Vladimir Strelnikov, Head of the Epigenetics Laboratory at RCMG, Presented the Results of the Work on the RSF Grant

On January 26, 2023, an expanded meeting of the expert council of the Russian Scientific Foundation (RSF) was held. The event was attended by Elena Nechayeva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of the Russian Federation for Scientific and Educational Policy, Andrey Kartavy, Deputy Head of the department of the Presidential Office for Scientific and Educational Policy, Alexander Khlunov, General Director of RSF, Natalia Zinovieva, Director of the Institute of Pedagogical Sciences named after the academician L.K. Ernst, members of the expert councils of RSF, as well as leading and young scientists who with the support of the Foundation carry out research in the field of genetics. The session was moderated by Alexander Makarov, chairman of the expert council on RSF scientific projects.

The work on the RSA grant of the epigenetics laboratory at RCMG lasted for 5 years and was devoted to the identification of the most diagnostically valuable markers of methylation of DNA, allowing to predict the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer. During their work the specialists managed to collect the largest sample of biomaterial samples in Russia and to create an epigenomic classifier, which is now ready for clinical practice.  

In his report Vladimir Strelnikov, Head of the epigenetics laboratory of the Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Holder of an Advanced Doctorate in Biological Sciences, described in detail the most informative markers for predicting the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for various breast cancer subtypes.

“As a result of the research, it was possible to form clinical epigenetic marker systems to predict the effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy of breast cancer LumB subtype with indicators of diagnostic value significantly exceeding them, obtained during the 2018-2020 work phase.  The marker system developed in the epigenetics laboratory at RCMG within the RSF project has no analogues in the world today”, - said Vladimir Strelnikov in his report.

Developed marker systems are ready for implementation in clinical practice of clinical diagnostic laboratories. The next stage of the work of the epigenetics laboratory will be the study of the dynamics of DNA methylation in the processes of carcinogenesis and chemotherapy of breast cancer within the state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.