TamaraLah Turnšek, PhD
biochemist, researcher
- National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana
Rojena v Ljubljani, je leta 1983 doktorirala iz biokemije na Univerzi v Ljubljani. Od leta 1996–2018 je bila direktorica Nacionalnega inštituta za biologijo, na katerem je ustanovila Oddelek za genetsko toksikologijo in biologijo raka, ki ga je vodila do leta 2004, zdaj pa je vodja raziskovalnega programa tega oddelka. Od 2004 je redna profesorica in poučuje biokemijo raka na do in po-diplomskem študiju biomedicine na UL. Svoj akademsko pot je začela na Oddelku za biokemijo in molekularno biologijo na Inštitutu Jožef Stefan, z vmesnimi prekinitvam, ko je delovala Pediatrični kliniki UKC, na podoktorskem izpopolnjevanju na Wayne State University v Michiganu in kasneje tudi kot gostujoča profesorica v Albert Einstein MC v Philadelphiji ZDA ter gostujoča profesorica na Univerzi Sao Paolo v Brazilij.
Področje dela Tamare Lah Turnšek obsega dokaj velik opus, in sega od področja encimatilke in proteoiznih encimov ter biološke in molekularne raziskave rakavih obolenj, kjer je bila vedno tesno povezana z biomedicinskini oz. s kliničnini raziskavami. V zadnjem času so osredotoča na raziskave rakavih matičnih celic in na raziskave mezenhimskih matičnih celic v kontekstu zdravljenja raka. Pri tem je v svojem delu spremljala tudi vpliv naravnih spojin, kot je ksantohumol, resveratrol in v zadnjem obdobju predvsem konoplja oziroma kanabinoidi kot protirakave učinkovine.
Lectures and workshops on our seminars
| 2019 | Cannabis and cancer | Abstract |
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Cancer is multimodal disease that could not be targeted by a single therapy, as has been demonstrated in particular in brain tumors. Among these, glioma in its most advanced stage, the glioblastoma, is highly aggressive and therapeutically non-responsive tumor in humans. The modern treatment modalities, surgical removal, irradiation and chemotherapy are supported or even replaced by adjuvant treatment strategies, including immunotherapy and more holistic approach by natural substances, e.g. flavonoids, phenols, terpenes and cannabinoids. The evidences have accumulated that cannabinoids inhibit growth in invasiveness of tumor cells and continues to be solidified, based on cellular experiments in vitro and in animal studies, but unfortunately still not sufficiently from human clinical studies. In addition, due to large genetic micro-heterogeneity and further epigenetic transformation of recurrent glioblastoma, it is hard to predict how an individual patient will respond to cannabinoid treatment. Here, we aimed to examine the individualized patients'tumor response to the two most active cannabinoids, i.e. THC ad CBSD in terms of their potential synergistic effects on cell viability and apoptosis. As glioblastoma are classified intothree subtypes that differ significantly in their genetic fingerprints, patients’ survival rate and chemo- and radio-resistance, we are correlating their in vitro response to the individual tumor subtype. In addition, the levels ofat leasttwo cannabinoids CB1 and CB2 differ significantlyamong the patients, so we also need to explore, weather these may determine the response to the tumors in vitro more or less than to the tumor subtype. These data should reveal how to personalize potential cannabiboids' therapy to be most effective. |
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