Back

Laboratory of Genetic Diagnostic

Can geneticists help oncologists?

Not only are the hereditary diseases (such as inherited cancer syndromes) determined during genetic testing, but before the treatment of oncological patients, we analyze genetic mutations in the patient’s tumor samples and help the oncologists to select targeted biological treatments for optimal results. In this way, our patients receive not only the disease diagnosis but also individualized treatment and personalized care.

Laboratory of Genetic Diagnostic has extensive experience and knowledge working with next-generation sequencing of nucleic acids from tumor and liquid biopsy. Analysis of BRCA1/2, KRAS, NRAS, BRAF, EGFR, PIK3CA, CHEK2, and other gene mutations, which help to diagnose familial tumors and choose biological therapy, are performed. Prediction of cancer recurrence risk for breast cancer patients is on the newest molecular analysis methods implemented in the laboratory (Prosigna Breast Cancer Prognostic Gene Signature Assay).

Performed research directions related to the search and detection of non-invasive disease biomarkers. We perform sample collection and preparation, as well as extraction of nucleic acids from a wide range of tissue and liquid biopsy types (blood plasma, serum, buffy coat, urine sediments, pleural effusions, uterine lavage, and others). Next generation sequencing, PCR, and qPCR are used for various genetic oncobiomarker detection (gene mutations, microRNA, gene expression, gene promoter methylation markers).

Cancer diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance are mainly based on tumor tissue. Our main research goal is to apply tissue biomarkers and search for new biomarkers for liquid biopsy. Liquid biopsy as a completely non-invasive or minimally invasive source of genetic material is a staple for personalized oncology. Implementation of liquid biopsy in cancer medicine could aid in earlier detection, disease monitoring, and personalized treatment.


Projects:
  1. LMT SEN 09/2016 “Molecular tools for individualisation of long-term monitoring and treatment of prostate cancer.”
  2. Study of kidney cancer molecular markers in patients' urine (ordered research of “Novartis Pharma Services”, sponsored by MITA).
Publications:

2022

  1. Vaicekauskaitė I, Sabaliauskaitė R, Lazutka JR, Jarmalaitė S. The Emerging Role of Chromatin Remodeling Complexes in Ovarian Cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2022; 23(22):13670. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232213670;
  2. Žalimas A, Kubiliūtė R, Žukauskaitė K, Sabaliauskaitė R, Trakymas M, Letautienė S, Mišeikytė-Kaubrienė E, Ušinskienė J, Ulys A, Jarmalaitė J. Urine molecular biomarkers for detection and follow-up of small renal masses. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 16110. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232416110;
  3. Norkeviciene A, Gocentiene R, Sestokaite A, Sabaliauskaite R, Dabkeviciene D, Jarmalaite S, Bulotiene G. A Systematic Review of Candidate Genes for Major Depression. Medicina (Kaunas). 2022 Feb 14;58(2):285. doi: 10.3390/medicina58020285. PMID: 35208605; PMCID: PMC8875554;
  4. Matulevicius A, Bakavicius A, Ulys A, Trakymas M, Usinskiene J, Naruseviciute I, Sabaliauskaite R, Zukauskaite K, Jarmalaite S, Jankevicius F. Multiparametric MRI fusion-guided prostate biopsy for detection of clinically significant prostate cancer eliminates the systemic prostate biopsy. Applied Sciences. 2022, 12(19), 10151. https://doi.org/10.3390/app121910151;
  5. Klimaite R, Kazokaite M, Kondrotiene A, Dauksiene D, Sabaliauskaite R, Zukauskaite K, Zilaitiene B, Jarmalaite S, Dauksa A. The Role of TSHR, PTEN and RASSF1A Promoters’ Methylation Status for Non-Invasive Detection of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2022; 11(16):4917. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm11164917;
  6. Sadzeviciene I, Snipaitiene K, Scesnaite-Jerdiakova A, Daniunaite K, Sabaliauskaite R, Laurinaviciene A, Drobniene M, Ostapenko V, Jarmalaite S. Analysis of Intrinsic Breast Cancer Subtypes: The Clinical Utility of Epigenetic Biomarkers and TP53 Mutation Status in Triple-Negative Cases. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Dec 6;23(23):15429. doi: 10.3390/ijms232315429. PMID: 36499753 Free PMC article;
  7. Snipaitiene K, Bakavicius A, Lazutka JR, Ulys A, Jankevicius F, Jarmalaite S.Urinary microRNAs can predict response to abiraterone acetate in castration resistant prostate cancer: A pilot study. Prostate. 2022 Mar;82(4):475-482. doi: 10.1002/pros.24293. Epub 2021 Dec 30. PMID: 34970742;
  8. Rovas A, Puriene A, Snipaitiene K, Punceviciene E, Buragaite-Staponkiene B, Matuleviciute R, Butrimiene I, Jarmalaite S. Gingival crevicular fluid microRNA associations with periodontitis. J Oral Sci. 2022 Jan 19;64(1):11-16. doi: 10.2334/josnusd.21-0282. Epub 2021 Oct 25.  PMID: 34690249 Free article.

