Translational Platform for Regenerative Medicine

 

Head
Professor Anna Sarnowska MD, PhD, DSc, phone: +48 22 60 86 598, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,
Secretary
Dorota Czajkowska, MSc, phone: +48 22 60 86 475, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Research staff
Aleksandra Bzinkowska, PhD; phone: +48 22 60 86 463, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Klaudia Radoszkiewicz, PhD phone: +48 22 60 86 463, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Agnieszka Smolińska, PhD; phone: +48 22 60 86 463, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Magdalena Chodkowska-Michałowska, MSc; phone: +48 22 60 86 463, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Maja Pelczarska, MSc; phone: +48 22 60 86 637, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Aleksandra Pobudkiewicz, MSC; phone: +48 22 60 86 637, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
PhD students
Paulina Rybkowska, MSc; phone: +48 22 60 86 463, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Monika Rytel, MSc, phone: +48 22 60 86 463, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Aylin Celik, MSc, phone: +48 22 60 86 463, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Specialist Team Tissue and Cell Bank + Advanced therapy medicinal product manufacture
Daniel Szopa M.Sc., phone: +48 22 60 86 504; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Oliwia Hawryluk, MSc.Eng., phone: +48 22 60 86 504,  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Szymon Łakomy, MSc., phone: +48 22 60 86 504,  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Anna Słysz, Ph.D., phone: +48 22 60 86 504, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Katarzyna Jezierska-Woźniak Ph.D., phone 89 524 53 38,  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Research / clinic profile

The Translational Research Platform in the field of regenerative medicine conducts translational research at the preclinical and clinical level.

 Tissue and Cell Bank - The Minister for Health approval for
• collection, processing and storage of subcutaneous fat,
• collection, processing, storage and release of umbilical cord,
• collection, processing, storage, release and distribution of mesenchymal cells isolated from adipose tissue,
• collection, processing, storage, release and distribution of mesenchymal cells isolated from Wharton's Jelly in clinical application

• pilot studies in cell therapy - establishing and organizing cooperation between scientists and medical doctors in clinics, regenerative potential cells in clinical application
• developing a new treatment and therapeutic strategies using various (source) types of stem cells (mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem cells)
• experimental regenerative therapy for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS using (ADRC-adipose derived regenerative cells) isolated from adipose tissue, establishing additional tests necessary to assess the safety and effectiveness of the therapy, estimating the costs of therapy – studies in cooperation with the Department of Neurosurgery and Neurology of the Medical University of Warsaw
• development of criteria for the inclusion of patients with autoimmune drug-resistant epilepsy to experimental regenerative therapy with the use of ADRC, additional tests necessary to assess the safety and effectiveness of the therapy used - in cooperation with the Department of Neurology and the Department of Surgery of the Institute of Mother and Child in Warsaw
• study for clinical application of ADRC cells in non-healing wound treatment) and peripheral nerves damages after failure reconstructions in the past - in cooperation with the Plastic Surgery Clinic of Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education (CMKP)
• assessment of the regenerative potential of mesenchymal stem cells derived from Wharton's jelly placed on 3D skeletons in the reconstruction of the alveolar ridge in children with a cleft defect - in cooperation with the Department of Children's and Adolescent Surgery of the Institute of Mother and Child

