P.I. of the project J3-8212 served as a guest editor and wrote an editorial for a special issue of the esteemed journal Frontiers in Pharmacolog (I.F. 4,225 (2019)) entitled Relevance of Steroid Biosynthesis, Metabolism and Transport in Pathophysiology and Drug Discovery. Special issue includes 4 review articles and 7 research articles and was published as an e-book. This Special Issue aims to provide an upto-date view of steroid transport, metabolism, and actions, with emphasis on involvement of these processes in pathophysiology, and on associated drug targets and novel steroidal compounds as leads for potential novel therapeutics. Currently she is a guest editor for a special issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, entitled New Aspects of Steroid Hormone Action in Hormone Dependent Diseases.
C.03 Guest-associated editor
COBISS.SI-ID: 34224857P.I. of the project J3-8212 serves as an Associate Editor of the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology/ section Experimental Pharmacology and Drug Discovery (I.F. = 4.225 (2019)) since 2015 [COBISS.SI-ID29551833] (https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/sections/experimental-pharmacology-and-drug-discovery#editorial-board), since 2020 she is also Section Editor for Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism section of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences (I.F. = 4.858 (2019)) [COBISS.SI-ID2779162] (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms/sectioneditors/endocrinology_metabolism). P.I. was an Associate Editor of The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (I.F. = 3.813 (2019)) since 2015, and is currently a member of the Editorial Board [COBISS.SI-ID527636] (https://www.journals.elsevier.com/the-journal-of-steroid-biochemistry-and-molecular-biology/editorial-board)
C.04 Editorial board of an international magazine
COBISS.SI-ID: 29551833In the framework of the project and under supervison of P.I. Marija Gjorgoska developed LC-MS/MS method for separation and quantificaion of estrogens E1-S, E2-S, E1 in E2. The method was used for investigations of local metabolism of E1-S in model cell lines of endometrial and ovarian cancer. This LC-MS/MS method can be applied generally to measure estrogen levels. Currently the method is beeing adapted for analysis of physiological samples from human and animal models. Endometrial (EC) and ovarian (OC) cancers are generally considered as post-menopausal, hormone-dependent pathologies with increasing incidence and mortality rate. Estrogen intracrine action is regarded vital in the cancer initiation and progression. Estrogens can form locally from androgen and estrogen precursors, through the aromatase and the sulfatase pathway, respectively. Here we intend to elucidate the contribution of the sulfatase pathway to active estrogen formation in model cell lines of EC and OC, by means of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). For this purpose we developed a robust LC-MS/MS method with a picomolar sensitivity for the following analytes: estrone (E1), estrone sulfate (E1-S), estradiol (E2), and estradiol sulfate (E2-S). Control and mode l cell lines of EC andOC were incubated with different E1-S concentrations for 8, 24, 48, and 72 hours, and the formed metabolites analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Our data indicate that the sulfatase pathway contributes to the estrogen formation actively, yet differently in EC and OC model cell lines and the respective control lines. More specifically, greater levels of E1and E2 are synthesized in the EC and OC model cell lines comparing to the respective control lines, altogether implyingan active role of estrogen in EC and OC carcinogenesis, acting as pro-proliferative hormones and/or genotoxic agents.
D.10 Educational activities
COBISS.SI-ID: 55705859The PI of the project presented the results of the project as invited lectures: at the "22nd World Congress on Advances in Oncology and 21st International Symposium on Molecular Medicine", Athens, Greece, 4. -7. October, 2017 (lecture entitled »The importance of OATP, OAT and ABC transporters for estrogen formation in endometrial cancer«) [COBISS.SI-ID 33443801], at FEBS3+ Conference : from molecules to living systems : 2-5 September 2018, Siófok, Hungary (lecture entitled »Estrogen biosynthesis and oxidative metabolism in endometrial cancer«) [COBISS.SI-ID 33936601] and at 17th International Congress on Hormonal Steroids and Hormones and Cancer, Stellenbosh, JAR (lecture entitled »Altered levels of ABC, OATP and OST transporters may contribute to enhanced E2 formation in endometrial cancer«). Ph. D. student Renata Pavlič presented results of the project at the 19th World Congress on Gynecological Endocrinology as a short oral presentation entitled »Altered profile of E1-S transporters in endometrial cancer : lower protein levels of ABCG2 and OSTb and up-regulation of SLCO1B3 expression« [COBISS.SI-ID 57116163].
B.04 Guest lecture
COBISS.SI-ID: 33936601P.I. of the project is vice president of Organizing committee and a member of Scientific committee of the 46th Congress of International Society for Oncology and Biomarkers ISOBM, which will take place in October 2021 in Bled, Slovenia (https://www.isobm2020.net/committees/). In 2018 she was a member of the Scientific Committee of the 4th Congress on Steroid Research, Seoul, Korea.
B.01 Organiser of a scientific meeting