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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 main goal of the group is to study potential applications and modifications of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from different sources, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and microbiome in cancer treatment using Lab-on-a-Chip (LoC) including Organs on Chip (OOC) technology. Therefore, we have an interdisciplinary research direction in collaboration with the Laboratory of prototyping from ISSP with expertise in microfluidics and biosensors. Both EVs and LoC technology are currently very active fields of research worldwide. EVs hold great promise in diagnostics and treatment, including cancer. However, the issues in EV methodology significantly slow down the development of the field. LoC technologies based on microfluidics and biosensors could substantially improve this situation.

Our purpose is to personalise OOC developed in collaboration with Laboratory of prototyping from ISSP using patient samples for engineered or modified EV testing for cancer treatment purposes, that could serve as a tool in personalised medicine in future.

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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

Caroline Küstermann, PhD, caroline.kustermann@biomed.lu.lv

Christina Bajo Santos, MSc., MRes., cristina.bajo@bioned.lu.lv

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

 

Jānis Plūme, BSc., janis.plume@biomed.lu.lv

Valērija Movčana, BSc., valerija.movcana@biomed.lu.lv

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

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

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

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

Areas for searching partners

  • Histopathology
  • Organoid development and cultivation from different tissues
  • iPSC generation and differentiation
  • Microbiome
  • Bioengineering
  • Machine learning (AI)

10 the most representative publications for the scientific group

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Nakurte I, Jekabsons K, Rembergs R, Zandberga E, Abols A, Linē A, Muceniece R. Colorectal Cancer Cell Line SW480 and SW620 Released Extravascular Vesicles: Focus on Hypoxia-induced Surface Proteome Changes. Anticancer Res. 2018 Nov;38(11):6133-6138. PMID: 30396929.
  6. Endzeliņš E, Ābols A, Bušs A, Zandberga E, Palviainen M, Siljander P, Linē A. Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Hypoxic Colorectal Cancer Cells Confer Metastatic Phenotype to Non-metastatic Cancer Cells. Anticancer Res. 2018 Sep;38(9):5139-5147. PMID: 30194161.
  7. Grube M , Shvirksts K , Krafft C , Kokorevicha S , Zandberga E , Abols A , Line A , Kalnenieks U . Miniature diamond-anvil cells for FTIR-microspectroscopy of small quantities of biosamples. Analyst. 2018 Jul 23;143(15):3595-3599. PMID: 29961798.
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. Abols A, Ducena K, Andrejeva D, Sadovska L, Zandberga E, Vilmanis J, Narbuts Z, Tars J, Eglitis J, Pirags V, Line A. Trefoil factor 3 is required for differentiation of thyroid follicular cells and acts as a context-dependent tumor suppressor. Neoplasma. 2015;62(6):914-24. doi: 10.4149/neo_2015_111. PMID: 26458316.