Meet our partner: Comenius University in Bratislava / Slovak Medical University

The Mitochondrial Medicine and Coenzyme Q10 Research Group at the Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava (LFUK, UNIBA) is working on research in the Pharmacobiochemical Laboratory of the Third Department of Internal Medicine. Its research is based on different aspects of mitochondrial bioenergetics and Coenzyme Q (CoQ) biology, from mitochondrial respiratory chain function and CoQ metabolism to the therapeutic applications of CoQ10 supplementation in clinical medicine, including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, and post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Mitochondrial Medicine and Coenzyme Q10 Research Group at Slovak Medical University

The Mitochondrial Medicine and Coenzyme Q10 Research Group at the Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava is based in Bratislava, Slovakia. The group is working on research in the Pharmacobiochemical Laboratory of the Third Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, a research centre with over 40 years of experience in mitochondrial medicine. The centre has facilities for high-resolution respirometry, HPLC analysis, clinical biochemistry, biobanking, and human clinical trials.

Track record

The Mitochondrial Medicine and Coenzyme Q10 Research Group is led by Prof. Anna Gvozdjáková, PhD., DSc., who has over 40 years of expertise in basal and clinical research in the field of mitochondria and CoQ10. The group has published extensively in high-level journals in relationship with mitochondrial diseases, CoQ10 effects on human health, and oxidative stress. They have led and participated in several research projects funded by the Ministry of Education of Slovakia and the Slovak Research and Development Agency, focusing on platelet mitochondrial respiration, endogenous CoQ10 levels, and oxidative stress in patients. The group has pioneered research demonstrating the critical role of CoQ10 in mitochondrial bioenergetics and its therapeutic applications in cardiovascular diseases, post-COVID-19 syndrome, rheumatoid diseases, and chronic kidney disease. They have also collaborated with Prof. Frederick Crane, the discoverer of Coenzyme Q10, and maintain active international collaborations with research groups in Spain, Belgium, and other European countries.

Role in Purple4Life

The Mitochondrial Medicine and Coenzyme Q10 Research Group participates in Work Package 3: Human Health Effects. The team is the leader of Task 3.2: Short-term safety and bioavailability test in young healthy participants. Their work will be directly involved in evaluating the safety and bioavailability of CoQ10 and carotenoids from PPB-enriched foods. Further, the team will participate in Task 3.1: Formulation of PPB-rich food and organoleptic tests, and Task 3.3: Multi-centric long-term clinical study in elderly participants. The group will organize the recruitment of volunteers, conduct clinical trials, and perform analysis of plasma levels of CoQ10 and carotenoids, mitochondrial respiration in platelets, cytokines in plasma, and safety parameters in young and elderly volunteers, working in close collaboration with Universidad Pablo de Olavide (UPO) and Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain).

Facilities and capabilities

• Determination of Coenzyme Q10 and carotenoids by HPLC devices: extraction and analysis of CoQ10 and beta-carotene from different samples by using HPLC with UV detector.
• High-resolution respirometry by OROBOROS technology to determine respiratory capacity and energy generation in mitochondria from isolated platelets.
• High-resolution respirometry system (OROBOROS, Austria)
• Clinical trial facilities for conducting human studies in compliance with ethical regulations, including sample collection, processing, and biobank management with -80°C freezers.
• Spectrophotometric analysis for determination of TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) in plasma to measure oxidative stress.
• Centrifugation and cell separation equipment for processing blood samples and isolating platelets for mitochondrial analysis.

These capabilities permit us to determine coenzyme Q10 levels, bioavailability, effect on mitochondrial capacity and safety parameters in human clinical trials.

Networks and programs

The Mitochondrial Medicine and Coenzyme Q10 Research Group participates in different networks such as the PurpleGain COST Action (CA21146, 2022-2026), which provides extended visibility for Purple4Life activities within a community of over 200 members working on purple phototrophic bacteria. Slovak Medical University is actively involved in the European University Association (EUA), representing over 800 universities across 48 European countries, the Inter Academy Medical Panel (since 2000), and the Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes (European Union of Medical Specialists). The university operates under the ECTS system (European Credit Transfer System) for international recognition and is listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools, ensuring worldwide recognition of degrees and research outputs.

The team

Prof. Dr. Anna Gvozdjáková – Project Leader and contact person. Researcher in mitochondrial medicine, CoQ10 metabolism, and clinical applications. Expert in the role of coenzyme Q10 in cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, and human health.

Prof. Dr. Jarmila Kucharská – Senior researcher specialized in CoQ10 analysis by HPLC techniques and determination of oxidative stress markers in clinical samples.

Dr. Zuzana Sumbalová – Senior researcher focused on high-resolution respirometry and mitochondrial function analysis in human blood cells and platelets.

Dr. Zuzana Rausová – Senior researcher on clinical biochemistry and bioavailability studies of CoQ10 supplementation in human trials.