At the invitation of Jan Škoda from the Faculty of Science at Masaryk University and Jaroslav Štěrba, Scientific Director of NICR, Professor Michael D. Hogarty, a leading American pediatric oncologist and researcher from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, visited Brno.
As part of the Life Sciences Seminar Series at Masaryk University, he delivered a lecture on April 30, 2026, at the Bohunice University Campus titled “Exploiting the Polyamine Dependency of MYC-driven Tumors.” In his talk, he focused on the role of MYC oncogenes in tumor biology, particularly in high-risk neuroblastoma—one of the most serious pediatric cancers—and their close link to polyamine metabolism. He demonstrated that MYC-driven tumors are functionally dependent on polyamines, opening up new opportunities for targeted therapeutic interventions. He paid particular attention to the inhibition of key enzymes in polyamine metabolism and the potential for combining these approaches with other treatment strategies. He also presented results from both preclinical and clinical research suggesting that targeting polyamine metabolism may slow tumor growth and increase treatment sensitivity. This approach represents a promising avenue, especially for tumors where direct targeting of MYC remains challenging.
Michael D. Hogarty serves as an attending physician in the Division of Oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and as a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania. His long-term research focuses primarily on neuroblastoma, histiocytic disorders, and translational research aimed at developing new therapeutic options for pediatric cancers.
“Medicine, in my view, has a unique privilege. As healthcare professionals, we are united not only by a shared mission, but also by similar joys and challenges—regardless of where we were born, studied, or live. I am very pleased to count many good friends among them,” said Jaroslav Štěrba on the occasion of Michael D. Hogarty’s visit to Brno.
The visit of this distinguished international expert underscored the importance of international collaboration in oncology research, as well as the strong connection between clinical medicine and cutting-edge basic and translational science.