2021 

  1. Snipaitiene K, Bakavicius A, Lazutka JR, Ulys A, Jankevicius F, Jarmalaite S. Urinary microRNAs can predict response to abiraterone acetate in castration resistant prostate cancer: A pilot study. Prostate. 2021 Dec 30.doi: 10.1002/pros.24293;
  2. Punceviciene E, Gaizevska J, Sabaliauskaite R, Venceviciene L, Puriene A, Vitkus D, Jarmalaite S, Butrimiene I. Vitamin D and VDR Gene Polymorphisms Association with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Lithuanian Population. Medicina. 2021;
  3. Kubiliute R, Zukauskaite K, Zalimas A, Ulys A, Sabaliauskaite A, Bakavicius A, Zelvys A, Jankevicius F, Jarmalaite S. Clinical significance of novel DNA methylation biomarkers for renal clear cell carcinoma. Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology 2021 Oct 23. Online ahead of print. doi.org/10.1007/s00432-021-03837-7;
  4. D. Žilovič, R. Čiurlienė, R. Sabaliauskaitė, S. Jarmalaitė. Future screening prospects for ovarian cancer. Cancer. 2021, 13 (15):3840. doi.org/10.3390/cancers13153840;
  5. Kubiliute R, Zalimas A, Bakavicius A, Ulys A, Jankevicius F, Jarmalaite S. Clinical significance of ADAMTS19, BMP7, SIM1 and SFRP1 promoter methylation in renal clear cell carcinoma. OncoTargets and Therapy 2021 Oct 5;14:4979-4990. doi.org/10.2147/OTT.S330341;
  6. Kubiliute R, Jarmalaite S. Epigenetic Biomarkers of Renal Cell Carcinoma for Liquid Biopsy Tests. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2021 Aug 17;22(16):8846. doi10.3390/ijms22168846;
  7. Kubiliute R, Januskeviciene I, Urbanaviciute R, Daniunaite K, Drobniene M, Ostapenko V, Daugelavicius R, Jarmalaite S. Nongenotoxic ABCB1 activator tetraphenylphosphonium can contribute to doxorubicin resistance in MX-1 breast cancer cell line. Scientific Reports 2021;11(1):6556. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86120-6;
  8. Daniunaite K, Bakavicius A, Zukauskaite K, Rauluseviciute I, Lazutka JR, Ulys A, Jankevicius F, Jarmalaite S. Promoter Methylation of PRKCB, ADAMTS12, and NAALAD2 Is Specific to Prostate Cancer and Predicts Biochemical Disease Recurrence. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021;
  9. Lachej N, Dabkeviciene D, Simiene J, Sabaliauskaite R, Jonusiene V, Brasiunas V, Sasnauskiene A, Vaicekauskaite I, Brasiuniene B, Kanopiene D, Suziedelis K, Didziapetriene J. Components of NOTCH signaling for uterine cencer patiens prognosis. Journal of Oncology. doi.org/10.1155/2022/8199306;
  10. Rovas A, Puriene A, Snipaitiene K, Punceviciene E, Buragaite-Staponkiene B, Matuleviciute R, Butrimiene I, Jarmalaite S. Analysis of periodontitis-associated miRNAs in gingival tissue, gingival crevicular fluid, saliva and blood plasma. Arch Oral Biol. 2021;126:105125. doi: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2021.105125;
  11. Rovas A, Puriene A, Punceviciene E, Butrimiene I, Stuopelyte K, Jarmalaite S. Associations of periodontal status in periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis patients. J Periodontal Implant Sci. 2021;51(2):124-134. doi: 10.5051/jpis.2006060303;
  12. Punceviciene E, Rovas A, Puriene A, Stuopelyte K, Vitkus D, Jarmalaite S, Butrimiene I. Investigating the relationship between the severity of periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis: a cross-sectional study. Clin Rheumatol. 2021;40(8):3153-3160. doi: 10.1007/s10067-021-05661-3.

