Tumor Microenvironment in Pediatric Solid Tumors
Mission
To translate dynamic analysis of the tumor microenvironment into safer, biologically informed and clinically usable treatment strategies for children and young people with high-risk cancers.
Research Focus
The group studies how the tumor microenvironment (TME), immune escape, tumor metabolism and host factors influence treatment response. The aim is to translate these findings into individualized therapeutic strategies within ATMP-based investigator-initiated clinical trials in pediatric oncology. Tissue, blood and, in CNS tumors, cerebrospinal fluid are analyzed longitudinally. The team integrates tumor-derived markers with immune-cell subsets, soluble mediators, immune checkpoints, myeloid activation, neutrophil extracellular traps and selected metabolic parameters.
Key Research Questions
- Which TME mechanisms drive resistance and progression in an individual pediatric tumor?
- Can longitudinal biomarkers identify clinically relevant changes earlier than conventional assessments?
- Can TME-informed treatment selection improve feasibility, safety and clinical relevance in rare and heterogeneous cancers?
Approach & Integration
Biomarker patterns may support rational use of immunotherapy, targeted or repurposed agents, metronomic treatment, anti-angiogenic therapy and radiotherapy. The group is developing a personalised treatment platform combining autologous dendritic cell (DC) vaccination with dynamic biomarker-guided modulation of the TME.
Specialized Expertise & Technology
- Longitudinal TME profiling in tissue, blood and cerebrospinal fluid using immune, myeloid, metabolic and soluble biomarkers.
- Dynamic liquid biopsy, including tumor-informed ctDNA and cell-free DNA analyses.
- Multiparameter immunomonitoring, multiplex tissue profiling, and access to single-cell and spatial transcriptomics.
- Integration of biomarker trajectories with immunotherapy, targeted and repurposed agents, metronomic treatment, anti-angiogenic therapy and radiotherapy.
- GMP-compatible autologous dendritic cell vaccination for selected eligible patients.
prof. MUDr. Jaroslav Štěrba, Ph.D.
Role
Research Group Leader; Professor; Head, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno
Contact Information
Office:
Černopolní 212/9, 662 63 Brno, Czech Republic
Phone:
+ 420 532 234 600
+ 420 532 234 614
Email:
sterba.jaroslav@fnbrno.cz
Selected Publications
- Kýr M, Múdry P, Polášková K, et al. Personalized dendritic cell vaccine in multimodal individualized combination therapy improves survival in high-risk pediatric cancer patients. Int J Cancer. 2024;155(8):1443–1454. doi:10.1002/ijc.35062.
- Fedorova L, Múdry P, Pilátová K, et al. Assessment of immune response following dendritic cell-based immunotherapy in pediatric patients with relapsing sarcoma. Front Oncol. 2019;9:1169. doi:10.3389/fonc.2019.01169.
- Pálová H, Das A, Pokorná P, et al. Precision immuno-oncology approach for four malignant tumors in siblings with constitutional mismatch repair deficiency syndrome. NPJ Precis Oncol. 2024;8:110. doi:10.1038/s41698-024-00597-8.
- Pokorná P, Pálová H, Adamcová S, et al. Real-world performance of integrative clinical genomics in pediatric precision oncology. Lab Invest. 2024;104(12):102161. doi:10.1016/j.labinv.2024.102161.
- Tinka P, Pokorná P, Kýr M, et al. Individualized therapeutic approaches for relapsed and refractory pediatric ependymomas: a single institution experience. J Neurooncol. 2025;173(2):479–488. doi:10.1007/s11060-025-05004-1.
Patents
- No group-specific patent is listed at present. Intellectual-property opportunities arising from biomarker-guided treatment algorithms, assay integration, and cellular-therapy optimization will be evaluated with the relevant technology-transfer offices.
Grant Projects
- Scanning the liquids Of pediatric brain tUmor patients to Personalize treatment (144430) | Principal investigator: Prof. Jaroslav Štěrba | Project period: 1/2025–12/2028 | Investor: Other foreign funds.
- Drug repurposing for the therapy of MYC-driven pediatric tumors via mitochondrial synthetic lethality (NW26-07-00021) | Principal investigator: Prof. Jaroslav Štěrba | Project period: 1/2026–12/2029 | Investor: Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, Applied Health Research Programme 2024–2030.
- Central European Advanced Therapy and Immunotherapy Centre – CREATIC (101059788) | Project period: 9/2023–8/2029 | Investor: European Union, Horizon Europe.
Collaboration
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University – clinical platform and prospective sample collection.
- CREATIC, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University – advanced therapies, immunotherapy development and translational infrastructure.
- TME, cellular immunotherapy and immunomonitoring: prof. MUDr. Dalibor Valík, Ph.D., DABCC; prof. RNDr. Lenka Zdražilová Dubská, Ph.D.; doc. MUDr. Regina Demlová, Ph.D.
- Molecular profiling and tumor biology: prof. RNDr. Ondřej Slabý, Ph.D.; doc. RNDr. Jakub Neradil, Ph.D.; Mgr. Hana Pálová, Ph.D.; Mgr. Petra Pokorná, Ph.D.
- Center for Precision Medicine, University Hospital Brno – integrative molecular diagnostics and clinical genomics.
- CEITEC Masaryk University – genomic, transcriptomic, single-cell, spatial and computational analyses.
- Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute – cellular therapy, immunomonitoring, laboratory medicine and radiotherapy collaboration.
- ITCC (Innovative Therapies for Children with Cancer) – European early-phase pediatric oncology network.
- ERN PaedCan and international pediatric precision-oncology and CNS-tumor networks.
Alumni
- To be completed after confirmation of formal research group membership and former trainees to be highlighted.
Open Positions
NONE
Team
Clinical and Translational Coordination
- Michal Kýr, M.D., Ph.D.
- Assoc. Prof. Peter Múdry, M.D., Ph.D.
- Kristýna Polášková, M.D., Ph.D.
PPOOL Students
- Dominika Holániová
- Nina Múdra
- Samuel Pavlus
- Jozef Lukačovič
Clinical Investigators and Collaborating Specialists
- Representatives from the Department of Pediatric Oncology, pathology, radiotherapy, laboratory medicine, bioinformatics and biostatistics.