Grants

  • „Regenerative Fat Graft Therapy Enriched with ADSC Variants for Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) – From Pre-clinical Validation (TRL 3) to Clinical Readiness (TRL 5) [REGEN-FAT SSc” - ABM TRANSMED, project manager: Prof. Anna Sarnowska, term - 2026-2029
  • "Development of neuroregenerative therapies using exosomes derived from genetically modified mesenchymal stem/stromal cells for perinatal asphyxia and focal cerebral ischemia” – grant no. 2024/ABM/03/KPO; Principal Investigator: Professor Anna Sarnowska, MD, PhD, DSc; project period: 2025–2026.
  • "Analysis of stem-like and neural-like properties of CD271+ subpopulation obtained from Wharton jelly derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells" - Preludium 21 2022/45/N/NZ3/02564, PI: Agnieszka Ewa Smolińska, PhD; Term:  2023-2026.
  • “Bilateral interactions between WJ-MSC and fNSC affecting the niche formation and regenerative abilities” NCN -Opus 16 nr 2018/31/B/NZ4/03172; Supervisor: dr hab. Anna Sarnowska; Term: - 2019-2022
  • “Activity and function of auxiliary glucose metabolic fluxes in response to low oxygen (physioxia) during long-term AD-MSC culture” NCN - Preludium 16 nr 2018/31/N/NZ4/03275; PI: Anna Sylwia Figiel-Dąbrowska,PhD; Term: - 2019-2022
  • „Innovative application of stem cells and biocompatible polyelectrolyte nanoparticles releasing neurotrophins in adjuvant treatment of neurodegenerative diseases”; PI: dr hab. Anna Sarnowska;  Term: - 2021-2025
  • „Development of an innovative advanced therapy medicinal product based on the mesenchymal stem cells of Wharton's jelly in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis treatmen”. Contract with Polish Stem Cell Bank: „Perform preclinical studies of the advanced therapy medicinal product”. PI: dr hab. Anna Sarnowska (Task 1), prof. dr hab. Krystyna Domanska-Janik (Task 2): prof. dr hab. Leonora Bużańska (Tasks 3 & 4); Term: 2018-2022.

Collaboration
domestic

  • Department of Neurology Medical University, Warsaw
  • Child and Adolescent Neurology Child Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw
  • Department of Paediatric Surgery Institute of Mother and Child , Warsaw
  • CMKP Department of Plastic Surgery, Warsaw
  • Polish Stem Cell Bank, Warsaw (order contract finished in 2021)

foreign

  • prof. Thomas Ritter; Regenerative Medicine Institute REMEDI, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
  • prof. Roman A. Romanov; Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  • Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, UNIMIB,Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, Milan, Italy
  • Department of Stem Cell Biology and Histology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
  • Laboratory for Stem Cells, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
  • Departments of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

Research equipment

  • Fully equipped research laboratories for in vitro cell culture (including facilities for work with genetically modified cells): laminar-flow hoods, incubators, microscopes, centrifuges, and a water bath
  • autoMACS Pro Separator – Miltenyi Biotec, USA
  • Cytoria – Celution system
  • ExoDisc – a system for the rapid isolation and concentration of extracellular vesicles (EVs), including small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), from biological samples. It uses a single-use filtration cartridge and a laboratory device based on centrifugal microfluidics
  • Jess – an automated instrument for protein analysis using capillary-based Simple Western technology. It enables the complete analytical workflow, including electrophoretic separation of proteins in capillaries, immobilization, incubation with primary and secondary antibodies, washing, and signal detection using chemiluminescence, fluorescence, or infrared detection, for both qualitative and quantitative analysis
  • Fully equipped Tissue and Cell Bank with clean-room facilities, laminar-flow hoods, incubators, centrifuges, refrigerators, freezers (-20°C, -80°C, and -150°C), and a liquid-nitrogen storage tank

Research methods

  •  in vitro cell culture, mesenchymal stem cells from multiple sources: adipose tissue, umbilical cord, trabecular bone – isolation and primary culture,
  • endothelial cells - derivation from mesenchymal stem cells,
  • neural stem cells – isolation and primary culture,
  • organotypic hippocampal ex vivo culture
  • oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model of ischemic hippocampal injury,
  • functional tests: neuroprotective and migration potential of cells
  • immunocytochemistry stainings
  • flow cytometry
  • magnetic activated cell sorting – AutoMACS Pro Separation
  • molecular biology techniques– qPCR, Western Blot, ELISA

