Mission

Established in 2006, the Laboratory for Experimental and Translational Research on Radiation Oncology (EXTRO-Lab) is an integral research and training component of the Department of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology at Medical University of Innsbruck (Director Prof. Dr. Ute Ganswindt). The team of Dr. Ira-Ida Skvortsova is interested in basic research that has direct clinical applicability. The research program is dedicated to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the sensitivity of cancer cells to radiation therapy. Currently, cancer researchers worldwide support the carcinoma stem cell (CSC) hypothesis. Thus, it is believed that CSCs possess specific molecular properties associated with tumor heterogeneity, therapy resistance and inclination for metastatic spread. Therefore, EXTRO-Lab members work on the elucidation of the molecular patterns of CSCs that could help to develop novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets to predict and/or combat the most aggressive and treatment-resistant malignancies.

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An International Dimension

The Laboratory for Experimental and Translational Radiooncology collaborates with worldwide leading translational cancer researchers from the United States, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Israel, Slovenia, and Italy.

Research Team Members

Priv.-Doz. Dr. Ira-Ida Skvortsova

Project Leader

Dragana Savic, M.Sc.

Doctoral Student

OUR AIM IS TO FURTHER COMPREHEND THE MOLECULAR FACTORS BEHIND THE ONSET OF CANCER.

Publications

Selected Publications

  • Skvortsov, S., Dudás, J., Eichberger, P., Witsch-Baumgartner, M., Loeffler-Ragg, J., Pritz, C., Schartinger, V. H., Maier, H., Hall, J., Debbage, P., Riechelmann, H. & Lukas, P. Rac1 as a potential therapeutic target for chemo-radioresistant head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) Br J Cancer, 110(11):2677-87 (2014).
  • Skvortsov, S., Arnold, C. R., Debbage, P. & Lukas, P. Proteomic approach to understand metastatic spread. Proteomics Clin Appl., 9(11-12):1069-1077. (2015).
  • Negro, G., Aschenbrenner, B., Brezar, S. K., Cemazar, M., Coer, A., Gasljevic, G., Savic, D., Sorokin, M., Buzdin, A., Callari, M., Kvitsaridze, I., Jewett, A., Vasileva-Slaveva, M., Ganswindt, U., Skvortsova, I. & Skvortsov S. Molecular heterogeneity in breast carcinoma cells with increased invasive capacities. Radiol Oncol., 54(1):103-118. (2020).
  • Aschenbrenner, B., Negro, G., Savic, D., Sorokin, M., Buzdin, A., Ganswindt, U., Cemazar, M., Sersa, G., Skvortsov, S. & Skvortsova, I. Simvastatin is effective in killing the radioresistant breast carcinoma cells. Radiol Oncol., 55(3):305-316. (2021).

All Publications