cm, 200 an...

Researchers are amazed at the multitude of biological effects of 3 ,4 ,5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone, more commonly known as luteolin, as it simultaneously has antioxidant and pro-oxidant, as well as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and cancer-preventive, properties. The anticancer properties of lute-olin constitute a mosaic of pathways due to which thi...

Background. Electroporation, a technique involving the application of brief electric pulses, offers a versatile and efficient means of introducing exogenous genetic material into cells, holding significant promise for diverse applications in genetic engineering and biomedicine. The effect of nanosecond electric pulses of various shapes has not been...

Background. Pancreatic cancer was the 7th leading cause of cancer death in 2020, with a less than 10% 5-year survival rate. It often remains asymptomatic until reaching an advanced, aggressively metastatic stage, and surgical resection is the sole curative option in the early stages. Irreversible electroporation (EP) treatment provides new hope fo...

Background. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles secreted ubiquitously by every cell type, which mediate cell communication and shuttle their cargo which can influence target cell function. They are crucial to cancer development as they mediate the establishment of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Tumor-derived exosomes (TEx) are produced in high a...

Background. The NF-κB signaling pathway plays a crucial role in cancer progression, including muscle-derived cancers such as rhabdomyosarcoma or sarcoma. Several natural compounds have been studied for their ability to alter NF-κB signaling in these types of cancers. Objectives. The aim of the research is to assess the therapeutic potential of sele...

Background. Drug delivery systems (DDS) have gained increasing attention due to their potential to enhance drug efficacy while minimizing side effects. Nanocarriers, with their unique physicochemical properties, play a crucial role in developing effective therapeutic systems. Objectives. This study aimed to explore the relationship between carrier...

Background. Novel therapies rely on reliable drug delivery, and drug delivery systems (DDS) are gaining interest for targeted, effective and low-side-effect treatments. In biomedicine, molecular research on hybrid systems is limited. The PAMAM dendrimers, well-studied for biomedical applications, offer controlled synthesis and pH-dependent drug rel...

Background. Cancer, a disease of pathophysiological changes related to the process of cell division, is responsible for a large number of deaths worldwide, proving to be a significant disorder. Multidrug resistance of cancer cells and side effects of drugs are still the main obstacle to effective treatment. Additionally, research into the sources...

Electrochemotherapy (ECT) involves combining anticancer drugs with electroporation, which is induced by pulsed electric fields (PEFs), while the effects vary in effectiveness based on the specific parameters of the electrical pulses and susceptibility of the cells to a specific drug. In this work, we utilized conventional microsecond electroporatio...

Background. Cardiovascular diseases are one of the main causes of death in Poland, not only due to stress factors, low physical activity, and poor diet. The most common cause of death is ischemic heart disease, which is responsible for the occurrence of episodes of ventricular fibrillation. Objectives. The aim of the proposed research project is t...

Checkpoint molecules such as PD-1, LAG-3, and TIM-3 are currently under extensive investigation for their roles in the attenuation of the immune response in cancer. Various methods have been applied to overcome the challenges in this field. This study investigated the effects of nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) treatment on the expression o...

Calcium electroporation is a modality of electrochemotherapy (ECT), which is based on intracellular electric field-mediated delivery of cytotoxic doses of calcium into the cells resulting in rapid cell death. In this work, we have developed a CHO-K1 luminescent cell line, which allowed the estimation of cell membrane permeabilization, ATP depletion...

The results of a lab-on-chip (LOC) platform fabrication equipped with a hydrogel matrix is reported. A 3D printing technique was used to provide a hybrid, “sandwiched” type structure, including two microfluidic substrates of different origins. Special attention was paid to achieving uniformly bio-printed microfluidic hydrogel layers of a unique com...

T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 3 (TIM-3) expression has been a trending topic in recent years due to its differential expression in a wide range of neoplasms. TIM-3 is one of the key immune checkpoint receptors that interact with GAL-9, PtdSer, HMGB1 and CEACAM1. Initially identified on the surface of T helper 1 (Th1) lym...

The NF-κB-signaling pathway plays a crucial role in cancer progression, including muscle-derived cancers such as rhabdomyosarcoma or sarcoma. Several natural compounds have been studied for their ability to alter NF-κB signaling in these types of cancers. This review paper summarizes the current knowledge on the effects of natural compounds, includ...

Regulated cell death is an essential and heterogeneous process occurring in the life cycle of organisms, from embryonic development and aging to the regulation of homeostasis and organ maintenance. Under this term, we can distinguish many distinct pathways, including apoptosis and pyroptosis. Recently, there has been an increasing comprehension of...

The application of negative polarity electrical pulse (↓) following positive polarity pulses (↑) may induce bipolar cancellation (BPC), a unique physiological response believed to be specific to nanosecond electroporation (nsEP). The literature lacks analysis of bipolar electroporation (BP EP) involving asymmetrical sequences composed of nanosecond...

Breast cancer ranks among the top three most common malignant neoplasms in Poland. The use of calcium ion-assisted electroporation is an alternative approach to the classic treatment of this disease. The studies conducted in recent years confirm the effectiveness of electroporation with calcium ions. Electroporation is a method that uses short elec...

