Alicja Joanna Urbaniak, MSc, PhD

Research Program: Cancer Therapeutics Faculty Rank: Instructor Campus: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College: College of Medicine Department: Biochem & Molecular Histone Epigenet

Cancer Research Interest

• Disease Site Focus: Breast, Brain, Cutaneous/Melanoma, Leukemia/ Lymphoma
• Research Focus Area: Treatment
• Type of Research: Basic, Translational
• Research Keywords: organoids, 3D models, drug discovery, experimental chemotherapeutics, drug candidates, cancer stem cell, cell viability screen, natural products derivatives, breast cancer, EMT
• Research Interest Statement: My research interests lie at the interphase of chemistry and cancer biology. I intend to tackle the most pressing issues in cancer biology – how to target and therapeutically intervene to disrupt cancer stem cell functionality (self-renewal, drug resistance, tumor recurrence after therapy and metastatic spread to distant organs). In particular, my research has focused on the identification of novel small molecules which target acute lymphoblastic leukemia, breast, and glioblastoma cancer cells, and investigation of mechanisms leading to cell death. To date, I have identified numerous novel small molecules, including, but not limited to, analogs of microtubule destabilizing agent – colchicine, analogs of polyether ionophores – salinomycin and monensin and analogs of polyphenol – resveratrol with improved anti-cancer activity as compared to their parent scaffold or chemotherapeutics currently used in clinics. Additionally, I have been focused on the development and optimization of more clinically relevant cancer models. My experience includes isolation and culturing of primary human cancer cells and tissues for the purpose of drug discovery. I have also developed 3D tumor organoid models to better mimic tumor architecture and optimized cell viability assay for application in 3D format to facilitate rapid screening of drug candidates for efficacy in anti-cancer and anti-cancer stem cell function. Most recently I have adapted my work to include normal cerebral organoid model developed from human iPSCs infiltrated with cancer cells. This exciting model allows me to mimic cancer metastasis to brain and investigate the activity of the compounds which could inhibit this process.

Contact Information

• Email Address: AURBANIAK@UAMS.EDU
• Profiles Research Networking Software: View Profile

Active Grants

• State of Arkansas – AWD00056273
  “In Vivo Evaluation of Monensin, its Analogs, and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Breast Cancer: Efficacy and Toxicity Analysis”
  Principal Investigator
  9/1/2024 – 8/31/2026

Recent Publications

• Ferdous KU, Tesfay MZ, Cios A, [et al., including Urbaniak A]. Enhancing Neoadjuvant Virotherapy's Effectiveness by Targeting Stroma to Improve Resectability in Pancreatic Cancer. Biomedicines. 2024 12(7). PMID: 39062169. PMCID: PMC11275208.
• Urbaniak A, Thummel KE, Alade AN, [et al.]. Experimental pharmacology in precision medicine. Pharmacology research & perspectives. 2023 11(6):e01147. PMID: 37885364. PMCID: PMC10603287.
• Urbaniak A, Bathula C, Chauhan J, [et al.]. Synthesis and Anti-Melanoma Activity of Acryloyl Pyridinone Analogues. Chemistry & biodiversity. 2023:e202301550. PMID: 37994208. PMCID: PMC10984326.
• Moreira ARS, Lim J, Urbaniak A, [et al.]. Musashi Exerts Control of Gonadotrope Target mRNA Translation During the Mouse Estrous Cycle. Endocrinology. 2023 164(9). PMID: 37477898. PMCID: PMC10402870.
• Lowenthal R, Taylor M, Gidden JA, [et al., including Urbaniak A]. The mycelium of the Trametes versicolor synn. Coriolus versicolor (Turkey tail mushroom) exhibit anti-melanoma activity in vitro. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie. 2023 161:114424. PMID: 36827712. PMCID: PMC10147383.
• Urbaniak A, Reed MR, Heflin B, [et al.]. Anti-glioblastoma activity of monensin and its analogs in an organoid model of cancer. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie. 2022 153:113440. PMID: 36076555. PMCID: PMC9472755.
• Delgado M, Rainwater RR, Heflin B, [et al., including Urbaniak A]. Primary acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells are susceptible to microtubule depolymerization in G1 and M phases through distinct cell death pathways. The Journal of biological chemistry. 2022 298(6):101939. PMID: 35436470. PMCID: PMC9123221.
• Delgado M, Washam CL, Urbaniak A, [et al.]. Phosphoproteomics Provides Novel Insights into the Response of Primary Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells to Microtubule Depolymerization in G1 Phase of the Cell Cycle. ACS omega. 2021 6(38):24949-24959. PMID: 34604676. PMCID: PMC8482483.
• Shoeib AM, Yarbrough AL, Ford BM, [et al., including Urbaniak A]. Characterization of cannabinoid receptors expressed in Ewing sarcoma TC-71 and A-673 cells as potential targets for anti-cancer drug development. Life sciences. 2021 285:119993. PMID: 34592231. PMCID: PMC10395316.
• Urbaniak A, Reed MR, Fil D, [et al.]. Single and double modified salinomycin analogs target stem-like cells in 2D and 3D breast cancer models. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie. 2021 141:111815. PMID: 34130123. PMCID: PMC8429223.
• Klejborowska G, Urbaniak A, Maj E, [et al.]. Synthesis, anticancer activity and molecular docking studies of N-deacetylthiocolchicine and 4-iodo-N-deacetylthiocolchicine derivatives. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry. 2021 32:116014. PMID: 33465696.
• Urbaniak A, Piña-Oviedo S, Yuan Y, [et al.]. Limitations of an ex vivo breast cancer model for studying the mechanism of action of the anticancer drug paclitaxel. European journal of pharmacology. 2020 891:173780. PMID: 33271152.
• Urbaniak A, Jousheghany F, Piña-Oviedo S, [et al.]. Carbamate derivatives of colchicine show potent activity towards primary acute lymphoblastic leukemia and primary breast cancer cells-in vitro and ex vivo study. Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology. 2020 34(6):e22487. PMID: 32141170.