Paweł Woźnicki

ORCID: 0009-0001-6962-2655

The topic of my dissertation is: „Preclinical characterization of therapeutic tracers in Photodynamic Therapy in vitro”

Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumors, accounting for 81% of malignant tumors of the central nervous system. According to the World Health Organization classification, these tumors are divided into four grades, among which grade 1 and 2 gliomas denote low-grade malignancies, and grade 3 and 4 gliomas denote high-grade malignancies. Typically, a relatively high grade is associated with a poor prognosis. The most common grade 4 glioma is glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The five-year survival rate for patients with this tumor is only 6%. The current standard of therapy, which includes total resection, radiation therapy in the focal tumor area, and concurrent chemotherapy with temozolomide and a specific dose of radiation therapy, is therefore far from sufficient, and new forms of therapy are constantly being sought. One of these is photodynamic therapy (PDT). PDT is based on the local or systemic application of a photosensitive compound, a photosensitizer, which is intensively accumulated in pathological tissues. Photosensitizer molecules absorb light of the appropriate wavelength, initiating activation processes that lead to the selective destruction of abnormal cells. The effect of PDT against GBM has been extensively studied over the past 30 years, in preclinical and clinical trials with promising results.

The planned research focuses on the synthesis of a new, optimal photosensitizer for use in GBM PDT. The project involves the development and evaluation of ophioboline A conjugates with porphyrin, which may be promising candidates for third-generation photosensitizers. The aim of the research is to create compounds with increased selectivity and favorable photophysical properties, enabling more effective and precise PDT. The results obtained are expected to form the basis for further preclinical studies and contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of GBM.

Publication:

  1. Woźnicki, P., Bartusik-Aebisher, D., Przygórzewska, A., & Aebisher, D. (2025). Immunological Insights into Photodynamic Therapy of Glioblastoma Multiforme. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 30(15), 3091. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30153091
  2. Woźnicki, P., Bartusik-Aebisher, D., Przygórzewska, A., & Aebisher, D. (2025). Molecular mechanisms of the effects of photodynamic therapy on the brain: A review of the literature. Photodiagnosis and photodynamic therapy, 52, 104536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pdpdt.2025.104536
  3. Aebisher, D., Woźnicki, P., Czarnecka-Czapczyńska, M., Dynarowicz, K., Szliszka, E., Kawczyk-Krupka, A., & Bartusik-Aebisher, D. (2024). Molecular Determinants for Photodynamic Therapy Resistance and Improved Photosensitizer Delivery in Glioma. International journal of molecular sciences, 25(16), 8708. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25168708
  4. Bartusik-Aebisher, D., Woźnicki, P., Dynarowicz, K., & Aebisher, D. (2023). Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy of Brain Cancers-A Review. Brain sciences, 13(9), 1299. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13091299