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= Urszula Demkow = Urszula Demkow is a Polish allergist, internist and immunologist. She is head of the Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Clinical Immunology of the Developmental Age at the Medical University of Warsaw and the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Health of Poland.

Early life and education
Demkow was born August 8, 1962 in Bielsko-Biala, Poland. In 1987, she graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the Medical University of Warsaw. In 1992, she completed her first degree specialization in internal medicine. In 1993, she earned her doctorate in medical sciences based on her thesis entitled, "The influence of drugs used in tuberculosis chemoprophylaxis on selected parameters of the immune system in in vitro and in vivo studies." In 1995, she obtained her second degree of specialization in internal medicine, and in 1998, she completed her specialization in allergology. In 2004, she earned her habilitation based on her dissertation, "Humoral response to mycobacterial antigens in various forms of tuberculosis and its diagnostic value," and she also obtained her second degree of specialization in laboratory diagnostics. In 2006, she completed specialization in laboratory immunology. She also completed postgraduate studies in health care management at the University of Warsaw.

Career
From 1988 to 1990, Demkow served as a junior assistant at the Institute of Cardiology in Anin. Following this, she joined the Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases in Warsaw in 1991. In 2000, she completed an internship at the Lung Diseases Clinic of the University of Antwerp, and subsequently worked at the Euroimmun Lübeck laboratory in Germany from 2001. In 2005, she began working at the Medical University of Warsaw. As part of the Socrates-Erasmus program, she held a visiting professorship at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Naples in 2007. On November 22, 2010, Demkow received a professor nomination from the President of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski. From 2020 to 2022, she was the head of the University Center for Laboratory Medicine. Since 2010, she has been head of the Department of Laboratory Diagnostics and Clinical Immunology of Developmental Age at the Medical University of Warsaw Faculty of Medicine.

Demkow became the head of the Polish 2050 medical team. On December 15, 2023, Minister Izabela Leszczyna applied for the appointment of Demkow as deputy minister of health. On January 4, 2024, Prime Minister Donald Tusk appointed Demkow as the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Health.

She is a member of numerous scientific societies, including the Polish Society of Experimental and Clinical Immunology and the Polish Academy of Sciences. Demkow became the president of the Association of the College of Laboratory Medicine in Poland. She became an expert of the European Commission for financing projects in the field of medicine, and she became the representative of the Rector of the Medical University of Warsaw for equality. Additionally, she was the deputy editor-in-chief of Pneumonologia i Allergologia Polska, as well as a member of the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Pediatric Pulmonology and related research, Central European Journal of Immunology, and Journal of Pediatric Biochemistry.

Research
Demkow's scientific work focuses on issues related to rare diseases, lung diseases, allergic diseases, clinical and experimental immunology, genetics and laboratory diagnostics, particularly in relation with respiratory diseases, cancer and systemic diseases in adults and children. She is the author of 468 full-text scientific papers, 56 chapters in books, 6 monographs, 430 conference reports published in peer-reviewed journals.

Cancer
Demkow explores the pro-tumorigenic effects of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which have been detected in diverse human and animal tumor samples. The involvement of NETs in tumor development encompasses cancer immunoediting and interactions with the immune system and cancer cells. Her review suggests that understanding the interplay between cancer and NETs could inspire innovative therapeutic strategies aimed at obstructing cancer evasion mechanisms and curbing metastatic progression. Additionally, she reviewed the mechanisms of NETs degradation and its role in the pathogenesis of thrombosis, autoimmune diseases, cancer and severe infections.

Demkow also conducted a study which aimed to examine the clinical relevance of soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) serum levels in head and neck cancer, assessing its potential as both a prognostic and predictive biomarker. Using an ELISA test, a prospective analysis of sPD-L1 levels was conducted on 60 patients with malignant and non-malignant lesions in the head and neck area. The findings suggest that sPD-L1 holds promise as a prognostic indicator and an early predictor of recurrence in head and neck cancers, particularly in cases involving laryngeal lesions.

