PhD Scientific Days 2025
Budapest, 7-9 July 2025
Poster Session I. - A: Molecular Medicine
Quantitative Characterization of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Előadó neve
Szarka Levente, MSc
Neptun code
SK7EGS
Előadó munkahelye
Semmelweis University, Dept. of Molecular Biology
Előadó telefonszáma
+36307090613
Előadó e-mail címe
szarka.levente@phd.semmelweis.hu
Az előadás címe
Quantitative Characterization of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
Szerző(k) neve és munkahelye
Levente Szarka1, Dávid Keresztes1, Bianka Gurbi1, Péter Csermely1
1: Semmelweis University, Dept. of Molecular Biology
Bemutatás módja
Poszter
Szekció
Poster Session I. - A: Molecular Medicine
Language of the presentation
Hungarian
Preferred session
Molecular Medicine
Összefoglaló szövege
Our research focuses on the comprehensive quantitative analysis of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), a key process in tumor progression such as drug resistance. EMT is typically studied via cell morphology, gene expression patterns or functional assays, although currently there is a lack of such an EMT model system that integrates the results of these diverse analyses.
Our aim is to test and compare the morphometric, gene expression, and functional characteristics of in vitro tumor cell lines representing different EMT states. This study develops an image analysis method to identify morphometric features that capture various EMT stages.
First, we established a standardized imaging protocol and developed a custom image analysis software for quantifying single-cell morphological features. We performed brightfield microscopy on a prostate cancer cell line pair that underwent EMT (PC3 – chemo-sensitive, and PC3DR – resistant), followed by manual segmentation. Nuclei were visualized with Hoechst staining, enabling automated segmentation. Ten shape descriptors were used to assess cell and nuclear morphology. Statistical comparisons were made using the Mann–Whitney U test.
Seven of ten cellular morphometric descriptors differed significantly between the cell line pairs (p < 0.001). PC3 cells had larger area, perimeter, and less circular contours, while PC3DR cells showed higher solidity and extent. Elongation-related parameters (aspect ratio, ellipticity, eccentricity) did not differ significantly. Nuclear features showed no significant differences.
These results suggest that tumor cell shape morphology could be informative in determining EMT progression. Our image analysis method effectively quantifies single-cell morphology, and the identified significant descriptors may serve as useful indicators of EMT. We are currently including more cell lines in our analyses and expanding our image analysis method with additional morphometric descriptors. The results will be correlated with ongoing EMT gene expression measurements (qPCR array) and functional assay results (e.g., migration, invasion assays).
SE 250+ Excellence PhD Scholarship
szarka.levente@phd.semmelweis.hu
Semmelweis University
Prof. Csermely Péter
University
Semmelweis University
Supervisor
Prof. Péter Csermely
Publication of my abstract
I do not give consent to the publication of my abstract on the website of the congress.
phd.section.field
in doctoral studies before complex exam (PhD)
Kind
Szabad
Status
elfogadva
Accepted presentation method
poszter
Előadás fájl jóváhagyás
nem rendelkezett róla
Előadó
9098
Start
17:00
End
17:06