2020

  1. Daniunaite K, Sestokaite A, Kubiliute R, Stuopelyte K, Kettunen E, Husgafvel-Pursiainen K,  Jarmalaite S. Frequent DNA methylation changes in cancerous and noncancerous lung tissues from smokers with non-small cell lung cancer.  Mutagenesis. 2020; geaa022:1-7. https://doi.org/10.1093/mutage/geaa022 (IF=3,379)
  2. Stuopelyte K, Sabaliauskaite R, Bakavicius A, Haflidadóttir BS, Visakorpi T, Väänänen RM, Patel C, Danila DC, Lilja H, Lazutka JR, Ulys A, Jankevicius F, Jarmalaite S. Analysis of AR-FL and AR-V1 in Whole Blood of Patients with Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer as a Tool for Predicting Response to Abiraterone Acetate. J Urol. 2020; 204(1):71-78 . https://doi.org/10.1097/ju.0000000000000803 (IF=5,925)
  3. Bakavičius A, Drevinskaitė M, Daniūnaitė K, Barisienė M, Jarmalaitė S, Jankevičius F.The Impact of Prostate Cancer Upgrading and Upstaging on Biochemical Recurrence and Cancer-Specific Survival. Medicina (Kaunas). 2020; 56(2):1-11. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina56020061 (IF=1,205)
  4. Sadzevičienė I, Liaugaudienė O, Besusparis J, Asadauskienė J, Kulikienė I, Brasiūnienė B, Sabaliauskaitė R, Jarmalaitė S. Recurrent Germline BRCA2 Gene Mutation in Lithuanian Family. Medicina 2020, 56(3), 119:1-9; doi: 10.3390/medicina56030119 (IF=1,205)

2019

  1. Bakavicius A, Daniunaite K, Zukauskaite K, Barisiene M, Jarmalaite S, Jankevicius F. Urinary DNA methylation biomarkers for prediction of prostate cancer upgrading and upstaging. Clin Epigenetics. 2019 Aug 5;11(1):115. doi: 10.1186/s13148-019-0716-z. (IF=5,496)
  2. Maleckaite R, Zalimas A, Bakavicius A, Jankevicius F, Jarmalaite S, Daniunaite K. DNA methylation of metallothionein genes is associated with the clinical features of renal cell carcinoma. Oncol Rep. 2019 Jun;41(6):3535-3544. doi: 10.3892/or.2019.7109. (IF=3,041)

2017

  1. Demidenko R, Daniunaite K, Bakavicius A, Sabaliauskaite RSkeberdyte A, Petroska D, Laurinavicius A, Jankevicius F, Lazutka JR, Jarmalaite S. Decreased expression of MT1E is a potential biomarker of prostate cancer progression. Oncotarget. 2017 Jun 27;8(37):61709-61718. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.18683. (IF=5,168)
  2. Gyvyte U, Juzenas S, Salteniene V, Kupcinskas J, Poskiene L, Kucinskas L, Jarmalaite S, Stuopelyte K, Hemmrich-Stanisak G, Hübenthal M, Franke A, Pangonyte D, Lesauskaite V, Kupcinskas L, Skieceviciene J. MiRNA profiling of gastrointestinal stromal tumors by next-generation sequencing. Oncotarget. 2017 Jun 6;8(23):37225-37238. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.16664. (IF=5,168)
  3. Kettunen E, Hernandez-Vargas H, Cros MP, Durand G, Le Calvez-Kelm F, Stuopelytė K, Jarmalaitė S, Salmenkivi K, Anttila S, Wolff H, Herceg Z, Husgafvel-Pursiainen K. Asbestos-associated genome-wide DNA methylation changes in lung cancer. Int J Cancer. 2017 Nov 15;141(10):2014-2029. doi: 10.1002/ijc.30897. (IF=6,513)

2016

  1. Stuopelyte KDaniunaite K, Bakavicius A, Lazutka JR, Jankevicius F, Jarmalaite S. The utility of urine-circulating miRNAs for detection of prostate cancer. Br J Cancer. 2016 Sep 6;115(6):707-15. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2016.233. (IF=6,176)
  2. Kubiliūtė R, Šulskytė I, Daniūnaitė K, Daugelavičius R, Jarmalaitė S. Molecular features of doxorubicin-resistance development in colorectal cancer CX-1 cell line. Medicina (Kaunas). 2016;52(5):298-306. doi: 10.1016/j.medici.2016.09.003. (IF=0,802)
  3. Stuopelytė KDaniūnaitė K, Jankevičius F, Jarmalaitė S. Detection of miRNAs in urine of prostate cancer patients. Medicina (Kaunas). 2016;52(2):116-24. doi: 10.1016/j.medici.2016.02.007. (IF=0,802)



Updated 2023-02-07 13:25