Margit Balázs MSc DSc

Scientific degree

• PhD/cell biology/1995
• DSc/basic medical sciences/2003

Teaching

Course leader

• Basic oncology
• The use of molecular biological techniques in epidemiological studies
• The role genetic predisposition in the development of malignant diseases
• Investigation of genetic instability an clonal progression of malignant melanomas
• The basics of fluorescence in situ hybridization
• Array comparative genomic hybridization and the use in clinical diagnosis

Contributing teacher

• Preventive medicine and public health
• Genetic epidemiology
• Molecular biology
• Basic oncology

Research

• key-words: molecular genetics of malignant diseases, FISH, CGH, gene copy alterations and gene expression, genetic background of malignant melanomas and head and neck cancers
• Investigation of genetic alterations associated with tumor progression in order to identify molecular genetic markers that might be targets for cancer  diagnosis and therapeutics.
• Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), laser microdissection, immunhistochemistry, Affymetrix gene expression analysis using the Genespring sofware.

Our major subtasks are: study of

• molecular mechanisms of tumor invasion and progression, description of genetic alterations in early-stage lesions, identification of invasion specific genetic markers.
• molecular alterations associated with metastasis formation, early detection of alterations that might help to predict metastatic behavior of primary tumors.
• organ specific genetic markers of metastases, comparison of genomic alterations and gene expression patterns between primary tumors, lymph node and distant metastases obtained from the same patient.
• detection of chromosome copy number alterations in interphase cells and on metaphase chromosome preparations. 

Research projects (ongoing):

• NKFP 1-00003/2005; 257.000.000 HUF; 2005-2008  Potentials of preventing diseases of major public health importance (subproject leader)
• OTKA T 048750, 2005-2008, 17.200.000 Ft Association between genomic alterations and gene expression, search for genetic markers in association with melanoma metastasis formation (project leader)

Selected publications:

• Rákosy Zs., Vízkeleti l., Ecsedi Sz., Vokó Z., Bégány Á., Barok M., Gallai G., Szentirmay Z., Ádány R., Balázs M.:  EGFR gene copy number alterations in primary cutaneous malignant melanomas are associated with poor prognosis. (2007. Int J Cancer in press)
• Fehér L., Balazs M., Kelemen J, Zvara A., Varga-Orvos Z., Puskás L.: Improved DOP-PCR based representational whole genome amplification using quantitative real-time PCR. Diagnostic Molecular Pathology 2006;15(1):43-48. 
• Treszl A, Ladanyi A, Rakosy Zs, Buczko Zs, Adany R., Balazs M.: Molecular cytogenetic characterization of a novel cell line established from a superficial spreading melanoma. Frontiers in Bioscience, 2006;11:1844-1853. 
• Juhasz A, Balazs M, Sziklay I, Rakosy Z, Treszl A, Repassy G, Adany R.: Chromosomal imbalances in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers detected by comparative genomic hybridization. Cytometry 2005;67(2):151-60.    
• Ádám, Zs, Treszl A, Bégány, A., Hunyadi, J., Ádány, R.: Chromosomal Imbalances in Primary and Metastatic Melanomas Revealed by Comparative Genomic Hybridization. . Cytometry. 2001;46(4):222-232. 
• Ádám, Zs., Ádány, R., Tímár, J., Ladányi, A., Balázs, M.: Liver metastatic ability of human melanoma cell line is associated with losses of chromosomes 4, 9p21-pter and 10p. Clinical and Experimental Metastasis, 2000;18(4):295-302 
• Balázs, M., Ádám, Zs., Bégány, Á ., Takruri, A., Ádány, R.: Involvement of chromosome losses in the progression and metastasis formation of a human malignant melanoma. Cancer Genet. Cytogenet., 1999;109:114-118. 
• Balázs, M., Carroll, P., Kerschmann, R., Sauter, G., Waldman, FM.: Frequent homozygous deletion of cyclin, dependent kinase inhibitor 2 (MTS1, p16) in superficial bladder carcinoma detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Genes, Chromosomes, Cancer, 1997;19:84-89.
• Balázs, M., Matsumura K., Moore D., Pinkel, D., Gray, JW. and Waldman, FM.: Karyotypic heterogeneity and its relation to labeling index in interphase breast tumor cells. Cytometry, 1995;20:62-73.   
• Wolman, S.R., , F.M., Balázs, M.,: Complementary of interphase and metaphase analysis in human renal tumors. Genes Chromosomes and Cancer, 1993;6:17-23.