Contact

martyna.majchrzak@pwr.edu.pl 
L-1, room 28
LinkedIn

Research

My work covers the full cycle of protease-activated antibody-drug conjugate development: from initial design and peptide linker synthesis to biochemical and cellular testing in cancer models. I have a chemical background, which allows me to plan prodrug structures and then refine those designs based on the experimental results. During my doctoral studies, I am expanding my biological skillset - gaining advanced molecular and cell-based techniques - to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of specificity and therapeutic efficacy.

Techniques: peptide chemistry  (synthesis of combinatorial peptide libraries), enzymatic assays (fluorescence-based kinetic assays for substrate specificity and inhibitor profiling), conjugation chemistry (design and assembly of protease-sensitive linkers into ADCs), analytical methods (HPLC, LC-MS, Western blotting), cellular assays (confocal microscopy, real-time imaging with IncuCyte, CYTOF sample preparation).

Scientific Collaborations

Dec 2023 – Apr 2024, Instytut Medycyny Doświadczalnej i Klinicznej, Polska Akademia Nauk

Education and research internships

2022 – present PhD Candidate in Chemical Sciences, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry

2021 – 2022 MSc in Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Specialization: Organic Chemistry and Polymers, Thesis: Synthesis and biochemical evaluation of protease-activated prodrugs

2017 – 2021 BSc in Biomedical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Specialization: Biomedical Optics, Thesis: Application of FT-Raman spectroscopy for protein and peptide analysis in aqueous solutions

Publications and patents

Majchrzak M, Poręba M. “The roles of cellular protease interactions in viral infections and programmed cell death: a lesson learned from the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and COVID-19 pandemic.” Pharmacol Rep. 2022 Dec;74(6):1149–1165. doi: 10.1007/s43440-022-00394-9

Bobrowicz M, Kusowska A, Krawczyk M, Zhylko A, Forcados Ch, Słusarczyk A, Barankiewicz J, Domagała J, Kubacz M, Šmída M, Dostałowa L, Marhelava K, Fidyt K, Pepek M, Baranowska I, Szumera-Cieckiewicz A, Inderberg E, Wälchli S, Granica M, Graczyk-Jarzyńka A, Majchrzak M, Poręba M, Gehlert C, Peipp M, Firczuk M, Prochorec-Sobieszek M, Winiarska M. “CD20 expression regulates CD37 levels in B-cell lymphoma – implications for immunotherapies.” OncoImmunology. 2024;13:e2362454. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2024.2362454

Poręba M, Gorzeń O, Łęcka M, Ćwilichowska-Puślecka N, Majchrzak M, Horbach N, Wiśniewski J, Jakimowicz P, Dolegą-Kozierowski B, Kasprzak P, Turk B, Drąg M, Groborz K, Matkowski R. “The application of unnatural amino acids enables the development of cathepsin-selective antibody-drug conjugates for HER2-positive breast cancer.” (under review)

Selektywna sekwencja peptydowa, łącznik peptydowy selektywnie hydrolizowany przez oligopeptydazę prolilową, koniugat przeciwciało-lek cytotoksyczny oraz ich zastosowanie, PL451751, Poręba M, Majchrzak M (patent application)

Selektywna sekwencja peptydowa nakierowana na aktywność białka aktywującego fibroblasty i substrat fluorogeniczny oraz ich zastosowania, PL451752, Poręba M, Majchrzak M (patent application)

Conferences

Martyna Majchrzak, Marcin Poręba, Development of antibody-drug conjugates activated by prolyl oligopeptidases for breast cancer treatment, 42th Winter School on Proteases and Inhibitors, Italy, March 2025

Martyna Majchrzak, Marcin Poręba, Application of ultra-selective protease-cleavable linkers in antibody‑drug conjugates for controlled payload release and attenuated chemotherapy side effects, Gordon Research Conference – Proteolytic Enzymes and Their Inhibitors, Italy, June 2024

Martyna Majchrzak, Marcin Poręba, Crafting precision: revolutionizing antibody‑drug conjugates with ultra‑selective protease‑cleavable linkers, Gordon Research Seminar – Proteolytic Enzymes and Their Inhibitors, Italy,  June 2024

Martyna Majchrzak, Oliwia Malon, Marcin Poręba, Analiza specyficzności substratowej proteaz z rodziny  S9 dla opracowania selektywnych koniugatów przeciwciało‑lek, 65. ZJAZD NAUKOWY Polskiego Towarzystwa Chemicznego, Poland, Sept 2023

Martyna Majchrzak, Natalia Ćwilichowska-Puślecka, Paulina Kasperkiewicz-Wasilewska, Marcin Poręba, Highly selective protease‑activated prodrugs as a new strategy of cancer treatment, MedChem 2023 XII Paul Ehrlich Euro‑PhD Network Meeting, Greece, July 2023

Martyna Majchrzak, Marcin Poręba, Proleki aktywowane przez proteazy jako nowa strategia walki z nowotworami, XIX Ogólnopolskie Seminarium Doktorantów i Studentów „Na pograniczu Chemii i Biologii”, Trzebieszowice, June 2023

Martyna Majchrzak, Oliwia Malon, Marcin Poręba, Targeting cancer with selective prodrugs activated by prolyl proteases, 40th Winter School on Proteases and Inhibitors, Italy, March 2023

Martyna Majchrzak, Oliwia Malon, Marcin Poręba, Dissecting the role of prolyl oligopeptidases in cell death by the application of protease-selective prodrugs: from basic research into new anticancer therapeutic strategies, AMBRA 1st International Conference on Advanced Materials for Bio-Related Applications, May 2022