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Cancer Detection Method from the ��ɫֱ�� Receives US Patent

Mgr. Pavla Svítková — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 07:16:22 +0000

Cancer Detection Method from the ��ɫֱ�� Receives US Patent Mgr. Pavla Svítková Fri, 04/11/2025 - 09:16

A Czech method for detecting pancreatic and two other types of cancer has received a patent in the United States of America. The method of scientists from the ��ɫֱ��, which can diagnose the disease from blood alone, is currently being clinically tested by Lipidica. Collaborating with 14 hospitals across the Czech Republic, the company calls for volunteers predisposed to the disease to help with the testing and gain information about their health.

Thanks to the US patent, this research has gained significant legal protection in one of the world's most important markets. Besides the United States, the unique method has patent protection in other countries, including European Union member states, Japan and Singapore. However, the granting of the US patent was not at all easy. The entire process, from application to grant, took almost five years. The text of the document itself is 75 pages long, describing the principles of the method for early detection of pancreatic cancer by analysing lipids in blood plasma. The patent also covers the diagnosis of kidney and breast cancer.

“I am thrilled that we have obtained the US patent, which opens up great opportunities for us in the future. If the clinical validation has good results within two years, we can expand our non-invasive test for pancreatic cancer outside the Czech Republic and Europe,” says Prof. Michal Holčapek from the Faculty of Chemical Technology, the ��ɫֱ��.

Lipidica is a spin-off company based in Pardubice, backed by FONS JK Group a.s. and the ��ɫֱ��. “The patent secures our intellectual property and increases our credibility with strategic partners, investors and regulatory authorities. Its acquisition confirms our solution’s originality and practical applicability and represents a key step towards its transfer into clinical practice and commercial use. We are currently focusing on conducting a clinical function study of the method, in which we are trying to reach as many participants as possible. If you want to help us, visit www.lipidica.cz for more information,” explains Karolína Kašparová, Lipidica’s Business Director.

“Obtaining the US patent significantly advances the potential use of screening tests. I believe the clinical study will confirm the validity of the method. Our University’s research could lead to the availability of a screening test for this insidious type of cancer from blood alone,” adds Prof. Libor Čapek, Rector of the ��ɫֱ��.

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Mentoring Programme: Invitation to a networking event for doctoral students and young scientists

Ing. Jana Křemenáková — Tue, 28 Jan 2025 08:45:00 +0000

Mentoring Programme: Invitation to a networking event for doctoral students and young scientists Ing. Jana Křem… Tue, 01/28/2025 - 09:45

The mentoring programme team cordially invites you to an informal networking event for docotoral students and young scientitsts

PUB QUIZ

When: January 29, 2025, at 6:00 PM
Where: Student Club Áčko

Registration Form *

Come and test your knowledge, have fun, and network with colleagues from various fields.

We look forward to your participation!

Registration is individual, teams will be formed on-site. The first three teams will receive attractive prizes. Quiez will be held in English.

If you have any questions feel free to contact the mentoring programme coordinator
Ing. Jana Křemenáková I jana.kremenakova@upce.cz

* This event is organized as part of the mentoring programme and is intended for doctoral
students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career academic and research staff.

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Michal Holčapek Winning the Czech Brains Award

Mgr. Pavla Svítková — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 09:17:37 +0000

Michal Holčapek Winning the Czech Brains Award Mgr. Pavla Svítková Mon, 12/02/2024 - 10:17

Michal Holčapek, a researcher in Analytical Chemistry of the Faculty of Chemical Technology of the ��ɫֱ�� has won the Czech Brains Jury’s Extraordinary Award for 2024. With the Czech Brain Award (Česká hlava) being the most prestigious research award in the Czech Republic, Michal Holčapek won the award for his research into lipids and discovery of a method that can diagnose the pancreatic cancer from blood analysis only.

The 2024 award ceremony was broadcast live by the Czech Television.

The Czech Brains Award is the most prestigious award available to researchers in the Czech Republic. The award has been been presented in several categories since 2002. Since 2007 the Czech Brains Initiative has organized a similar award for secondary-school students called Little Czech Brain (Česká hlavička). Last year, Ing. Barbora Kamenická, Ph.D., a graduate from the ��ɫֱ��, received the award in the Doctorandus category for technical sciences.

Professor Michal Holčapek has been researching lipid analysis for a long time with special focus on the detection of some cancer types. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive tumours with 80% of the cases being diagnosed too late for the therapy to be effective and thus a 5-year survival rate of less than 10%. For more than 20 years, Professor Holčapek’s team has focused on lipidomic analysis using mass spectroscopy combined with liquid or supercritical fluid chromatography, which enabled them to develop a number of validated analytical methods for detailed description of lipids in biological samples. Thanks to their research, it was possible to develop new screening methods to improve early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer.

