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LATVIAN

BIOMEDICAL

RESEARCH AND STUDY CENTRE

RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN BIOMEDICINE FROM GENES TO HUMAN

Lab-on-a-Chip in the Extracellular Vesicle Research Group (A.Ābols lab)

The group’s research focuses on the development and application of organ-on-chip (OOC) models to study various pathologies, including cancer, neurological disorders, and the impact of the microbiota on human health. OOC platforms are used to investigate tissue and organ interactions, barrier functions, tumor invasion mechanisms, and the efficacy of therapeutic compounds under physiologically relevant in vitro conditions.

In addition, OOC platforms are applied to study the biological functionality, role in disease, and therapeutic potential of nanoparticles and extracellular vesicles (EVs), providing reproducible human-relevant models for investigating disease mechanisms, developing new therapeutic strategies, and advancing personalized medicine.

Artūrs Ābols, PhD

Artūrs Ābols, PhD

Head of the scientific group, senior researcher

Personnel

Artūrs Ābols, PhD, arturs@biomed.lu.lv 

Karīna Narbute, PhD, karina.narbute@biomed.lu.lv 

Ralfs Buks, PhD, ralfs.buks@biomed.lu.lv 

Anete Romanauska, PhD, anete.romanauska@biomed.lu.lv 

Darja Sadovska, PhD, darja.sadovska@biomed.lu.lv 

Dr. Antons Miščenko, antons.miscenko@biomed.lu.lv 

Fēlikss Rūmnieks MSc., felikss.rumnieks@biomed.lu.lv 

Justs Jāzeps Zaļums, BSc., justs.zalums@biomed.lu.lv 

Marta Otilija Zemite, BSc., marta.zemite@biomed.lu.lv 

Elizabete Beta Ešenvalde, BSc elizabete.esenvalde@biomed.lu.lv 

Miks Priedols, miks.priedols@biomed.lu.lv 

Pauls Kauķis, pauls.kaukis@biomed.lu.lv 

Gabriels Grinblats, gabriels.grinblats@biomed.lu.lv

Areas for searching partners

  • OOC drug and drug delivery testing platforms
  • iPSC generation and differentiation
  • Organoid development and cultivation from different tissues
  • Microbiome
  • Biofluidics
  • Machine learning (AI)

10 the most representative publications for the scientific group

  1. Movcana V, Kozlova V, Strods A, Rumnieks F, Zalums J, Abols A. Protocol for developing a mucus-producing gut-on-a-chip model from Caco-2 and HT29-MTX-E12 cells. STAR Protoc. 2026 Jan 5;7(1):104321. PMID: 41499241; PMCID: PMC12810700.
  2. Küstermann C, Narbute K, Movčana V, Parfejevs V, Rūmnieks F, Kauķis P, Priedols M, Mikilps-Mikgelbs R, Mihailova M, Andersone S, Dzalbs A, Bajo-Santos C, Krams A, Abols A. iPSC-derived lung and lung cancer organoid model to evaluate cisplatin encapsulated autologous iPSC-derived mesenchymal stromal cell-isolated extracellular vesicles. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2024 Aug 7;15(1):246. PMID: 39113093; PMCID: PMC11304910.
  3. Strods A, Narbute K, Movčana V, Gillois K, Rimša R, Hollos P, Rūmnieks F, Spule A, Mozoļevskis G, Abols A. Development of Organ-on-a-Chip System with Continuous Flow in Simulated Microgravity. Micromachines (Basel). 2024 Mar 9;15(3):370. doi: 10.3390/mi15030370. PMID: 38542617; PMCID: PMC10972453
  4. Movčana, V., Strods, A., Narbute, K., Rūmnieks, F., Rimša, R., Mozoļevskis, G., Ivanovs, M., Kadiķis, R., Zviedris, K. G., Leja, L., Zujeva, A., Laimiņa, T., & Abols, A. (2024). Organ-On-A-Chip (OOC) Image Dataset for Machine Learning and Tissue Model Evaluation. Data, 9(2), 28. https://doi.org/10.3390/data9020028.
  5. Priedols M, Paidere G, Santos CB, Miscenko A, Bergmanis RG, Spule A, Bekere B, Mozolevskis G, Abols A, Rimsa R. Bifurcated Asymmetric Field Flow Fractionation of Nanoparticles in PDMS-Free Microfluidic Devices for Applications in Label-Free Extracellular Vesicle Separation. Polymers. 2023; 15(4):789. PMID: 36850073.
  6. Parfejevs V, Sagini K, Buss A, Sobolevska K, Llorente A, Riekstina U, Abols A. Adult Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Treatment: Opportunities and Challenges. Cells. 2020 May 8;9(5):1171. PMID: 32397238.
  7. Vasconcelos MH, Caires HR, Ābols A, Xavier CPR, Linē A Extracellular vesicles as a novel source of biomarkers in liquid biopsies for monitoring cancer progression and drug resistance. Drug Resist Update. 2019 Dec; 47:100647. PMID: 31704541.
  8. Sguassero A, Artiga Á, Morasso C, Jimenez RR, Rapún RM, Mancuso R, Agostini S, Hernis A, Abols A, Linē A, Gualerzi A, Picciolini S, Bedoni M, Rovaris M, Gramatica F, de la Fuente JM, Vanna R. A simple and universal enzyme-free approach for the detection of multiple microRNAs using a single nanostructured enhancer of surface plasmon resonance imaging. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2019 Mar;411(9):1873-1885. Epub 2018 Aug 28. PMID: 30155701.
  9. Popēna I, Ābols A, Saulīte L, Pleiko K, Zandberga E, Jēkabsons K, Endzeliņš E, Llorente A, Linē A, Riekstiņa U. Effect of colorectal cancer-derived extracellular vesicles on the immunophenotype and cytokine secretion profile of monocytes and macrophages. Cell Commun Signal. 2018 Apr 24;16(1):17. PMID: 29690889
  10. Endzeliņš E, Berger A, Melne V, Bajo-Santos C, Soboļevska K, Ābols A, Rodriguez M, Šantare D, Rudņickiha A, Lietuvietis V, Llorente A, Linē A. Detection of circulating miRNAs: comparative analysis of extracellular vesicle-incorporated miRNAs and cell-free miRNAs in whole plasma of prostate cancer patients. BMC Cancer. 2017 Nov 9;17(1):730. PMID: 29121858.