This study was aimed at investigating poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), modified with a silanized feldspar filler at 10 wt.% and 30 wt.%, as a dental material system for the production of prosthetic teeth. Samples of this composite were subjected to a compressive strength test, three-layer methacrylic teeth were fabricated with the said materials,...

Embryonic rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) is one of the most common soft tissue sarcomas. These malignant tumors originate from undifferentiated primary mesenchymal cells with the potential to differentiate into skeletal muscles (Ning et al., 2020). There are four main subtypes of RMS: alveolar RMS (ARMS), embryonic RMS (ERMS), pleomorphic RMS (PRMS), and...

Gene delivery by the pulsed electric field is a promising alternative technology for nonviral transfection; however, the application of short pulses (i.e., nanosecond) is extremely limited. In this work, we aimed to show the capability to improve gene delivery using MHz frequency bursts of nanosecond pulses and characterize the potential use of gol...

The number of factors initiating and stimulating the progression of breast cancer are constantly increasing. Estrogens are a risk factor for breast adenocarcinoma, the toxicity of which increases as a result of metabolism and interaction with other factors. Due to the presence of environmental exposure to estrogens and metalloestrogens, we investig...

Pancreatic cancer has no symptoms until the disease has advanced and is aggressive cancer with early metastasis. Up to now, the only curative treatment is surgical resection, which is possible in the early stages of the disease. Irreversible electroporation treatment offers new hope for patients with unresectable tumors. Irreversible electroporatio...

Electrochemotherapy (ECT) with bleomycin has been effectively used in recent years to treat various skin tumors. Microsecond electric pulses significantly improve bleomycin (BLM) delivery and its anticancer potential. Up to now, we can determine electric field distribution in the targeted tissue, however, the distribution of the injected drug is st...

Mechanical forces are an inherent element in the world around us. The effects of their action can be observed both on the macro and molecular levels. They can also play a prominent role in the tissues and cells of animals due to the presence of mechanosensitive ion channels (MIChs) such as the Piezo and TRP families. They are essential in many phys...

Nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) have been shown to exert anticancer effects; however, little is known about the mechanisms triggered in cancer cells by nanosecond-length pulses, especially when low, sub-permeabilization voltage is used. In this study, three human pancreatic cancer cell lines were treated with nsPEF and molecular changes a...

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to create a 3D printing material with bioactive properties that potentially could be used for a transparent removable orthodontic appliance. Materials and methods: To acrylic monomers, four bioactive glasses at 10% concentration were added, which release Ca, P, Si and F ions. The materials were printed on a...

Ultrashort electric pulses in the nanosecond range (nsPEF) can affect extra- and intracellular lipid structures and can also alternate cell functioning reversibly and irreversibly. Several of the nsPEF effects are due to the abrupt rise in intracellular free calcium levels and calcium ions influx from the outside. Calcium is one of the most importa...

Literatura odgrywa niekwestionowaną rolę w tworzeniu definicji medycyny, oferując różnorodność obrazów, które w swym metaforycznym wymiarze odnoszą się do ludzkiego życia. Fakt, iż medycyna stanowi gałąź sztuki, w bezmiarze której przesłanie wynikające z bogactwa prozy i poezji znajduje swój wyraz, podkreśla, iż owe dwa, pozornie niezwiązane ze sob...

Nanosecond (ns) pulsed electric field (PEF) is a technology in which the application of ultra-short electrical pulses can be used to disrupt the barrier function of cell plasma and internal membranes. Disruptions of the membrane integrity cause a substantial imbalance in cell homeostasis in which oxidative stress is a principal component. In the pr...

Betulin is a heavily studied natural compound for its use as an anticancer or pro-regenerative agent. The structural similarity between betulin to steroids gives rise to the idea that the substance may as well act as an anti-inflammatory drug. This study is the first to describe the anti-inflammatory properties of betulinic acid, betulin, and its d...

Electroporation (EP) allows for the transport of molecules into the cytoplasm with significant effectiveness by forming transient pores in the cell membrane using electric pulses. This can be used for cellular transport (RE-reversible electroporation) or ablation (IRE-irreversible electroporation). The first of described options fortifies medicine...

The quest for safe and effective ablation resulted in the development of nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) technology for tumor treatment. For future applications of nsPEF in urothelial cancer treatment, we evaluated the effect of urine presence at the ablation site. We prepared artificial urine (AU) with compounds commonly present in the h...

Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is the combination of electroporation and drugs with inhibited or limited transport. In this work, we study the electrochemotherapy with an anticancer cocktail containing a combination of bleomycin (BLM) with other drugs such as cisplatin (CIS), metformin (MET). The electroporation phenomenon's dependence on pulse amplitud...

Drug and multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancers is still the unsolved problem of anticancer protocols. Various MDR inhibitors, modulators, or nanocarriers are used to omit this phenomenon. Here we propose a physical method that employs short electric pulsed to increase the efficacy of cytostatics in drug resistant cancers. The main purpose of the st...

Nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) have been shown to exert anticancer effects; however, little is known about the mechanisms triggered in cancer cells by nanosecond-length pulses, especially when low, sub-permeabilization voltage is used. In this study, three human pancreatic cancer cell lines were treated with nsPEF and molecular changes a...