The method is based on lipidomic analysis of blood, which determines the concentrations of more than 150 lipids. Thanks to the data from patients with pancreatic cancer and healthy individuals, a statistical model is created that can determine whether the patient suffers from the cancer with a certainty of 95%. The blood test has a number of advantages: it only requires a blood sample and it is reliable to detect even early stages of cancer and thus diagnose the cancer even before the onset of the first symptoms. In addition, similar concentrations of lipids have been observed in other cancer types, showing potential of a universal test for more types of cancer.

Lipidica, a.s., a spin-off company founded by the ��ɫֱ�� and FONS JK Group, a.s. is conducting the clinical trials in cooperation with Masaryk Oncological Institute in Brno, Olomouc University Hospital and another 13 hospitals across the Czech Republic. If the method is proved to be accurate and reliable in clinical testing, it can become a basis for national screening programme for those with high risk of pancreatic cancer, which would be unprecedented worldwide. In the long run, the team hopes to cover other types of cancer and implement a simple blood test into clinical practice, which would increase the chances of patients’ survival.

Other laureates of the Czech Brains Award in 2024

Czech Brains National government award

Prof. Tomáš Jungwirth, Ph.D., Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences

INVENTION Award

Mgr. Jan Dobeš, Ph.D., Charles University, Faculty of Science

INDUSTRIE Award

Bene Meat Technologies a.s.

Doctorandus Award for technical sciences

Ing. David Vojna, Ph.D., Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Doctorandus Award for natural sciences

RNDr. Jakub Podgorný, Ph.D., Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences

LOREM Award

prof. PharmDr. Petr Pávek, Ph.D., Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové

Award of the Minister of the Environment

doc. Mgr. Lukáš Trakal, Ph.D., Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environment

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Mentoring Programme: Overcoming PhD Challenges

Ing. Jana Křemenáková — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 10:16:05 +0000

Mentoring Programme: Overcoming PhD Challenges Ing. Jana Křem… Wed, 11/20/2024 - 11:16

Dear Colleagues,

We cordially invite you to the workshop "Overcoming PhD Challenges", organized as a part of the mentoring programme of the ��ɫֱ��.

Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Time: 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Venue: Rectorate Building, Meeting Room, 4th Floor

The workshop delivered by the Czech Association of Doctoral Researchers (ČAD)

Don’t miss this opportunity to empower your PhD journey!

Registration Form: Overcoming PhD Challanges

The workshop will be held in English. Participants of the mentoring programme have the option of priority registration.

We look forward to you!

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Clinical trial begins in Czech Republic to test groundbreaking pancreatic cancer detection method

Mgr. Pavla Svítková — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 09:58:46 +0000

Clinical trial begins in Czech Republic to test groundbreaking pancreatic cancer detection method Mgr. Pavla Svítková Thu, 11/14/2024 - 10:58

The pioneering research of Prof. Michal Holčapek and his team at the ��ɫֱ�� is now being tested on patients in a clinical setting.

A clinical trial has begun in the Czech Republic to assess the effectiveness of an early detection test for pancreatic cancer. This trial will evaluate the sensitivity of a novel blood test designed to detect precancerous changes. If successful, this lipidomics-based test could revolutionise pancreatic cancer screening, offering a major advance in early diagnosis.

The trial is a collaborative effort between Lipidica – a company jointly owned by the ��ɫֱ�� and FONS JK Group – and specialists in gastroenterology and oncology. Lipidica will perform sample analyses for the clinical study. Key partners include the University Hospital Olomouc and the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, with a total of 15 centres nationwide expected to participate.

This methodology, which allows for early diagnosis, was developed by Prof. Michal Holčapek, a prominent analytical chemist and world-renowned expert in lipids at the ��ɫֱ��’s Faculty of Chemical Technology. Holčapek, a recipient of the prestigious European ERC Advanced grant, and his team achieved this breakthrough by analysing lipids in standard blood samples and applying advanced multivariate statistical analysis. "The lipidomics test is non-invasive and could pave the way for a structured screening programme,” explains Prof. Holčapek. "It may enable earlier detection of pancreatic cancer, where treatment success rates are higher and patient survival outcomes improve."

This innovative method has been published in Nature Communications, one of the world’s leading scientific journals, and is protected by two patents held by the ��ɫֱ��.

Experts from the Czech Gastroenterological Society (CGS) report that approximately 2 400 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the Czech Republic, and nearly 2 200 die from the disease within the same period. By 2030, experts project that pancreatic cancer will become the second leading cause of cancer deaths. "Pancreatic cancer is among the most aggressive forms of cancer – it develops asymptomatically over more than a decade but remains undetected until it is too advanced for effective treatment," says Prof. Ondřej Urban, M.D., Ph.D., Head of the Second Internal Gastroenterology and Geriatric Clinic at University Hospital Olomouc. "By the time symptoms appear, it is often too late for curative treatment, with surgery remaining the only potential cure, but only about 20% of patients qualify. The rest receive palliative care focused on extending life with as much quality as possible." For those with advanced pancreatic cancer, the average survival rate is about 1.5 years. However, patients diagnosed at an early stage can live up to six times longer. "We know that lipid profiles vary significantly in patients with pancreatic cancer," Prof. Urban adds. "This study aims to determine if the lipidomics test can detect these early lipid changes in high-risk individuals who feel healthy but may already have underlying disease."