COVID-19
Demkow further analyzes Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), comprising mitochondrial or nuclear DNA, proteinases, and histones, for the crucial role they play in trapping and eliminating pathogens during infections. Activation of neutrophils and the formation of NETs have been identified as significant factors contributing to acute lung injury, multi-organ damage, and mortality in COVID-19. NETs contribute to inflammation and thrombosis in affected lungs, with immunothrombosis stimulated by NETs carrying poor prognostic implications. She suggests that a deeper understanding of NETs' role in COVID-19 could inform the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the disease.

Since the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, countries worldwide have implemented various measures to curb transmission rates. Demkow and other sciences conducted a study on a retrospective analysis spanning five years, focusing on lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) and microbiological data of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Findings revealed a remarkable 81% decrease in LRTI-associated hospital admissions during the pandemic year compared to preceding years, alongside significant drops in influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rotavirus, and norovirus cases. Despite the effectiveness of pandemic-related measures, unexpected rises in RSV-positive cases indicate potential complexities in the epidemiological landscape of seasonal infections.

Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS)
Demkow and other sciences conducted a study on HCV-RNA-positive but anti-HCV-negative blood donors, revealing the potential for acquiring multiple HCV genotypes or subtypes early in infection and suggesting the simultaneous transmission of different strains. While routine methods may miss these mixed infections, next-generation sequencing (NGS) proves effective in accurately identifying them. Additionally, NGS aids in avoiding misinterpretations common with routine methods, offering higher resolution and the ability to detect minor viral variants, thereby clarifying uncertain findings. Demkow and Krzysztof Szczałuba also reviewed the usefulness of array comparative genomic hybridization and NGS in uncovering the causality of isolated and multiple congenital anomalies.

Select publications

 * Manda-Handzlik A, Bystrzycka W, Wachowska M, Sieczkowska S, Stelmaszczyk-Emmel A, Demkow U, Ciepiela O. The influence of agents differentiating HL-60 cells toward granulocyte-like cells on their ability to release neutrophil extracellular traps. Immunol Cell Biol. 2018 Apr;96(4):413-425. doi: 10.1111/imcb.12015. Epub 2018 Feb 15. PMID: 29380901.
 * Cogulu O, Schoumans J, Toruner G, Demkow U, Karaca E, Durmaz AA. Laboratory Genetic Testing in Clinical Practice 2016. Biomed Res Int. 2017;2017:5798714. doi: 10.1155/2017/5798714. Epub 2017 Jan 4. PMID: 28133609; PMCID: PMC5241493.
 * Pruchniak MP, Aražna M, Demkow U. Biochemistry of Oxidative Stress. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2016;878:9-19. doi: 10.1007/5584_2015_161. PMID: 26269026.
 * Ciepiela O, Ostafin M, Demkow U. Neutrophils in asthma--a review. Respir Physiol Neurobiol. 2015 Apr;209:13-6. doi: 10.1016/j.resp.2014.12.004. Epub 2014 Dec 12. PMID: 25511380.
 * Skrobot A, Demkow U, Wachowska M. Immunomodulatory Role of Vitamin D: A Review. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2018;1108:13-23. doi: 10.1007/5584_2018_246. PMID: 30143987.
 * Dobosz M, Manda-Handzlik A, Pyrżak B, Demkow U. The Diagnostics of Human Steroid Hormone Disorders. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2018;1039:67-82. doi: 10.1007/5584_2017_80. PMID: 28795359.
 * Janiak M, Caraballo Cortes K, Demkow U, Radkowski M. Spontaneous Elimination of Hepatitis C Virus Infection. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2018;1039:45-54. doi: 10.1007/5584_2017_76. PMID: 29164488.
 * Winklewski PJ, Radkowski M, Wszedybyl-Winklewska M, Demkow U. Stress Response, Brain Noradrenergic System and Cognition. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2017;980:67-74. doi: 10.1007/5584_2016_204. PMID: 28132133.
 * Szalewska D, Radkowski M, Demkow U, Winklewski PJ. Exercise Strategies to Counteract Brain Aging Effects. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2017;1020:69-79. doi: 10.1007/5584_2017_3. PMID: 28382606.
 * Kucharska AM, Pyrżak B, Demkow U. Regulatory T Cells in Obesity. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2015;866:35-40. doi: 10.1007/5584_2015_147. PMID: 26022902.