2014 – 2015: Structural funds EU, project ITMS 26110230097, title: International virtual laboratory of smart physics – PhysNet – Slovakia, Romanian responsible.
Oral communications during scientific seminars - Slovakia
1. Basics in animal cell culture
Maria-Magdalena Mocanu
“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Biophysics, 8th Eroii Sanitari, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
Nowadays cell culture techniques are widely used in biomedical laboratories from academia, research institutes, hospitals and industry. At the same time both primary and secondary cell cultures methods are applied in several fields, as molecular biology, genetics, immunology, cancer and neurobiology. Understanding the basic principles of setting up a cell culture laboratory, how to maintain the safety and how to handle different types of cells in aseptic conditions is helping the scientists to investigate the molecular mechanisms and physiology of the cells in relatively similar conditions found in vivo. Beside the previous mentioned aspects, attention will be given to the advantages and limitations of the cell culture.
2. Quercetin and menadione - antiproliferative effects and synergism in human leukemia Jurkat T cells
Irina Baran, Diana Ionescu, Alexandru Filippi, Maria Magdalena Mocanu, Adrian Iftime, Ramona Babes, Ioana Teodora Tofolean, Ruxandra Irimia, Alexandru Goicea,Valentin Popescu, Alexandru Dimancea, Andrei Neagu, Constanta Ganea
“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Biophysics, 8 Eroii Sanitari, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
Quercetin (a well known flavonoid widely encountered in human daily diet) and menadione (vitamin K3) are known due to their chemotherapeutic potential and to their capacity to induce extensive apoptosis in human leukemia Jurkat cells, demonstrated in vitro and in vivo studies. Our current approach intended to verify whether the combination quercetin–menadione can exert major synergistic antiproliferative effects in Jurkat cells, and also to delineate dosage windows that could produce either synergistic or antagonistic effects in inducing cell death for clinical application. Depending on dose, the two agents exhibited either antagonistic or synergistic effects in reducing clonogenicity of Jurkat cells. 24-h combinatorial regimens at equimolar concentrations of 10–15 microM, which are compatible with a clinically achievable and safe scheme, reduced cell viability at efficient rates. Our findings support the idea that the combination quercetin–menadione could improve the outcome of conventional leukemia therapies, and warrant the utility of additional studies to investigate the therapeutic effects of this combination in different cellular or animal models for leukemia.