According to doc. MUDr. Jan Trna, Ph.D., Chief Physician of the Gastroenterology Department at the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, the successful validation of the new lipidomics test would represent a major breakthrough in pancreatic cancer treatment. "Currently, our options for identifying individuals at risk for pancreatic cancer are limited. Due to financial, capacity, and medical constraints, specialised preventive testing cannot be offered to everyone. However, blood sampling presents a different approach. For decades, we have sought methods to detect the disease early – which is absolutely critical for this particular cancer," says MUDr. Trna. The Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Programme now enables the identification of precancerous changes or early-stage cancer. Under this programme, gastroenterologists collaborate closely with clinical geneticists and radiologists who conduct specialised tests such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Currently, the screening programme is available only to individuals with a lifetime risk of pancreatic cancer exceeding 5%. "In the newly established centres of highly specialised care for digestive endoscopy, including our department, at-risk individuals undergo regular pancreatic examinations using MRI and endoscopic ultrasonography," explains doc. MUDr. Ilja Tachecí, Ph.D., Chair of the CGS and Head of the Second Internal Gastroenterology Clinic at the Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Hradec Králové. Individuals considered at risk include those with a hereditary form of chronic pancreatitis, those with two or more direct relatives diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and carriers of specific genetic mutations – such as mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are also associated with breast and ovarian cancer.

"People at risk visit us for annual check-ups. As part of this study, we collect blood samples with their informed consent, which are then processed into plasma and sent to the Lipidica laboratory," explains Prof. Urban. The study thus analyses blood from both healthy high-risk individuals and patients with small, operable tumours. "Current diagnostic methods are highly effective but also costly and uncomfortable for patients. A test based on a simple blood draw would be a tremendous benefit for clinical practice. Our LDPC lipidomics test relies on a patent-protected methodology developed at the ��ɫֱ��, integrating insights from analytical chemistry, biostatistics, and other scientific disciplines," adds Ing. Karolína Kašparová, Director of Lipidica, which is also an accredited medical laboratory.

Lipidica, a.s., a joint venture between the ��ɫֱ�� and FONS JK Group a.s., has been recognised with the Neuron Prize for its exceptional bridging of science and business.

The study began this year and is expected to conclude in 2027, involving over 400 participants. If the test's specificity and sensitivity are confirmed, experts note it may still take time before the test becomes a standard part of clinical care and before it is determined whether health insurers will cover it or if individuals will need to pay out of pocket. The manufacturer has indicated, however, that the price should not exceed a few thousand Czech korunas.

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Mentoring Programme: Writing Scientific Papers Workshop

Ing. Jana Křemenáková — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 12:40:00 +0000

Mentoring Programme: Writing Scientific Papers Workshop Ing. Jana Křem… Mon, 11/11/2024 - 13:40

Dear Colleagues,

We cordially invite you to the workshop "Writing Scientific Papers", organized as a part of the mentoring programme of the ��ɫֱ��.

Date: Friday, November 22, 2024, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Theoretical lecture followed by an in-class writing exercise)

Venue: Rectorate Building, Meeting Room, 4th Floor

Lecturer: Dr. Carlos V. Melo (Charles University)

The workshop will be held in English. Course capacity is limited to 12 aspiring scientists. Participants of the mentoring programme have the option of priority registration.

Registration form: Writing Scientific Papers | Univerzita Pardubice (upce.cz)

We look forward to you!

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EU TalentOn 2024 European Union Contest for early-career researchers

Ing. Jana Křemenáková — Wed, 26 Jun 2024 08:58:28 +0000

EU TalentOn 2024 European Union Contest for early-career researchers Ing. Jana Křem… Wed, 06/26/2024 - 10:58

Dear Colleagues,

Let us inform you about oncoming event:

The University of Silesia and the European Comission has the honor to invite scientists to participate in the EU TalentOn 2024 European Union Contest for early-career researchers.

The contest is funded by the European Union from the Horizon Europe programme and will be the flagship event as a part of the celebration of the European City of Science Katowice 2024.

EU TalentOn 2024 is a competition for young scientists (21-35 years old) from European countries and countries associated with the Horizon Europe Programme. The idea is to encourage you to propose new, creative solutions to the world's most pressing problems.