Selected publications

2026

  • Zychowicz M, Lech W, Figiel-Dabrowska A, Kot M, Murzyn M, Malawska N, Pienkowska-Grela B, Sandowska-Markiewicz Z, Ziolkowska-Suchanek I, Zimna A, Oldak T, Rozwadowska N, Sarnowska A. Mesenchymal Stem Cells From a Klinefelter Syndrome Patient: Functional Characterization and Therapeutic Implications. Andrology. 2026 Apr 20. doi: 10.1111/andr.70237. Online ahead of print. PMID: 42003821.
  • Smolinska A, Chodkowska-Michalowska M, Radoszkiewicz K, Bzinkowska A, Sarnowska A. CD271 Identifies a Subpopulation with Enhanced Neural-like Potential Within Wharton Jelly Derived Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells.Int J Mol Sci. 2026 May 28;27(11):4896. doi: 10.3390/ijms27114896. PMID: 42278430 Free PMC article.
  • Rybkowska P, Bzinkowska A, Chodkowska-Michalowska M, Radoszkiewicz K, Sarnowska A. Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Dedifferentiated Fat Progenitors (DFATs) in Comparison To the Adipose Derived Stem/Stromal Cells (ASCs). Stem Cell Rev Rep. 2026 Jan;22(1):64-81. doi: 10.1007/s12015-025-10986-6. Epub 2025 Oct 18. PMID: 41108454 Free PMC article. Review.
  • Sinderewicz E, Dąbkowska M, Sarnowska A, Staszkiewicz-Chodor J, Mystkowska D, Holak P, Drozd I, Chodkowska-Michalowska M, Rytel M, Paczkowska E, Mycko MP, Machalinski B, Jezierska-Wozniak K. Safety and biodistribution of intrathecal administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and neurotrophin-releasing nanoparticles in a porcine CSF-guided delivery model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) drug discovery. Sci Rep. 2026 Feb 27;16(1):11216. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-40196-0. PMID: 41760732.

2025

  • Radoszkiewicz K, Rybkowska P, Szymanska M, Krzesniak NE, Sarnowska S. The influence of biomimetic conditions on neurogenic and neuroprotective properties of dedifferentiated fat cells. Stem Cells. 2025 Jan 17;43(1):sxae066. doi: 10.1093/stmcls/sxae066.
  • Rybkowska P, Bzinkowska A, Chodkowska-Michalowska M, Radoszkiewicz K, Sarnowska S. Exploring the therapeutic potential of dedifferentiated fat progenitors (DFATs) in comparison to the adipose derived stem/ stromal cells (ASCs). Stem Cell Reviews and Reports. doi.org/10.1007/s12015-025-10986-6.
  • Radoszkiewicz K, Bzinkowska A, Sypecka M, Sulejczak D, Ferrari D, Gelati M, Vescovi AL, Sarnowska A. Unraveling the impact of human cerebrospinal fluid on human neural stem cell fate. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. 2025 Mar 13:13:1527557. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1527557. eCollection 2025.
  • Rybkowska P, Kawalec M, Dymkowska D, Radoszkiewicz K, Zabłocka B, Zabłocki K, Sarnowska A. Activity and function of auxiliary fluxes of glucose metabolism in response to physiological normoxia (5 % O2) during long-term Adipose-Derived Stem/Stromal cell culture. European Journal of Cell Biology. 2025 Jun;104(2):151486. doi: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2025.151486. Epub 2025 Mar 28.
  • Rytel M, Chodkowska-Michalowska M, Sulejczak D. Enhancing the clinical potential : Quality assessment of adipose tissue-derived Mesenchymal Stem / Stromal Cells for therapeutic use. Advances in Medical Sciences 2025;70:408–2. ttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.advms.2025.10.002
  • Sinderewicz E, Dabkowska M, Sarnowska A, et al. Safety and biodistribution of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells and biocompatible neurotrophin-releasing polyelectrolyte nanoparticles as a preclinical study in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cell therapy, 12 October 2025, PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square [https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7641255/v1].

2024

  • Radoszkiewicz K, Bzinkowska A, Chodkowska M, Rybkowska P, Sypecka M, Zembrzuska-Kaska I, Sarnowska A. Deciphering the impact of cerebrospinal fluid on stem cell fate as a new mechanism to enhance clinical therapy development. Front Neurosci. 2024. PMID: 38282622
  • Smolinska A, Chodkowska M, Kominek A, Janiec J, Piwocka K, Sulejczak D, Sarnowska A. Stemness properties of SSEA-4+ subpopulation isolated from heterogenous Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem/stromal cells. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2024. PMID: 38455073.
  • Bzinkowska A, Sarnowska A. Assessment of the Dose-Dependent Effect of Human Platelet Lysate on Wharton's Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Culture for Manufacturing Protocols. Stem Cells Cloning. 2024. PMID: 39386994.