About 125 participants will work in 3/4/5-person groups to create a proposal in one of 5 scientific areas (which correspond to the 5 EU Missions in Horizon Europe and are called the 5 Mission Arenas). We want the proposals to be scientific, creative, feasible, and convincing: the idea is to encourage a flow of fresh, interdisciplinary ideas, including input from all areas of science and humanities.

5 Mission Arenas:

1. Adaptation to Climate Change

2. Cancer Prevention and Care

3. Restore our Ocean and Water

4. 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities

5. A Soil Deal for Europe

The total value of the prizes is 75 000 EUR.

All detailed information and the application form can be found here: https://eutalenton2024.eu/

This is going to be a vibrant, intellectually stimulating event!

Time to register is till July 7, 2024.

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Brunch for Expat Women in Czech Science

Ing. Jana Křemenáková — Thu, 02 May 2024 08:00:00 +0000

Brunch for Expat Women in Czech Science Ing. Jana Křem… Thu, 05/02/2024 - 10:00

Dear scientists,

The Centre for Gender & Science cordially invites you to join another Brunch for Expat Women in Czech Science, organized in collaboration with Hyb4City.

This event is dedicated to postdoctoral and early-career women scientists across all disciplines.

A special guest speaker for this event is Zsófia Csajbók, PhD, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague.

Please find more information here: Brunch for Expat Women in Czech Science

You can register at this link.

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UPCE restorers working on the St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 23:00:00 +0000

UPCE restorers working on the St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/11/2023 - 01:00

Experts from the Faculty of Restoration at the ��ɫֱ�� are working on a new project. They are helping to save the ornamental elements on the St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna. They are using a new biological method of stone restoration to treat the sensitive surfaces of one of the most famous monuments.

The latest documentary from Austrian television 3SAT also shows the work of our restorers. In it, the modern methods were presented to the audience directly on the premises of the faculty by Ing. Karol Bayer, Vice-Dean for Scientific Research at the Faculty of Restoration of the ��ɫֱ��.

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Scientist from the ��ɫֱ�� receives prestigious European grant for research on lipids

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 11:45:02 +0000

Scientist from the ��ɫֱ�� receives prestigious European grant for research on lipids Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/03/2023 - 13:45

Michal Holčapek, a chemist from the ��ɫֱ��, and three other scientists from the Czech Republic received a highly prestigious grant from the European Research Council (ERC). The scientist, who works for the Faculty of Chemical Technology, has long been involved in analysing lipids and their use in cancer diagnostics.

ERC Advanced Grant is intended for excellent European and world scientists. In the last 16 years, only eight experts from Czech institutions have received it. The grant award is considered a measure of the importance of knowledge in the European context and a prestigious researcher award.

“None of the Czech scientists have received this type of European support in the last six years. It is important for the ��ɫֱ�� that Prof. Holčapek’s research is among Europe’s best. The ERC Advanced Grants are among the most prestigious while demonstrating the quality of research in important countries and the position of important scientific institutions in the international network. I’m proud that one of the ��ɫֱ��’s outstanding teams has joined this elite society,” said the Rector of the ��ɫֱ��, Prof. Libor Čapek.

ERC Advanced Grants aim to support internationally recognised experts who have already established themselves in the field and significantly impacted it. They are only awarded to outstanding persons who have had a significant impact on the field and have achieved international recognition in the last ten years. “I believe that Professor Holčapek is a person who deserves to be awarded this project. With his team, he has been the first to develop a method for early diagnosis of certain types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer, from blood analysis. Professor Holčapek’s research results have been published in respected journals such as Nature Communications. In addition, a team of young researchers demonstrates that it is possible to do science from the top level even outside the best-known centres,” said Prof. Petr Němec, the Dean of the Faculty of Chemical Technology.

Prof. Holčapek’s team has succeeded with a project called ONCOLIPID, which will be implemented in the next five years. It has received a total amount of nearly EUR 3.5 million. “Winning this grant is the biggest achievement of my scientific career,” says Prof. Michal Holčapek from the Faculty of Chemical Technology. “So far, my group has been working on lipid analysis for early diagnosis of malignant cancer. With the ERC grant, we want to elucidate the mechanism of why changes occur in the first place. This could also have a major impact on improving treatment, not just the diagnosis,” said Michal Holčapek.

Together with Prof. Holčapek, Prof. Pavel Jungwirth from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS, Prof. Tomáš Jungwirth from the Institute of Physics of the CAS, and Dr Josef Šivic from the Czech Technical University in Prague received the prestigious grant this year.

The European Research Council (ERC) was set up in 2007 to fund cutting-edge research in all scientific disciplines, the so-called frontier research that goes beyond the frontiers of knowledge in a given field. The ERC aims to support the emergence and growth of a generation of research leaders in Europe who play a crucial role in the future of science. The only evaluation criterion is the scientific quality of the project and the researcher.

In Pardubice on this 30 March 2023

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